The Emerging Media programs in the School of Visual Arts and Design have been nationally ranked by Animation Career Review, an online resource for aspiring animators, graphic designers, digital artists and more. This is the first year the emerging media, graphic design program was in the rankings, coming in at No. 2 in the state of Florida. Since 2012, Animation Career Review has published a list of the top 100 animation schools in the country and abroad.
UCF’s undergraduate experimental and character animation programs ranked in the top ten percent of the top fifty nationally at No. 20, No. 5 in the top forty nationally among public schools and colleges, No. 3 in the top ten in the South and No. 2 in the state of Florida. The graduate emerging media MFA programs in animation and visual effects and studio art and the computer ranked No. 13 in the top 20 nationally.
University of Central Florida’s rankings: Animation Programs
- Top 50 Nationally (#20, top 10%)
- Top 40 Nationally among Public Schools and Colleges (#5, top 6%)
- Top 10 in the South (#3)
- #2 in Florida
- Top 10 Nationally among schools offering an Animation related MS/MA (#3)
- Top 50 Nationally among schools offering an Animation related BFA (#18)
- Top 20 Nationally among schools offering an Animation related MFA (#13)
The Emerging Media BFA in Graphic Design program allows students to integrate the multiple domains of art, storytelling and technology. Designed to provide a solid foundation in techniques and theory in one focused area of competence, as well as a broad understanding of related disciplines including arts, humanities, and technology, this cohort-style program also offers extended experience in working in multidisciplinary teams on realistic problems. The Emerging Media BFA, Character Animation program, prepares students for careers as animators, modelers, riggers, or texture artists in the film or computer game industries. Another track of the Emerging Media BFA, the Experimental Animation program, offers students the opportunity to explore expression through innovative and hybrid analog and digital methodology: with animation approaches from an artistic, individualized point of view.
“These rankings are evidence of the hard work our faculty put into their teaching and of the stellar creative work our students are producing,” says Dr. Rudy McDaniel, director of the School of Visual Arts and Design. “One common thread between all of our programs in SVAD, whether in studio art or emerging media, is our faculty’s commitment to providing students with rigorous and supportive instruction and our students’ willingness to push the envelope and produce cutting-edge work.”
Each of the undergraduate Emerging Media programs have events featuring the work of their seniors in the coming weeks. The Character Animation cohort will premiere the animated shorts they created on Monday, April 22 at the Center for Emerging Media with three showings from 7:30-8:30pm. Although the event is free, RSVP is required. The event will also be livestreamed. The Graphic Design program will have their Annual Senior Showcase on Friday, May 3 from 5-8pm at District Eat and Play in Oviedo. Seniors who want to sign up and reserve a table for their portfolio can sign up here. Students graduating from the Experimental Animation program are currently being exhibited in the UCF Art Gallery‘s biannual BFA exhibition through April 25.
