<p>Please rate according to their MFA animation ranking.</p>
<p>1) SCAD
2) UCLA - Animation workshop
3) USC - Animation and digital arts prog
4) OSU - Art and Technology</p>
<p>My suggestion is that you should do the legwork to determine the suitability of the programs according to your interests and needs.</p>
<p>I agree with RainingAgain, as rare as that seems. Also, Look at University of Cincinnati, digital design major. It may or may not be what you want. However, if it does meet your needs, University of Cincinnati has one of the best design programs in the country.</p>
<p>It depends on what you're looking for in an animation program. If you want to do animation on the technical side of things, RIT seems a good fit. If you want to be a CG animator, there's a bunch of scholastic options. If you're looking for an all-around animation education, the two best schools are CalArts (#1 animation school in the country) and UCLA.</p>
<p>SCAD No NASAD Accreditation, has regional accreditation; No portfolio submission; high professor turnover; has several lawsuits; bought out Atlanta College of Art; not known for animation. I wouldn't apply here.</p>
<p>USC - First class rank film school; Highly selective MFA Animation program; located in Los Angeles and smack in the middle of Hollywood; network with faculty and industry professionals; can intermingle with other depts like Music, Theatre to work on Animation projects. I would apply here.</p>
<p>CalArts - NASAD accredited; Top-ranked art school; extremely highly selective; must submit a reel; located in Valencia which 30+ minutes from LA and not in the heart of Hollywood; most students work reflect the suburbia of Valencia; recognized by Hollywood industry like Pixar, ILM, Sony, EA and Disney. I would apply here.</p>
<p>OSU - dont know anything about this school</p>
<p>Also look at Woodbury University (Animation Arts), Otis College of Art & Design (Digital Media), NYU and Parsons.</p>
<p>Have you seen the SCAD reel? I saw it four years ago or so when I was applying for undergrad schools...it's NUTS!!!</p>
<p>And NYU doensn't have an MFA for animation at Tisch. I asked John Canemaker personally ;) You can consider, however, their school for Continuing Ed, which, according to the catalogues and flyers that end up at my house every summer, specializes in the technical side: computer animation/effects work. So actually, 3DACrazy, that might be for you!</p>
<p>AnimeFreak... you know me already :D so no BFA for me. If NYU Tisch had MFA Animation, I would certainly have applied there too. </p>
<p>Actually fliktavirtuoso, I dont really want to do completely Cg/Special Effects/Technical side of animation - atleast as far as schooling is concerned. I want to get a strong base in traditional animation/ core concepts and basic ideas. CG, is just a tool. I've worked in some industry standard CG tools (very little though) and i know without proper background - you are zero. There is no comparison at all. I dont want to become a technician - and to spend 3 years of life learning something useful is nothing compared to your whole life that u can get to work on tools/special effects etc. I guess you made this assumption becuase of my computer science background. LOL</p>
<p>and yeah not interested in semi baked univ. animation programs either! :D</p>
<p>//SCAD No NASAD Accreditation, has regional accreditation; No portfolio submission; high professor turnover; has several lawsuits; bought out Atlanta College of Art; not known for animation. I wouldn't apply here.
//</p>
<p>Has SACS accreditation. SACS, like NASAD, ensures the highest standards of educational practice. NASAD is specific to art, however, I argue that teaching is teaching and learning is learning. Accreditation esures that appropriate procedures are in place. SCAD has never applied for NASAD accreditation.</p>
<p>Wrong on the portfolio submission. A portfolio is not necessary, but it is highly encouraged. I think I remember that over 98% of applicants submited a portfolio. SCAD teaches many applied arts. A high GPA is a very good predictor of success; as well as statement of purpose and recommendations. Some people find this to be odd, but again, when a student is committed to academic success as demonstrated by GPA, that commitment translates to success in the arts as well. You can learn to draw; did you know that? Well, most everyone at least. And if you can't, take photography.</p>
<p>Atlanta College of Art was in financial trouble and made the offer to SCAD to merge is my understanding. Some kids at ACA are angry, and have filed a lawsuit although I do not know what it is about. </p>
<p>Don't know much about the program, but as the school is young, it certainly does not have the historical reputation of others. That doesn't mean it isn't good. One professor worked at Disney for 24 years and on the characters Belle, Mufasa and Ariel. Those sound like pretty good credentials to me.</p>
<p>I looked at SCAD and even attended the open house event and was gonna apply to their program UNTIL I read ww.scad.info which posted several problems at SCAD. Unfortunately the site is down and the info gone. But here's what the site had: (1) several professors at problems with tenure and left the school and had problems with the owners (Rowans) and administration policies; (2) it lists several lawsuit filings with documentation against SCAD; (3) SCAD and Savannah Police Dept "UNDERREPORT" crimes committed against students around the campus. There have been carajckings and muggings in the area; (4) There was a dorm on campus that had environmental issues that caused students to be sick. SCAD covered it up. There was also an incient where a SCAD film student had accidently hung himself for a film scene and died. SCAD never address the issue to the public. So where were the advisors?? </p>
<p>As far as the accreditation thing, wouldn't NASAD rank higher than SACS? SACS is a regional, not national. Though SCAD never applied to NASAD, shouldn't they?? If they wanna run with the big boys like CalArts, shouldn't they apply and get accredited nationally, not regionally??</p>
<p>Also, I personally know of a person that went to SCAD in animation and graduated last year and hasn't found a job yet. So again, I wouldn't apply here.</p>
<p>Animefreak, I am not a SCAD affectionado especially since they don't have the additional NASAD accreditation. However, the problems that you noted are old problems mentioned by a fired professor. I really think that SCAD has come a long way since those problems were posted by that professor.</p>
<p>By the way, the reason that the scad info site is down is that the professor was paid off ....er....a settlement was made to him. I was in touch with him about his site and that what was stated to me.</p>
