Bring your art and stories to life in a vibrant, creative community.
Entertainment. Education. Advertising. You will find multimedia stories and creative messaging everywhere, on screens of all sizes. An animation degree gives you the skills to bring your imagination to life through storytelling and digital technology — and prepares you for production, design and other creative roles in industries of all kinds.
Access to our animation lab and TV studio
Median annual pay for multimedia artists and animators in Indiana (bls.gov)
We structured our program to run like a professional animation studio. This means you not only get graphic design and digital storytelling experience right away, but you also will learn about project management, product development life-cycle and cross-team collaboration.
Equipped with business know-how, solid design and production skills — and the talent creativity that led them to this field in the first place — USF graduates have brought characters and scenery to life in blockbusters like Frozen and Moana, developed and designed branding campaigns, built special effects for live performances, and so. much. more.
The nature of an animation degree means plenty of practical learning experiences. At USF, you’ll develop a foundation in art, drawing, traditional animation and even human behavior. You will conceptualize, design, produce, edit and share using industry-standard technology.
Your classes will include:
Beyond your everyday classwork, your hands-on experience will include student productions in our animation and TV studios, your senior project, and professional assignments through internships with ad agencies, media outlets, film companies, game developers and marketing departments of businesses of all kinds.
From Fort Wayne to Studio City. USF’s animation degree program has earned a nationwide reputation for talent, and this recognition continually opens up career connections and learning opportunities for our students and alumni, such as:
You will learn skills and techniques — and find motivation and inspiration — from a faculty made of artists, animators, producers and writers.
Digital storytelling students have 24-hours access to state-of-the-art equipment and facilities in our Animation Lab and Television Studio
Animation and graphic design students at USF are some of the most involved on campus and in their industry. Here’s a look at how they keep busy:
BigThink Animation – the USF chapter of a national club for artists, animators, engineers and graphic designers (formerly called SIGGRAPH)
Film Festivals – our students regularly submit their work to regional, national and international film fests. Among their achievements:
Our campus is full of creators: USF is home to about a dozen other majors with a creative focus, so you’ll find plenty of showcases, performances and career-focused or arts-related campus clubs that might interest you, including:
There’s a great sense of community in the Animation department —we’re like a family. Even though we’re all different, we support each other. There’s no judgement here, only support.
Louis Soria ‘20
Animation major
A degree in animation gives you a diverse set of skills and experience working with the latest tools, technologies and best practices in the industry. Digital storytelling, graphic design and other multimedia skills can lead to positions such as:
Animation and design skills aren’t just for arts and entertainment: you can find opportunities in education, manufacturing, industrial design, architecture, biotechnology, healthcare and other industries.
USF graduates create content, tell stories, design products and animate at companies such as:
I was hired into my current position before I even graduated, which was amazing. The job came through a USF referral. I’m immensely grateful for how well the Animation program prepared me for my career.
Jennifer McKibben ’15
Motion Graphics Director
Boyden & Youngblutt
Your first step to becoming a USF Cougar is applying for admission. Our online application makes the process as convenient as possible.
Apply NowWhether you know what you want to see, who you want to meet or are just exploring your options, we will personalize your campus visit to fit your needs.
Visit USFAn academic plan is a general blueprint showing how one might complete the degree, semester by semester. Get an idea on what each semester could look like.