Master of Arts in Animation and Visual Effects (STEM)

at Academy of Art University USA

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 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 MFA in Acting is rooted in a conservatory approach to acting. The program provides immersive training in multiple mediums preparing actors for film, television, stage, and musical theater productions. Students will hone a diverse set of professional skills in voice, speech, movement, improvisation, classical theater, and audition techniques. Students will graduate from the program equipped with an industry ready demo reel showcasing the actor’s ability to work in front of a camera with a professional crew on a sound stage. The MFA portfolio will also include a personalized marketing strategy exhibiting the actor’s preparedness to successfully compete in the entertainment industry.

The MA in Fine Arts can be completed with one of three emphases: Drawing and Painting, Printmaking, or Sculpture. This degree program provides students with the creative and technical skills needed to thrive in today’s art world. Students will leave with professional-level portfolios and an understanding of the business of art.

The School of Graphic Design’s BFA program guides students through the nuanced skill-development process required to achieve excellence in typography, print, packaging, branding, user experience, and motion graphics. The faculty is comprised of nationally recognized professionals who challenge their students to reach their personal creative potential.

The Master of Arts program offers an introduction to landscape architecture. Coursework emphasizes the essential factors involved in the creation of outdoor spaces. This program is appropriate for students who want to learn about the profession but are not interested in practicing as a landscape architect in the future.

The Game Development BFA gives a well-rounded education in the arts with an emphasis on understanding and applying techniques including 3D modeling, animation and lighting in video game production.

Students graduate with a solid grasp of the fundamental game art principles, including knowledge of game engine technology and pre-production and production environments.

The MA in Game Development program allows students to further their careers by synthesizing traditional art and design fundamentals with today’s groundbreaking technologies. Students prepare their career skill-set through hands-on prototyping of game mechanics and art creation, followed by creating a final project 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.

2D Animation and Stop Motion
This MFA in Animation & Visual Effects program focuses on developing skills in 2D animation and stop motion. 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 Fashion Marketing M.A. program offers future fashion marketers and managers a firm foundation to gain strategic consumer and market insights and knowledge on the fast-changing fashion industry, and to identify emerging trends in fashion business, marketing, technology and consumer in a global context. Through hands-on projects and courses that emphasizes research and analysis, students will learn both strong foundation in theory and creative and analytical skills to develop real world applications to discover global trends and digitally connected consumers.