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Program Overview

Program Overview

Elevate Your Animation Craft Online

Take your animation skills to new heights with our CG Advanced Animation Certificate, meticulously designed for animators and artists seeking to refine and enhance their craft beyond the basics. This program is the perfect bridge to advanced proficiency for individuals already grounded in the fundamentals of animation, possessing basic drawing capabilities, and foundational CG modeling skills.

Our curriculum is designed to push your boundaries and includes:

  • Advanced character animation techniques
  • Complex CG modeling and texturing
  • Storytelling and conceptualization for animation
  • Rigging and skinning characters for animation
  • Latest industry-standard software and tools

Apply now to take the next step in your animation career, and let us help you unlock the full potential of your creative talent. Advance your animation journey with us.


Who Should Apply?


This certificate is aimed at animators and artists aiming to upgrade their skills; professionals seeking to specialize in CG animation; and creatives eager to learn advanced techniques from industry leaders.

 

If you're passionate about animation and ready to push the boundaries of your creativity and technical skills, our CG Advanced Animation Certificate is for you. Apply now and start your journey towards becoming an advanced CG animator.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Customize Your Degree (Stackable MFA)

Certificate + Certificate + Certificate + Capstone = Stackable Master of Fine Arts

Combine this certificate with two others in creative arts sectors to craft your own Master of Fine Arts degree program. Our stackable certificates offer not only versatility but also an economical path to a prestigious qualification. Pave your way toward an MFA in Entertainment, Design & Creative Enterprise – a degree that stands as the pinnacle of achievement in the fine arts. Learn more about the MFA stackable degree. 

Explore more certificate options for the MFA Stackable degree:

2D Advanced Animation Animation Foundations TV Writing Screenwriting

Admissions Requirements

Admissions Requirements

* Due to high demand enrollment is limited

All applicants to the certificates or MFA graduate program must submit the following:

  • Application. Each application should be accompanied by a $50 nonrefundable application fee.
  • Official Transcript(s). Each applicant must submit an official transcript, showing degree conferral when appropriate, from all schools attended. Official transcript(s) Undergraduate degrees with a cumulative 3.0 GPA will receive priority consideration.
  • Personal statement
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Résumé

* The admission process also includes an interview which will be scheduled through the program director. 

Courses

Courses

EDCE 6613 CG Animation Body Mechanics (3)

EDCE 6643 Environmental Modeling (3)

EDCE 6633 CG Animation Acting & Performance (3)

EDCE 6523 Concept Development (3) [if already taken for 2D Adv Animation certificate, this can be substituted with electives]

EDCE 6623 CG Animation Rigging (3)

EDCE 6653 Intro to Unreal Engine (3)
 

Electives

EDCE 5261 Special Topics in LA (1) Travel Course

EDCE 5271 Special Topics in Nashville (1) Travel Course

EDCE 528V Internship (V)

15:1

Faculty to student ratio

Industry-Relevant Curriculum

Stay ahead with a program that’s designed based on current industry standards and practices. You’ll engage in a comprehensive overview of the key competencies required for aspiring CG animators, including technical skills, artistic principles, and storytelling techniques.

Professional Feedback and Instruction

Benefit from weekly feedback sessions led by industry professional instructors, providing you with the critique and guidance necessary to hone your craft. These live interactions are crucial for understanding the nuances of advanced animation and for pushing your creative limits.

Comprehensive Learning Resources

Complementing the live instruction, our program offers extensive video support and assignments tailored to advanced animation techniques. These resources are designed to reinforce your learning, allowing for practical application and continuous improvement of your animation skills.

Our Faculty

  • Melissa Forte headshot

    Melissa Forte

    Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies, George Shinn College of Entertainment and the Arts

    After six years of industry work with the Walt Disney World company in Orlando, Fla., Melissa Forte returned to Ohio University to complete an M.A. in Media Studies and an...

    Meet Melissa Forte
  • Mike Nawrocki headshot

    Mike Nawrocki

    Visiting Professor

    As co-creator of "VeggieTales," co-founder of Big Idea Entertainment and the voice of the beloved Larry the Cucumber, Mike Nawrocki has been part of the pulse of the "VeggieTales" brand,...

    Meet Mike Nawrocki
  • Tony Bancroft headshot

    Tony Bancroft

    Program Director

    Tony Bancroft is a seasoned Director, Animator, and Podcaster with over 30 years of experience in the animation industry. He's known for his work at Disney, co-directing Disney's Mulan and...

    Meet Tony Bancroft
  • Steve Taylor

    Steve Taylor

    Assistant Professor

    Steve Taylor is a filmmaker, writer, producer and recording artist who earned his "Renaissance Man" stripes (Prism Magazine) from a body of work that's garnered him multiple Grammy, Billboard, Telly,...

    Meet Steve Taylor
  • Mike Meredith headshot

    Mike Meredith

    Chair, Animation and Interactive Media Department

    Mike Meredith is a seasoned illustrator and educator with over two decades of experience in the creative industry. Currently serving as the Associate Professor and Program Chair for Animation &...

    Meet Mike Meredith
  • Diana Coco-Russell headshot

    Diana Coco-Russell

    Artist in Residence

    Diana Coco-Russell has spent most of her artistic career in animation, with her longest run at Walt Disney Feature Animation as a clean-up animator. Beginning with Beauty and the Beast...

    Meet Diana Coco-Russell
  • Eric Stars

    Eric Stars

    Visiting Professor

    With over a decade of experience working as a professional animator and visual effects artist, Eric Stars comes to Lipscomb University from Fivestone Studios. Stars' primary focus is 3D character...

    Meet Eric Stars
  • Jake Morris headshot

    Jake Morris

    Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling

    Morris joined the psychology and counseling faculty in July 2009, after 10 years of teaching in the psychology and counseling programs at Freed-Hardeman University. His received his doctorate in Educational...

    Meet Jake Morris
  • Lori Fischer

    Lori Fischer

    Adjunct Faculty

    Lori Fischer (MFA, NYU Dramatic Writing Department) is an Independent Vision Award Nominee for Outstanding Achievement in Screenwriting for her feature film Chasing Taste. Chasing Taste was also the Feature Comedy Award...

    Meet Lori Fischer