Master of Fine Arts - Animation - Video Games

A Master of Fine Arts is the highest degree in animation. The MFA in Animation offers three concentrations (3D Character Animation, Visual Effects, Video Games) that center around gaining intensive hands-on skills in the chosen concentration. This major focuses on increasing practical, visual, and creative skills to the highest level and provides students an opportunity to enhance their portfolios using twenty-first-century media and technologies. Prior to graduation, students are required to execute rigorous, in-depth thesis projects that demonstrate the skills learned in all of the classes in the curriculum. Upon completion, the thesis projects are exhibited in a public venue. Additionally, MFA students prepare portfolios and other materials necessary for job applications and interviews.

In this concentration, students design and create animations that are intended to be utilized in video games, virtual reality, and interactive media. They learn how to optimize the visual data, bearing in mind the limitations of the platform that will be delivering it, in that the device will be dynamically rendering the incorporated assets in real-time.