BS in Animation
Murfreesboro, USA
DURATION
4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
USD 1,178 / per credit *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* in-state tuition per credit hour: $385 | out-of-state tuition per credit hour: $1,178
Scholarships
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Introduction
Video games, animated movies, special effects, motion graphics, and even architectural renderings all depend on the work of animators. MTSU’s Bachelor of Science degree in Animation helps students learn how to bring their ideas to life on the screen. Students begin with traditional art and animation techniques and progress through advanced digital tools and techniques, and theory used by major animation studios for films, television, video games, and more. This program provides students the opportunity to prepare for careers in 3-D animation, 2-D animation, motion graphics, and special visual effects. MTSU’s Animation program gives students hands-on opportunities from their first semester. In addition to supplemental classes, students take a six-semester sequence of courses (fall and spring) focused on 3D animation. The final two semesters of the six-semester sequence culminate in a two-semester capstone experience in which each student creates a project of their own design to serve as a primary item in their creative portfolios.
Admissions
Curriculum
Curriculum: Animation
Curricular listings include General Education requirements in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences categories.
Freshman Fall
- ART 1610 - Two-Dimensional Design 3 credit hours
- EMC 1010 - Orientation to Media Arts 1 credit hour
- ENGL 1010 - Expository Writing 3 credit hours (Comm)
- VFP 1060 - Basic Video Production 3 credit hours
- PHOT 1050 - Basic Digital Photography and Imaging 3 credit hours or
- EMC 1050 - Basic Digital Photography and Imaging 3 credit hours
- EMC 1020 - American Media and Social Institutions 3 credit hours or
- JOUR 1020 - American Media and Social Institutions 3 credit hours or
- RIM 1020 - American Media and Social Institutions 3 credit hours
May count as a Social/Behavioral Sciences requirement
Subtotal: 16 Hours
Freshman Spring
- ANIM 1300 - Animation and the Illusion of Motion 3 credit hours
- ART 1620 - Drawing I 3 credit hours
- CSCI 1150 - Computer Orientation 3 credit hours
- ENGL 1020 - Research and Argumentative Writing 3 credit hours (Comm)
- Mathematics 3 credit hours
Subtotal: 15 Hours
Sophomore Fall
- ANIM 2300 - Introduction to 3D Animation 3 credit hours
- ART 1630 - Three-Dimensional Design 3 credit hours
- COMM 2200 - Fundamentals of Communication 3 credit hours (Comm)
- ENGL 2020 - Themes in Literature and Culture 3 credit hours (Hum/FA) or
- ENGL 2030 - The Experience of Literature 3 credit hours (Hum/FA) or
- HUM 2610 - World Literatures 3 credit hours (Hum/FA)
- VFP 3040 - Motion Graphics I 3 to 4 credit hours (4 credit hours required) or
- ANIM 3040 - Motion Graphics I 3 to 4 credit hours (4 credit hours required)
Subtotal: 16 Hours
Sophomore Spring
- ART 1640 - Drawing II 3 credit hours or
- ART 1650 - Foundations of Digital Art and Design 3 credit hours
- ANIM 3310 - Texturing, Lighting, and Rendering 3 credit hours
- Natural Sciences 4 credit hours
- VFP 2020 - Scripts for Media 3 credit hours
- HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I 3 credit hours or
- HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II 3 credit hours or
- HIST 2030 - Tennessee History 3 credit hours or
- HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I 3 credit hours or
- HIST 2050 - Survey African American History II 3 credit hours
Subtotal: 16 Hours
Junior Fall
- ANIM 3000 - History of Animation 3 credit hours
- EMC 3001 - Success in Media Arts 1 credit hour
- EMC 3650 - Free Expression, Mass Media, and the American Public 3 credit hours or
- EMC 4250 - Mass Media Law 3 credit hours or
- JOUR 4250 - Mass Media Law 3 credit hours or
- PHOT 4190 - Ethics and Law for Visual Communicators 3 credit hours
- ANIM 3330 - Animation and Rigging 3 credit hours
- ART or Interactive/Illustration minor course 3 credit hours
- ANIM 3320 - Introduction to Digital Compositing 3 credit hours or
- VFP 3320 - Introduction to Digital Compositing 3 credit hours
Subtotal: 16 Hours
Junior Spring
- ANIM 4310 - Animation and Performance 3 credit hours
- ART or Interactive/Illustration minor 3 credit hours
- Media and Entertainment UD elective 3 credit hours
- Natural Sciences 4 credit hours
- ENGL 3870 - Film History 3 credit hours or
- ENGL 3885 - Topics in Gender and Film 3 credit hours or
- ENGL 4855 - Film Theory and Criticism 3 credit hours or
- JOUR 4240 - Television, Culture, and History 3 credit hours or
- JOUR 4510 - Media History and Culture 3 credit hours or
- PHOT 3040 - History of Photography 3 credit hours or
- VCOM 3810 - History of Visual Communication 3 credit hours or
- VFP 2510 - History of American Cinema 3 credit hours
Subtotal: 16 Hours
Senior Fall
- ANIM 4400 - Animation Capstone I 3 to 4 credit hours (4 credit hours required)
- ANIM 4405 - Professional Practices in Animation 2 credit hours
- Humanities and/or Fine Arts 3 credit hours
- HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I 3 credit hours or
- HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II 3 credit hours or
- HIST 2030 - Tennessee History 3 credit hours or
- HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I 3 credit hours or
- HIST 2050 - Survey African American History II 3 credit hours
Subtotal: 12 Hours
Senior Spring
- ANIM 4410 - Animation Capstone II 3 to 4 credit hours (4 credit hours required)
- Humanities and/or Fine Arts 3 credit hours
- Social/Behavioral Sciences 3 credit hours
- Elective 3 credit hours
Subtotal: 13 Hours
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Careers in animations cover a great number of specializations that one can see in the long list of credits at the end of any animated film. Primary categories for careers in Animation include 3D animation, 2D animation, motion graphics, and special visual effects. Major categories for animated content include film, television, video games, video, visualization, commercials, augmented reality, and virtual reality.
Possibilities for prospective careers include:
- 3D modeler
- 3D projection mapper
- Animated filmmaker
- Animator for film, TV, and video games
- Architectural visualization artist
- Compositor
- Environment and set extender
- Forensic re-creation artist
- Lighting and rendering artist
- Medical visualization artist
- Motion graphics artist
- Product design artist
- Rigger
- Scriptwriter
- Technical director
- Texturer
- Video game production artist
- Visual effects artist for film and video
Employers of MTSU alumni include:
- ActionVFX
- Baby Giant
- Big Idea Entertainment
- Blizzard Entertainment
- Blue Sky Studios
- Cinesite Studios
- CMT
- deeproot Studios
- Digital Domain
- DreamWorks Animation
- DWP Live
- Gamma Blast Studios
- Gibson
- Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)
- Innovative Learning Solutions
- Magnetic Dreams
- Millennium Studios
- Nitrogen Studios
- North Star Studios
- Pixel Magic
- Pixomondo
- ReelFX Animation Studios
- Rhythm & Hues
- Shadowmachine
- Sony Pictures Imageworks
- Tippett Studios
- Waterproof Studios
English Language Requirements
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