Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation and Visual Effects with Emphasis in 3D Animation (STEM)

at Academy of Art University USA

Academy of Art University’s BFA Acting program is a comprehensive and diverse curriculum that provides a strong foundation in performance fundamentals, including acting technique, acting for camera, improvisation, singing, and speech. Courses in audition technique, stage production, musical theatre, and stage combat help prepare our graduating students to enter the professional world.

The MA program provides advanced study for students pursuing careers in multimedia communications. Coursework focuses on short-form production, on-camera performance, multimedia writing, and journalism for broadcast as well as for streaming mobile devices, and entrepreneurship. Students graduate from the program with a comprehensive portfolio or reel that showcases their talents refined through a concentrated curriculum.

The MFA Game Development program allows students to further their careers by synthesizing traditional art and design fundamentals with today’s groundbreaking technologies. Students level up their skill through hands-on prototyping of game mechanics and art creation, followed by creating a thesis project and an industry-quality portfolio.

The School of Illustration's BFA program embraces the art of visual and conceptual storytelling in any medium. Students develop the skills necessary to transform themselves into skilled, distinctive, professional illustrators able meet the marketplace’s growing need for artists trained in visual problem solving in both traditional and digital media. Exciting career paths await in comics and graphic novels, children's books, advertising, editorial illustration, and interactive illustration.

The MA program provides professional study within focused fields of physical design. In addition to classroom and collaborative coursework, each student develops a professional portfolio that will be used to launch a career in Industrial Design.

The Fashion Product Development MFA focuses on developing and managing all aspects of the fashion product development process. Emphasis will be placed on aesthetics, design, and product development strategies specific to companies and their target markets. Students will create product concept and lines based on their in-depth market and trend research, textile and raw material sourcing strategies, manufacturing strategies and shipping logistics to deliver finished products to stores and consumers. Students will learn the drawing, design, construction, technical, and industry standard software skills. Students will apply all of these skills to create a culminating thesis project that includes a complete product line and an implementation strategy. MFA Graduates will be capable of launching a new product line and applying high level strategic thinking to hold key positions in global fashion organizations.

The MFA in Animation & Visual Effects program focuses on developing skills in any one of the many areas of expertise within the animation and visual effects industry. The program educates students in all aspects of animation and visual effects, from ideation to post production. Communication, collaboration, and time management skills are emphasized throughout the program to ensure graduates are acclimated to the intense professional culture that awaits them.

The School of Fashion offers four MA degree programs. They are Design, Costume Design, Fashion Journalism, and Fashion Merchandising. The MA in Fashion and the MA in Fashion Design Emphasis degrees offer courses that include a wide range of design areas including textiles and knitwear. Studio courses hone the graduate candidate's mastery of fashion industry standards in design and construction, enhancing design excellence with computer skills, and preparing MA candidates to launch themselves into the industry upon graduating.

The BFA degree offers a solid grounding in the creative process and business skills of entertainment, as well as an in-depth specialization in one of the key areas of filmmaking (directing, producing, cinematography, editing, production design, and screenwriting).

The School of Communications & Media Technologies BA program provides a dynamic education of essential modern media skills including foundations in storytelling, broadcasting, journalism, and mobile platforms. Under the guidance of industry experts, students learn to shoot, edit, write, and host their own productions, and use the latest technologies to stream and broadcast them.