Arizona State University (Tempe campus)

Additional information

Program description

The BFA program in art with a concentration in animation offers students a comprehensive education that preserves tradition while fostering independent innovation. The curriculum embraces new visualization methodologies and tools with the potential to drive discoveries and insights across various disciplines.

In the first year, students engage in coursework that builds a foundation for them to situate animation within the realm of fine art practice. In the second year, students acquire fundamental artistic and technical skills for 2D and 3D animation production using industry-standard software. During the third year, students receive extended assistance by enrolling in upper-division courses specialized in various areas of animation production. In the fourth year, senior students, equipped with an advanced understanding of animation techniques and aesthetics, embark on the creation of a short animation film, either individually or collaboratively, throughout a one-year Animation Capstone course. Students can view examples of class projects and senior capstone projects completed by students in the ASU Animation Spring 2023 Showcase. 

Upon completing the program, graduates can demonstrate both technical and artistic abilities, enabling them to create animations for exhibitions in arts venues such as galleries and museums; screen them at film and animation festivals; and use them in presentations for careers in the animation, game and film entertainment industries.

The program features a faculty of active professional artists who work at the forefront of computer-generated imagery; emerging technology (machine learning, virtual reality and extended reality); and independent animation filmmaking. Students enrolled in the program collaborate closely with faculty members, who not only impart essential knowledge but also emphasize critical concepts in their teaching, fostering interdisciplinary engagement. Moreover, students enjoy the opportunity to explore animation as an ever-expanding and evolving medium. This exploration is made possible through interactions with the state-of-the-art facilities and resources at the Media and Immersive eXperience Center in Mesa, Arizona. Designed to accommodate programs in film, media arts, design and emerging technology, the MIX Center hosts a vibrant community of hundreds of students who engage in a wide array of creative endeavors, including filmmaking, the design of new virtual worlds, video game development, and the creation of immersive media experiences across various domains.

The animation curriculum is augmented by internships offered by a wide range of arts organizations, and public exhibitions and visiting artist and scholar lectures supported by the School of Art galleries, the Ceramics Research Center and Archive and the ASU Art Museum. These events offer students the opportunity to develop their knowledge and appreciation of contemporary art and culture while building a professional network.

Students can visit the animation area of study page to learn more about the program and the faculty.

Concurrent program options

Students pursuing concurrent degrees (also known as a “double major”) earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. Working with their academic advisors, students can create their own concurrent degree combination. Some combinations are not possible due to high levels of overlap in curriculum.
Accelerated program options
This program allows students to obtain both a bachelor's and master's degree in as little as five years. It is offered as an accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree with:

• Design (Experience Design), MSD

Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. 

Global opportunities
Global experience 

Global Education programs provide an opportunity for students to explore their creative side through an intercultural lens, deepen their understanding of the world and gain valuable career-building experiences. Study abroad can prove to be a vital accompaniment to any art concentration, allowing for broad historical and archaeological explorations. Students develop insight into the cultures and minds of some of the world's most notable artists when they experience the places that gave rise to specific artistic styles.

With more than 300 options available, Global Education programs give students a breadth of knowledge in arts and culture uniquely different from their own. Study abroad encourages students to develop and broaden their intercultural sensitivity, communication skills and leadership ability, and challenges them to think differently. Whether in a foreign country, in the U.S. or online, students learn to adapt and persevere, and they are provided with a chance to look inside themselves in a way they haven't done before, growing their personal and professional self-confidence along the way.

 
Career opportunities

A degree in the arts offers students a pathway to a rich and varied choice of careers.

Studio art graduates find employment opportunities as artists in the field, selling their works through commercial galleries and commissions and to private collectors; as museum or gallery professionals, art dealers and directors; as private school art teachers and college professors; and as community-based artists (venues might include health care settings, nonprofit agencies, and local and national public arts). Animation graduates work within the realms of:

• augmented and virtual reality
• cinema and television
• design
• film
• fine arts
• games and game development
• illustration
• robotics
• scientific and data visualization

ASU alumni are animators, creative directors, graphic artists, multimedia designers and art directors, among others. For the last several years, jobs for multimedia artists, animators, and film and video editors have continued to trend upward nationally.

Graduates of this program also have gone on to start their own galleries or small businesses, exhibit at notable institutions, and receive prestigious grant and residency opportunities. Graduates are also prepared to pursue advanced research in graduate animation programs, equipped with a portfolio of completed works showcasing their unique artistic vision and collaborative spirit.