Animation

The Animation A.S. Degree program is a comprehensive study of the skills necessary to create 2D or 3D digital animation for the entertainment industry. The required course work begins with the Animation Foundation Certificate of Achievement, combining a solid foundation in animation history and visual storytelling with hands-on experience in digital animation pre-production and production processes.

 

After successfully completing the Animation Foundation, students pursue a concentration in 2D Animation, 3D Animation, 3D Production, or Visual Development. Each concentration reflects an area of industry specialization, and is awarded as a second Certificate of Achievement. Students must complete the required coursework for the Animation Foundation and at least one concentration to be eligible for the Animation A.S. Degree.

 

Throughout the Animation A.S. Degree program, students learn to develop professional skills, demonstrate those skills in effective entry-level portfolios, and work collaboratively on team-based projects. Students may also participate in internships with industry partners when available.

 

Program Learning Outcomes:

 

Create original content that demonstrates an understanding of 2D and 3D animation principals using industry-standard tools and methodologies.

 

Develop an effective portfolio of work for entry-level employment in the animation industry or for transfer to a four-year animation program.

Based on the most recent data regarding enrollments and success rates, we project approximately 25-50 completions annually.

The Animation A.S. Degree program helps students develop the skills necessary to create compelling  original content for portfolio development.Whether pursuing career or transfer opportunities, students gain real-world experience with standard industry tools and methodologies. 

The Animation A.S. Degree program is composed of two stacking Certificates of Achievement. The first is the Animation Foundation CoA, composed of introductory courses that can be completed simultaneously or in any sequence. The courses are offered in multiple sections in both the Fall and Spring to capture the largest possible enrollment. The History of Animation course is offered online throughout the year, and fulfills a General Education requirement for the Animation A.S. Degree.

 

The second CoA is a concentration in 2D Animation, 3D Animation, 3D Production or Visual Development. These concentrations are composed of intermediate and advanced courses in an area that reflects an industry specialization.

 

Please see the attached spread sheetfor the A.S. Degree course sequence. 

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)

Students must complete the required coursework for the Animation Foundation Certificate of Achievement and at least one concentration Certificate of Achievement to be eligible for the Animation A.S. Degree. Please see the attached spreadsheet for the full A.S. Degree course sequence.

The existing Animation program consists of a Certificate of Achievement and A.S. Degree in Animation. The current Animation CoA is composed of 34 units of core courses and 7 areas of concentration offered as 16 unit department certificates. The combined total of 50 units of coursework makes it nearly impossible for students to complete the Animation program in two years. This is a particular hardship for the increasing number of students who are interested in transferring to four-year programs. Because of the lengthy sequence of courses, students often bypass the introductory courses or complete them out of sequence, enrolling instead in advanced courses without the necessary skills. After completing our recent six-year program review and participating in the first round of Guided Pathways workshops, we have concluded that major revisions are necessary to ensure that all students in the Animation program can meet their educational and career goals in a timely manner. We propose, therefore, to restructure the existing Animation program. The Animation Certificate of Achievement will be renamed Animation Foundation, and the required units will be reduced from 34 to 15 to ensure that students can easily complete the introductory courses. The existing areas of concentration will be reduced from 7 to 4, and converted from department certificates to stackable Certificates of Achievement in 2D Animation, 3D Animation, 3D Production, and Visual Development. Students who complete the Animation Foundation CoA and at least one concentration CoA will be eligible for the Animation A.S Degree. Courses that are removed from the Animation Foundation sequence will become required for one of the areas of concentration or will be program electives. We believe by streamlining the Animation program into these stackable certificates, we can significantly increase student completions and more easily facilitate articulation to four-year schools while maintaining alignment with the needs of industry.

Cerritos College, Digital Arts: Computer Animation A.A. Degree Cypress College, Animation 2D Computer Graphics Cypress College, Animation 3D Computer Graphics East Los Angeles College, Animation A.A. Degree El Camino College, Digital Arts: Computer Animation Fullerton, Computer Animation/Multi Media Glendale Community College, Animation A.S. Degree Mt. San Antonio College, Animation Pasadena City College, Animation & Motion Arts A.S. Degree Rio Hondo College, Animation A.S. Degree

We estimate 600 unique annual enrollments based on a cap of 30 students per section.