Master of Arts in Animation and Visual Effects (STEM)

at Academy of Art University USA

The BFA in Fashion Product Development encompasses the process of fashion product development that requires understanding and knowledge of the consumer, market, and trends, textiles and raw materials, product concept and line development, and sourcing and manufacturing. Drawing from their design courses, students will apply a high level design aesthetic to develop products that are appropriate for a brand and their target customers.  Students will learn the hand drawing and drafting skills and the technical skills needed to produce detailed and accurate technical drawings and flat patterns using industry standard computer software. BFA graduates will be capable of working in various roles in a product development team.

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 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.

3D Modeling
This MFA in Animation & Visual Effects program focuses on developing skills in 3D modeling. 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 Visual Development MA program provides professional development with advanced coursework in still life painting, figure drawing, character design, concept painting, layout design for animation, and other core skills of professional visual developers.

Entertainment Art
Entertainment Art emphasis students will develop professional skills needed to provide intelligent and informative visuals for new market areas of web publishing, app building, e-publishing, and VR experiences. Students will create unique portfolios incorporating data driven visual problem solving as well as fluency in time based media. Beyond distinct style and problem solving skills, students will develop professional portfolios emphasizing conceptual skills, current digital tools, appropriate motion based imaging skills, and the ability to work individually and in teams for online applications and digital publications. Professional skills needed to enter and sustain a career in the online marketplace for both contract and staff work will be emphasized.

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 Landscape Architecture MFA program provides advanced study for students pursuing a career in Landscape Architecture. Coursework emphasizes theories of open urban spaces, collaborative and interdisciplinary methods of design and implementation, sustainability, and advanced digital rendering techniques.

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.

The School of Motion Pictures & Television’s MFA program offers in-depth, advanced training in the various areas of film and television production. Depending on the area of specialization, the MFA program culminates in a thesis film or professional reel/portfolio. Areas of study include directing, producing, cinematography, editing, production design, and screenwriting. Students are prepared to compete for work in the industry or to teach, as the MFA is a terminal degree.

The MA program provides students an opportunity to work in 2D Animation & Stop Motion, 3D Animation, 3D Modeling, or Visual Effects, while focusing on storytelling with an emphasis on exhibiting technical skills and eliciting emotional responses.

The BFA program provides students with a comprehensive education in the principles of modern web design and new media. Taught by a faculty that works in the San Francisco Bay Area creative industry, our students are provided a unique opportunity to learn from teachers immersed in the field. The curriculum focuses on visual design, user experience, design strategies, web design, and motion graphics.