COURSE CURRICULUM

The Animation program at Fairleigh Dickinson University is designed to develop students into creative professionals who can combine artistic storytelling, technical animation skills, and industry-level production knowledge. The program’s student learning objectives focus on strengthening both creative communication and technical expertise. Students learn to develop and compose written conceptual materials effectively, helping them create strong storylines, character biographies, game concepts, and production proposals. They are also trained to communicate ideas visually through high-quality imagery, animation, and design work while actively participating in critiques, presentations, and collaborative discussions that reflect real-world studio environments. A major emphasis of the curriculum is the creation of professional-quality 2D and 3D character animations using modern animation techniques and industry-standard software tools. Students in the program also gain specialized skills connected to the video game and digital entertainment industries. Graduates are prepared to apply animation principles specifically within gaming and interactive media production, including storytelling, character movement, environmental animation, cinematic sequences, and visual effects. They learn how to write detailed video game concepts, treatments, and design proposals while also presenting creative projects professionally through oral presentations and team collaborations. The program prepares students for careers in rapidly growing creative industries where animation, gaming, and digital media continue to expand globally. Potential career paths include animator, special effects artist, video game designer, web developer, digital designer, multimedia artist, motion graphics designer, and interactive media creator. According to information from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the animation and video game industries continue to experience strong annual growth, creating increasing demand for skilled creative professionals. An important advantage of the undergraduate program is that students are not required to submit a portfolio for admission, making the program accessible to beginners and aspiring artists who want to develop their talents professionally. However, students who already possess artwork or creative projects are encouraged to submit portfolios because they may strengthen the application. The program encourages creativity, innovation, collaboration, and technical mastery while helping students build professional portfolios for careers in animation, gaming, film, and digital entertainment industries.