<p>Amen to that, 3DACrazy...And I apologize if I made it sound like I was making those assumptions about you and CG animation. I actually made those comments about CG/FX based on your school choice, not your background. No hard feelings. :)</p>
<p>I'm very glad to hear you say those things about animation education, and I TOTALLY agree--you need the basics first. Now I see why you've applied to UCLA's Animation Workshop...and are as on edge about their decision as I am!!!</p>
<p>fliktavirtuoso, its ok. I didn't mind. I explained what i honestly think and right now trying to achieve!</p>
<p>Anyway - its the last week. Next monday i would know everything :D
... and i'm scared to be disappointed. :(</p>
<p>Everything happens for a reason. I believe that wholeheartedly. When one door closes, another opens. Though hopefully the UCLA door will open for the both of us so we can stop worrying about it. lol ;)</p>
<p>haha well... i'm equally excited abt both schools UCLA/USC. thats because i couldn't go for an oncampus tour for either of them. so i cant say much about the original conditions/facilities. I only relied on the reputation/ranking. I know both of them are extremely tough to get in and produce excellent graduates. </p>
<p>So whatever happens (i should get into one ... though :D), it will happen for a reason. </p>
<p>But did anyone of u visited UCLA AniWorkshop in person? how was everything including people/facilities etc? I've heard DADA has some very good things to offer.</p>
<p>I did visit the Animation Workshop. All of their equipment is totally top-of-the-line. Every time a new version of a given program comes out, they get it immediately. They're constantly upgrading their computers and other equipment, though they do have some older stuff, too. They are starting to build individual stations for students that include a traditional 2D animation table, a Wacom tablet (one of the big ones, not the gimpy 4X6s), a computer with Maya and other software, shelves and storage...it's just awesome!! They're hoping to get enought of those so that each student has his or her own private space in which to work (CalArts has a whole room set up like this, but they're all curtained off...a bit too much like a makeshift hospital if you ask me...). Only downside to this is they're not all in the same room, but that's mainly b/c the Animation Workshop has so much stuff, it doesn't have room to accomodate everything!</p>
<p>The head guy at the Animation Workshop, Dug, was really cool. He talked with me for an hour and a half, showing me all of the different rooms and equipment, explaining the kinds of stuff UCLA does with and for its students, the procedure for recruiters and employers, what was expected of grad students, etc. He really knew his stuff, and was more than happy to answer my questions. I was very confident about the program upon leaving the campus; I'm the kind of person who is extremely picky but who trusts her instincts, and I had VERY good feelings about it. I wouldn't have been so anxious about finding out whether I got in or not had I not been so excited after being there!!</p>
<p>//As far as the accreditation thing, wouldn't NASAD rank higher than SACS? SACS is a regional, not national. Though SCAD never applied to NASAD, shouldn't they?? If they wanna run with the big boys like CalArts, shouldn't they apply and get accredited nationally, not regionally??//</p>
<p>I agree that applying for (and getting) NASAD accreditation would be a good move, but really only for the purpose of public relations. Accreditation ensures that appropriate policies are in place to ensure programs are cohesive, complete and uphold appropriate standards. SCAD has SACS accreditation. Accreditation is a voluntary, non-governmental peer review process by the higher education community that aims to assure academic quality and accountability and to encourage improvement. </p>
<p>Some SACS schools include the University of Georgia:
<a href="http://www.uga.edu/effectiveness/accredit.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.uga.edu/effectiveness/accredit.html</a></p>
<p>which is listed as a "public Ivy college"
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Ivy%5B/url%5D">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Ivy</a></p>
<p>as is the University of Florida as well
<a href="http://www.fiu.edu/sacs/%5B/url%5D">http://www.fiu.edu/sacs/</a></p>
<p>The point here is that SACS is a reputable accrediting body, and that higly reputable institutions are accredited by SACS. From my perspective, the practice of education as a profession is the same whether you are teaching mechanical engineering or sequential art, botany or photography. Faculty, facilities, and policies must still provide students with the means to develop the skills to become qualified and capable professionals.</p>
<p>Also, if this still freaks you out, review the faculty backgrounds and credentials at the college; where did they go? A very very large percentage went to NASAD schools, and since faculty determine what happens in the classroom, and since these faculty learned their crafts at NASAD schools, then they are most likely to perpetuate the same pedagogical practice.</p>
<p>//Also, I personally know of a person that went to SCAD in animation and graduated last year and hasn't found a job yet. So again, I wouldn't apply here.//</p>
<p>Good grief. You produce the work and you knock on doors. Students who work diligently, apply themselves consistently, and take the initiative to create opportunities for themselves will succeed. Animation is also a very highly competitive field; the good ones will find jobs. If the student didn't develop a good enough portfolio, then the student likely applied him/herself minimally while other students used their time wisely to develop portfolios that opened doors and turned heads.</p>
<p>//Animefreak, I am not a SCAD affectionado especially since they don't have the additional NASAD accreditation.// TG</p>
<p>You know my perspective. That would be your problem. Not the college's.</p>
<p>//However, the problems that you noted are old problems mentioned by a fired professor. I really think that SCAD has come a long way since those problems were posted by that professor.// TG</p>
<p>Yeah, there was a problem it seems with one professor. Look at the faculty list; there are hundreds of professors at SCAD, are there hundreds of web sites posted by disgruntled faculty? The guy's wife got fired. He got angry. I don't know what happened exactly, but he never revealed why his wife was fired did he? I happen to think his motives were underhanded, and that site allowed the worst kind of lies. I tried to post a response to some of the misinformation, and he told me to "f" off and make my own web site.</p>