Program Description
The Animation & Digital Media program at Thomas Jefferson University provides students with access to industry leading animation tools and state of the art equipment in order to create animated content and digital assets for use in visually rich and immersive applications including film, television, interactivity, and other emerging media formats. Faculty with expertise in a diverse array of animation disciplines guide students as they accrue a deep understanding of animation fundamentals and professional practices while gaining exposure to several animation modalities including 2D, 3D, and Stop Motion. By emphasizing small class sizes in a simulated studio environment, students receive individualized attention that will prepare them for creatively competitive careers in an increasingly in-demand industry. As a graduate of the program, you will be equipped for leading creative roles in industries including film, television, visualization, and game development.
Learning Goals/Outcomes
- Competence with multiple industry standard tool sets ranging from traditional production to digital 2D and 3D animation.
- Understanding of animation production workflows & pipelines, scalable from independent projects to team-based productions.
- Exposure to film studies and timeline based narrative design.
- Experiences working as an integral member of a cooperative team in the classroom and through interdisciplinary projects.
- Create immersive and engaging digital content at a professional level.
- Focused engagement with liberal arts that reinforce student’s abilities to represent themselves and communicate ideas effectively.
- Experience collaboration, including multidisciplinary collaboration, in solving design problems.
- Communicate effectively in a visual medium.
- Exercise creative problem solving and critical evaluation skills.
- Exhibit technical and creative competency at a high level.
Curriculum: 4 year, 131-133 credits
| First Year | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| FYS 100 | Pathways Seminar | 1 |
| WRIT 101 | Writing Sem I: Written Comm. | 3 |
| AVIS 101 | American Visions | 3 |
| MATH xxx | Math Selection I | 3-4 |
| MATH xxx | Math Selection II | 3-4 |
| VDES 101 | Design Essentials | 3 |
| DRAW 101 | Drawing Essentials for Design | 3 |
| ANIM 201 | Introduction to Animation | 3 |
| GRPH 110 | Digital Imagn for Graphic Desg | 3 |
| GRPH 102 | Intro to Graphic Design | 3 |
| DECF 102 | Finding & Shaping Opportunity | 3 |
| Credits | 31-33 | |
| Second Year | ||
| GDIV 1XX | Global Diversity | 3 |
| WRIT 201 | Writing Seminar II:Multi Comm | 3 |
| ETHC 1XX | Ethics | 3 |
| GRPH 201 | Design III for Graph Dsgn Comm | 3 |
| ANIM 308N | 3D Animation | 4 |
| ANIM 202 | Storytelling/Storyboarding | 3 |
| ANIM 307 | 3D Modeling | 3 |
| DIGD 318 | Media Production | 3 |
| DRAW 206 | Figure Drawing | 3 |
| DEC 2XX | Systems (select one DECSYS) | 3 |
| Credits | 31 | |
| Third Year | ||
| ADIV 2XX | American Diversity | 3 |
| GCIT 2XX | Global Citizenship | 3 |
| CGIS 300 | Contemporary Global Issues | 3 |
| DECM 300 | Research Methods | 3 |
| ANIM 301N | Motion Graphics I | 4 |
| ANIM 303 | History of Animated Cinema | 3 |
| ANIM 310 | Digital Audio Production | 3 |
| ANIM 312 | Motion Graphics II | 3 |
| ANIM 318 | 3D Animation II | 3 |
| Animation Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 31 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| LAW 304 | Law, Media & Society | 3 |
| PHIL 499 | Philosophies of the Good Life | 3 |
| DIGD 370 | Portfolio Development Seminar | 1 |
| ANIM 407N | Advanced Topic in 3D Animation | 4 |
| ANIM 497N | Animation Capstone I | 6 |
| ANIM 499N | Animation Capstone II | 6 |
| Animation Electives | 6 | |
| General Electives | 9 | |
| Credits | 38 | |
| Total Credits | 131-133 | |