2018 is off to a great start in the world of animation programs, with several schools announcing plans to launch a collection of undergraduate degrees that will prepare students to compete for positions at top studios around the globe. We are pleased to report that Central Michigan University, County College of Morris, and Cavalier Animation & Media College in Bangalore, India have launched some exciting new animation programs and most are accepting applications right now. Read on.
Central Michigan University – Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Central Michigan University’s (CMU) College of Communication and Fine Arts, Department of Art and Design, has announced that it will be launching a new animation program beginning in Spring 2020. The program, which has been in the making for three years, will lead to a BFA, with multimedia design students already taking courses that could count towards the degree. Available courses so far include Art 397O - Beginning Animation, Art 397I - Digital Animation, and Art 397N — Storyboarding Animation.
CMU has hired Associate Professor Steven Leeper, a former professor of animation at Huntington University for 12 years, to create the animation major. According to campus publication Central Michigan Life, Professor Leeper said, "We want to be major storytellers. We're working with the broadcast and cinematic arts department to create post-production animation for video projects." Per CML, some classes will take place in a computer graphics lab that was built on the second floor of Wightman Hall during Summer 2017. Professor Leeper worked with architects and technicians to make an optimal animation lab as well. The lab contains Mac computers with graphics tablets that students can draw on with stylus pens.
Future students can expect courses such as 2D, 3D, Stop-Motion, Video Effects and Computer Graphics. Leeper also said he wants classes that “cover specific aspects of animation, which may happen after two years of the program’s establishment.” Per CML, animator Chad Bierdeman from Copernicus Studio in Nova Scotia will also take part in the program to teach future 2D Digital Animation and Digital Foundations courses. Further, “classes will cover the use of programs such as Adobe Illustrator and Adobe After Effects, as well as basic analog forms of animation such as flipbook and basic movement.”
According to Art Department Chair Jonathan Russell, the department has approved the academic plan for the program. “It is currently in the review process, being looked at by the Academic Senate and the administration,” he said. So far, around 20 current students have expressed interest in the program. But that is expected to change in 2019, when the department will begin advertising the program to prospective students across the country.
About Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University opened its doors on September 13, 1892 as the Central Michigan Normal School and Business Institute, with classes in teaching, business, and stenography. Today, the school offers more than 200 programs at the undergraduate, masters, specialist and doctoral levels, with more than 26,000 students enrolled.
County College of Morris – Randolph, New Jersey
County College of Morris (CCM) has announced the launch of a new animation program that is accepting applications for Fall 2018. Until now, students at CCM learned animation techniques through media studies courses such as Digital Media Production and Digital Video Editing. Two traditional animation courses were available as well. The new program will cover all areas of animation. Per online news source Tap Into Morristown, the program “is designed to provide students with a strong background in the process of animation from start to finish with classes in drawing, color theory, multimedia, animation and more.”
Students in the program will be prepared to enter the animation industry after graduation, or they will have the requirements needed to continue their studies and earn a bachelor’s in animation, multimedia, motion graphics, or other related area. Many CCM Fine Arts students have transferred to top art and design schools such as Rhode Island School of Design, Pratt Institute, and Parsons School of Design, along with major colleges and universities across the State of New Jersey.
In a post by Lori Sanchez, Human Resources Recruiter at CCM, Nieves Gruneiro-Roadcap, Department of Art and Design Chair said, “those with degrees in animation have a wide range of career options from designing graphics for videos and games to the dream job at Pixar.”
Offered through the Department of Art and Design, the new CCM animation program will lead to an Associate in Fine Arts (AFA) in Animation.
About CCM
County College of Morris opened its doors in 1968 to 592 full-time and 703 part-time students. When it opened, the school consisted of just one building. By 1969, CCM had five new buildings underway, and an additional two were completed in 1973. By 1982, enrollment had grown to more than 12,000 students. Today, the school sits on 222 acres and still serves thousands of students from across the region. CCM students have access to 45 associate degree and more than 25 certificate programs, as well as a wide selection of career and professional programs.
Cavalier Animation & Media College – Bangalore, India
Located in the “Silicon Valley of India,” Cavalier Animation & Media College is a new animation school with “unique educational curriculum models, which balance theory and hands-on production.” According to the school, the focus is on “delivering quality education with a revolutionary approach.” Training for Cavalier programs is administered by a team of “industry veterans and trainers” with extensive production experience in 2D, 3D, graphics & web designing, and VFX. Instructors also “have a successful track record in grooming final year graduates for industry internships.” Per the school, students are “guaranteed” an internship with production studios and corporate companies, and so far, students also enjoy a 100% job placement rate.
Programs offered include BFA and Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees in Animation, a Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA), and Diplomas in 3D Animation, Visual Effects, Multimedia Design, UI & UX Designing, and Graphic Design. Diploma programs take six months to a year to complete, while degree programs take three to four years to complete. Students can also take individual courses such as Basics of 3D Animation, Digital Illustrations, Visual Effects – After Effects, Visual Effects – NUKE, and Web Animation and Scripting with Animate. Short courses take one to three months to complete.
All students at this new Animation & Media College have access to “world class infrastructure and laboratory facilities with high-end workstations and Macintosh systems.” Hostel facilities and transportation are provided as well.
About Cavalier Animation & Media College
Cavalier Media College was established in 2016 as Cavalier English & Animation Academy. Per the school website, “Cavalier Animation & Media College was founded with utmost diligence to impart education of high standards, quality and the latest technology in the field of animation, business management and web science. We provide relevant skills for aspiring animators and visual effects artists, and give students a foundation in organizational culture and methods of improving effectiveness.”