B.F.A. in Design and Animation – Concentration in Animation

About the Program

The BFA in Design and Animation with a Concentration in Animation offers a versatile curriculum that addresses the expressive interests and career goals of our students. As a cross-disciplinary field, animation embraces digital cinematography, entertainment, graphic design, and art. In this program, students explore all aspects of the animation process, including storyboarding, character and environment design, 3D modeling, rigging, animation, rendering, and sound.

Along the way, you will gain experience a wide range of techniques, including 3D computer animation, 2D animation and stop motion. Plus, you will explore interactive technology, AR and VR, experience 3D scanning and printing, and experiment with novel ways of creating animated sequences. You will learn how to successfully conceive and manage complex graphics and animation projects while working individually and in groups.

Examples of student work can be found on the Monmouth Animation Website.

Marketable Skills

At the completion of this degree, students will be able to:

• Use the most current technology and software associated with animation, game content creation, motion graphics, and graphic design.
• Make 3D animations and models, 2D animations, motion graphic trailers, and use video and photography.
• Create a demo reel of animation work and upload that reel to the internet.
• Create a customized website to showcase an animation demo reel.
• Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.
• Apply story development and editing to animation to create storyboards that show the flow of the animation and map out key scenes and characters.
• Learn new technologies that include interactive art and design and time-based media, including animation and video.
• Interpret sketches, data, or verbal instructions to produce creative artworks in motion.
• Create schematic or perspective views to depict relationships or the assembly sequence of parts.
• Learn how to use interactive technology to work in education, entertainment, advertising, and a variety of other fields.

Core Courses

• Basic Design and Composition
• Introduction to Digital Design
• 2D Animation
• Principles of Animation

Student Outcomes

Animation has many applications in fields as diverse as education, entertainment, virtual and augmented reality, advertising, scientific visualization, architecture, health care, and broadcast journalism. Students in the animation program emerge motivated and prepared for graduate study or find careers as:

• 3D modelers
• Animators
• Animation directors
• Character or creature riggers
• Concept artists
• Creative directors
• Game/interactive content designers
• Medical and scientific illustrators
• Multimedia artists/designers
• New media artists/designers
• Visual effects (VFX) artists

Undergraduate Research & Internships

Students in this program gain real-world experience through conceptualizing and creating 3D animations and models, 2D animations, motion graphic trailers, and other art projects, culminating in a demo reel that showcases their work to future employers.