Curriculum

Program

Name: Jason Kirk
Position: Program Director & Assistant Professor, Animation & Interaction
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You will be immediately immersed in the Thomas Jefferson University design community, taking classes with graphic designers, interactive designers, fashion designers and architects. During your first year, you will establish strong visual thinking and conceptual skills common to most art and design fields.

During your second year, you will begin to learn production and storytelling while improving design and communication skills in classes covering typography, hierarchy and image-making.

In your third year, you will learn essential 3D filmmaking using industry standard software to design, model and animate compelling 3D characters and environments. You will use 3D imagery while studying motion graphics, combining type, video and 2D imagery to create uniquely designed visual narratives. Animation studies are infused with the principles of animation design and regular screenings of historic and contemporary examples.

You will be able to focus your interests through electives in video production, photography, illustration, and gaming; and can supplement your education through internships, design job fairs, study abroad opportunities, and memberships in professional organizations.

In your final year, you will explore advanced 3D and 2D studies as you plan and implement a short film as your capstone project – which you get to publicly exhibit alongside your fellow design colleagues at the end of the year. Encompassing every phase of production, this film culminates your animation & digital media education.

Outcome Upon Graduation

Animation & Digital Media majors leave school with an in-depth knowledge of design, storytelling dynamics and technical skills required to flourish in the animation field. With this degree, graduates find careers in a number of industries, including advertising, film, television, gaming and more. The collaborative nature of the program allows students to discover their preferred field, while preparing them to work in conjunction with professionals from various disciplines.

Total: 120-123 credits

First Year (32-34 credits)

Major Courses

  • Drawing Essentials
  • Introduction to Animation
  • Figure Drawing
  • Design Essentials for Digital Media

Hallmarks Core

  • Pathways Seminar
  • Writing Seminar I: Written Communication
  • Debating U.S. Issues
  • Mathematics I
  • Mathematics II

DEC Core

  • Finding and Shaping Opportunities

Second Year (31-32 credits)

Major Courses

  • Typography & Iconography for Digital Media
  • Storytelling & Storyboarding
  • 3D Modeling
  • 3D Animation
  • Media Production

Hallmarks Core

  • Ethics
  • Global Diversity
  • Writing Seminar II: Multimedia Communication

DEC Core

  • Systems: Scientific Understanding
  • Free Elective

Third Year (30 credits)

Major Courses

  • Motion Graphics I
  • Motion Graphics II
  • 3D Animation II
  • History of Animated Cinema
  • Digital Audio Production
  • Animation Elective (3 credits)

Hallmarks Core

  • American Diversity
  • Global Citizenship
  • Contemporary Global Issues

DEC Methods

  • Integrative Seminar – Ethnographic Research Methods

Fourth Year (27 credits)

Major Courses

  • Advanced Topics in 3D Animation
  • Portfolio Development Seminar
  • Animation Capstone I
  • Animation Capstone II
  • Animation Elective (3 credits)

Hallmarks Core

  • Capstone Folio Workshop

Free Electives

  • [2] Free Electives (6 credits)

Example Animation & Digital Media Elective Options

  • Drawing: Materials & Techniques
  • Intro to Photography: Digital
  • Studio Photography
  • Comics & Graphic Narrative
  • Principles of User Experience
  • Theory of Electronic Communication
  • Fundamentals of Web Programming
  • Foundations of Web Design & Strategy
  • Advanced Web Design & Strategy
  • Javascript Programming
  • Illustration
  • Text, Sound and Image
  • Intro to Virtual Reality
  • Special Topic Integrated Project
  • Independent Study
  • Internship

For complete course descriptions, please review the Thomas Jefferson University Catalog’s Course Descriptions page.