The Bachelor of Fine Arts in 3D Animation and Game Design at the School of Media and Design provides a stimulating environment with a stimulating curriculum. With an equal emphasis on technical mastery and creative education, UIW’s 3D Animation and Game Design program prepares students for careers in the art of game, game design , movie and game animation and 3D production.
Why 3D animation and game design?
Simply put, opportunities in animation, game design, and multimedia art are growing. As visual communication methods continue to develop, there is a growing need for professionals with the artistic and technical skills to help studios tell their stories, businesses showcase their products and services, organizations share information and consumers have the best experiences on digital and visual platforms.
3D animation and game design program
The BFA in 3D Animation and Game Design (ANGD) is an aggressive 120-hour program with demanding coursework that aims to push students into new areas and broaden their perspectives and skills. First-year students take a core of four courses: Hard Surface Modeling, Organic Modeling, Principles of Animation, and Game Engines to find out where their interests and superpowers lie. The next three years aim to provide each student with the best possible demo tape in their area of specialization.
Students in the 3D Animation and Game Design program learn and work with faculty members active in today’s game, animation, and allied industries. Working on big movies and video game franchises like Call of Duty, Everquest, Uncharted, and Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time are just a few of their credits. They have also held creative leadership positions in studios and other companies. Their in-depth and current expertise helps students better understand how to navigate the ins and outs of a creative and rapidly changing industry.
The BFA is considered a “professional preparatory” degree, which means that when students graduate with a BFA, they are ready to enter the workforce. Career preparation is an important part of the 3D @ UIW student experience, and students can expect to work on portfolios and demos that can be shared with potential employers. In the two semesters of their final year, students also take a seminar on the animation industry devoting part of their final year to understanding the industry they hope to soon enter.
Click here for descriptions of 3D animation and game design courses
The 3D animation and gaming industries are very competitive and demanding. Finding work in this environment requires a strong portfolio that can compete nationally and internationally.
- There is no portfolio review for incoming first year students. If this is your first semester in college, we welcome everyone, regardless of your high school experience.
- Understanding this reality, the ANGD department strives to help students determine whether they will be successful in this major as early as possible in their academic career.
- The first year of the program offers insight into all areas of 3D animation and game design.
- After the completion of the first year, all ANGD students are required to submit a portfolio of work completed in the core of the first year of ANGD.
- It is only after passing this portfolio review that students can enter the Animation or Modeling concentrations and continue their education in the major.
- The portfolios are reviewed at the end of the first year.
- All transfer students who wish to begin in the modeling or animation concentration courses must submit a portfolio at the scheduled portfolio review time in the spring semester before planning to attend.
- Since the number of applicants will vary each year, passing grades in first year classes will not guarantee admission to the major.
- Students who do not pass the portfolio exam may resubmit a portfolio the following year. Students planning to resubmit a portfolio for review should retake some or all of the first year courses to improve their portfolio.
Please note that admission to the University does not guarantee admission to the 3D Animation & Game Design major.
Students can also choose from one of four concentrations:
Careers in 3D animation and game design
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 4 percent job growth rate over the next several years and a high median wage rate – all good news for students pursuing this field of study. Additionally, students and graduates have held positions at companies such as BioWare, Weta Digital, Naughty Dog, Infinity Ward, Sony, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Booz | Allen | Hamilton in San Antonio. The work of recent graduates is also visible on platforms such as Netflix.
Comments are closed.