| School | City |
|---|---|
| Goucher College | Baltimore |
| Maryland Institute College of Art | Baltimore |
| Morgan State University | Baltimore |
| University of Maryland, Baltimore County | Baltimore |
| Bowie State University | Bowie |
| Salisbury University | Salisbury |
| Towson University | Towson |
Aspiring animators in Maryland have a lot to be thankful for. For starters, the state is home to one of the most ambitious film offices in the region. The Maryland Film Office manages a department called DEEM (Digital Entertainment & Emerging Media) that helps encourage the growth of companies that specialize in animation, web design, audio and interactive technology, and e-commerce. Maryland is also a major hub for the video game and interactive technology industries.
Besides gaming, film and video, and interactive technology, Maryland-based animators will find plenty of opportunities in advertising and public relations and specialized design services. A number of academic institutions do their fair share of hiring animators as well. Just a few of the best include Just a few of the best include Maryland Institute College of Art, Goucher College, and University of Maryland.
Maryland Animation Schools
Maryland is home 62 Title IV degree-granting colleges and universities. The state’s collection of colleges consists of art and design schools, technical schools, and traditional colleges that offer a variety of degrees for aspiring animators. Scroll through the list below to find out which Maryland schools offer the best animation programs and where to find them.
Baltimore
Goucher College – Degrees Offered: MA, MFA in Digital Arts. Note: This multidisciplinary program treats music, animation, design, computer programming, web development, entrepreneurship, new media studies, and other related fields as one larger convergent discipline.
Maryland Institute College of Art - Degrees Offered: BFA Animation, Interaction Design and Art; MFA Illustration Practice
Morgan State University - Degrees Offered: BFA in Screenwriting and Animation (SWAN), Screenwriting Minor, which requires nine units of Screenwriting and Animation
University of Maryland, Baltimore County – Degrees Offered: BA, BFA Visual Arts with a Concentration in Animation/Interactive Media
Bowie
Bowie State University – Degrees Offered: BS in Visual Communication and Digital Media Arts (VCDMA) with a Concentration in Animation & Motion Graphics, Digital Cinema & Time-Based Media, and Digital Media Arts
Salisbury
Salisbury University - Degrees Offered: BA, BFA Art with a New Media Track. Note: Video, Audio, Animation, Web Design, and Screen Graphics are all components of the New Media Track.
Towson
Towson University - Degrees Offered: BFA Art and Design with Concentration in Digital Art and Design, Illustration; MFA Studio Art; Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Interactive Media Design
More Animation related programs to consider:
- San Francisco & Online
- Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#14) - 2021
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#37) - 2021
- Top 50 Nationally for Illustration (#24) - 2021
- Top 50 Nationally for Graphic Design (#38) - 2021
- Winter Park, FL & Online
- Computer Animation - Bachelor's - Online & Campus
- Game Programs - Bachelor's & Master's - Online & Campus
- Graphic Design & Digital Arts - Bachelor's - Online & Campus
- Film & Digital Cinematography - Bachelor's & Master's - Online & Campus
- Mobile Development - Bachelor's - Online
- Simulation & Visualization - Bachelor's - Campus
- Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#11) - 2021
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#10) - 2021
- Top 25 in the South for Graphic Design (#10) - 2021
- Online
Employment and Salary Trends for Maryland Animators
Maryland is home to 31,340 professionals working in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media (ADESM) occupations. Of this group, 450 are salaried multimedia artists and animators earning an impressive average salary of $65,790 per year. In 2010, the state was home to 560 multimedia artists and animators averaging $58,590 per year. Nationwide, the mean annual wage for animators and multimedia artists is $69,410 and overall employment for this group is expected to increase by six percent for the 2012-2022 decade.
It is important to note that many animators and multimedia artists are self-employed. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), "Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers” has the second highest concentration of employment (not highest employment level) in the nation for animators and multimedia artists.
This means, it’s safe to assume that the population of animators and multimedia artists in Maryland is much higher. These individuals typically to earn more and enjoy greater employment growth as well. According to the BLS, “Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers” is the fourth highest paying industry for animators and multimedia artists. As of 2015, the average salary for this group was $75,150 and employment for the group is projected to grow nine percent for the 2014-2024 decade.
The industries with the highest concentration of employment for animators and multimedia artists are:
- Motion Picture and Video industries
- Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers
- Software Publishers
- Specialized Design Services
- Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services
The industries with the highest levels of employment are:
- Motion Picture and Video industries
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services
- Software Publishers
- Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services
- Other Information Services
The top five highest paying states for animators and multimedia artists are:
- California ($82,170)
- Washington ($75,740)
- Massachusetts ($73,470)
- New York ($70,660)
- Idaho ($69,450)
The top paying industries for animators and multimedia artists are:
- Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers ($81,760)
- Other Information Services ($80,310)
- Software Publishers ($76,090)
- Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers ($75,150)
- Motion Picture and Video Industries ($73,950)
The states with the highest employment levels for animators and multimedia artists are California, New York, Washington, Texas, and Georgia. No worries, you don’t have to move to one of these states to increase your chances of employment. Just stick to major Maryland cities such as Baltimore, Columbia, Germantown, Silver Spring, and Waldorf.
Awesome Animation Fact: The Little Mermaid (1989) was one of the first features to use Pixar’s computer animation process. Pixar’s program allowed animators to upload drawings onto a computer loaded with an infinite color palette, capable of impossibly subtle blending and transparencies. Though computers were used in very few scenes in The Little Mermaid, Pixar continued to develop the process until computer animation became the standard for quality Disney releases. –mental_floss