Animation (BA/BS)

Bring your ideas to life in a top-ranked animation program. Study various styles of animation from hand-drawn to 3D characters and environments. The skills you learn here will help start your career in animation, design, special effects, entertainment, movies, commercials, and more.

Preparing You For Success

As an animation major, hands-on experiences begin your first semester. Classes develop your storytelling and art skills, then you take that knowledge into the ever-changing world of content creation and creativity. Along the way, you’re mentored by faculty who have worked on films such as “Monsters vs. Aliens,” “Rise of the Guardians” and “Thor: Dark World.” You're also encouraged to add a minor, such as user experience design, computer science or entrepreneurship to open professional doors. Through these experiences, you’ll build a portfolio that will launch your career.

By the time you graduate, your experiences may include:

  • An internship at places like Maui Jim, Jump Trading Simulation and Education Center, OneFire or the Boy Scouts of America
  • Off-campus study in Ireland, the Netherlands or Los Angeles
  • Opportunities to show your work, including an original short film, to the public at the annual FUSE exhibit

Making Your Mark

An animation degree is valuable for a career as a visual artist in a variety of fields. Recent Bradley graduates are working at Scientific Games, Float, Sony Pictures Imageworks, MGM, United Renderworks, Cutters Studios, ArtSkills, and Double Negative. Others are pursuing graduate degrees in animation, computer science and creative writing at top schools across the country.

BA/BS Major Requirements

Required Courses - 59 hrs.

  • ART 101 Drawing I - 3 hrs.
  • ART 102 Drawing II - 3 hrs.
  • IM 140 Storytelling for Animation - 3 hrs.
  • IM 141 Principles of Animation - 3 hrs.
  • IM 150 Foundations of Interactive Design - 3 hrs.
  • IM 162 Introduction to Scripting for Animators - 3 hrs.
  • IM 226 Interactive Media Practicum I - 4 hrs.
  • IM 240 Two-Dimensional Animation I or IM 347 Experimental Animation- 3 hrs.
  • IM 241 Two-Dimensional Animation II - 3 hrs.
  • IM 243 History of Animation - 3 hrs.
  • IM 340 Three-Dimensional Animation I - 3 hrs.
  • IM 341 Three-Dimensional Animation II or IM 345 Two-Dimensional Rigging for Animation - 3 hrs.
  • IM 349 Pre-Production for Animation - 3 hrs.
  • IM 355 New Media Theory - 3 hrs.
  • IM 426 Interactive Media Practicum II - 4 hrs.
  • IM 440 Animation Capstone I - 3 hrs.
  • IM 441 Animation Capstone II - 6 hrs. 
  • IM 450 Issues in New Media Theory - 3 hrs.

Character Performance

Learn 3D character animation techniques using industry standard software and rigs.

Life of a Storm

© 2018, Eric Bedwell

A 2D animated short film created for Animation Capstone, Eric developed this original short film during his senior year using Photoshop.

An interior created using the software Cinema 4D for a 3D modeling class.

Character Conceptualization

Character concept artwork by Hannah Gaska (Animation '18) for her senior film, Moments. The film was chosen as a Semifinalist for the 2018 Adobe Design Achievement Awards.