BFA in Studio Art, concentration in Animation

BFA in Studio Art, concentration in Animation

This program will introduce students to the always evolving advanced tools and techniques used in animation and game production today, while maintaining a keen focus on key concepts and principles that remain timeless.

Animation Faculty

Resources

Course of Study

Here at UNCG, students will explore a wide variety of artistic avenues across the field of animation ranging from concept art, character design, and storyboarding, to traditional 2D hand-drawn work, to advanced 3D modeling, CGI animation, and game production. While the tools that we use may vary across class, our mission remains the same, to empower students to become next generation visual storytellers crafting narratives rooted in their own lived experiences.

Program Distinctions

• In 2025, UNCG was awarded an Unreal Academic Partnership from Cary-based Epic Games. This designation will provide both students and faculty with access to additional advanced training opportunities with Epic’s Unreal Engine software, ensuring that graduates from the program have the skills needed to join the creative workforce.   
• Faculty in the area have been awarded the UNCG James Y Joyner Award for Teaching Excellence and the College of Visual and Performing Arts Outstanding Teacher of the Year.

The Student Experience

Students that come to UNCG to study animation will find an amazing and supportive community within the School of Art, faculty that genuinely love animation and games, and who are passionate about guiding students in their quest to bring their visions to life, and facilities that provide unlimited creative opportunities for creating both digital and physical work. 

Foundations  

The UNCG School of Art believes in breaking down barriers for students interested in pursuing an education focused on Visual Arts. It is for this reason that we do not require a portfolio for entry into our school. Our Foundations program is the starting point for all first-year students, and schedules consist of three studio art classes and one art history class in each of your first two semesters. This means that you start to form the bonds of friendship and comradery from day one, which will serve you well in a concentration like Animation that is so reliant on collaboration.  

Animation  

Our courses within the program introduce students to all the skills necessary for creating an animated short film or game. There are pre-production classes that focus on concept art and storyboarding, and production classes in both 2D animation, 3D animation, as well as game design. In progressing to upper-level courses, students deepen their knowledge by choosing two of the three advanced offerings in the areas of animation, 3D modeling, and game production, allowing them to refine the focus of their work.    

In addition to the required courses, we also offer a weekend-long Character Workshop each spring where students have the opportunity to receive feedback from individuals with extensive experience in the industry. Recent guest artists have included Pixar Art Director Dan Holland and Magic the Gathering and D&D Concept Artist Steve Prescott. 

The Animation concentration culminates with our two Capstones courses designed to replicate work in the animation or game industry. Students each take on roles as Area Leads and work collaboratively on a project from inception to completion while also preparing their final demo reels and portfolios. 

Facilities  

The Gatewood Studio Arts Building offers unparalleled access to creative tools, including two state-of-the-art PC labs outfitted with Cintiq drawing displays dedicated to animation and game production loaded with industry standard 2D and 3D software, including the Adobe Creative Suite, Dragonframe, Maya, ToonBoom Harmony, Unreal Engine, and ZBrush. Also, if you want to 3D print your amazing character sculpt and cast it in bronze, you can do that here too!