There are many great programs around the world that incorporate motion graphics into graphic design or visual design, but we are focusing on a handful of programs specially developed for aspiring motion graphic designers.
So let’s dig into some of the respected motion design schools around to help launch your career!
Summary
Top Motion Design Schools
SCAD – Motion Media Design
The Savannah College of Art & Design, commonly referred to as SCAD, is a private arts college based in Savannah, Georgia with sister campuses in Atlanta, Hong Kong, and Lacoste France, as well as online courses.
They offer a range of degrees in related fields like Film and Television, Animation, Illustration, and Sequential Art, but SCAD also has a dedicated major called Motion Media Design.
The Motion Media Design major comes with degree options of B.F.A, M.A, and M.F.A. Both the B.F.A and M.F.A degrees can be obtained at the Savannah and Atlanta campuses, with Hong Kong offering the B.F.A only. The M.A. and M.F.A graduate degrees can be obtained either online or at the main Savannah campus.
The Motion Media Design B.F.A program is a full 4-year undergraduate degree with a total of 180 credit hours. Foundation classes include basic drawing, design, and color theory topics, before moving into more specific courses like typography, storyboarding, and motion media design concepts. Additionally, there is a core of general art studies to be completed with the program.
Once a B.F.A has been obtained, a student can opt to continue on for a 45 credit hour (1 year) M.A or a 90 credit hour (2 year) M.F.A degree. Here students learn more advanced typography, visualization, storyboarding, and design concepts, as well as a required internship for the M.F.A.
Like many private colleges, SCAD is not inexpensive, with tuition and fees equalling about $35,000 USD per year for a full-time student.
However, they have a solid program with a lot of successful alumni. Check out the Motion Media Design demo reel of student work below, and see more work in the student gallery.
Ringling College of Art & Design – Motion Design
Ringling College might sound like a place to learn to be a circus performer for those who haven’t heard of it. But Ringing is a well-respected art school based in Sarasota, Florida. It’s been in operation for about 85 years and has made quite a name in the creative world.
Ringling offers a range of degrees in visual arts like Illustration and Computer Animation, but they have also decided to build a dedicated Motion Design program with a B.F.A degree at its conclusion.
Classes all take place on the Sarasota campus currently. Ringling has recently announced that they’ll be offering online courses starting in 2016, but it remains to be seen if that will be an option for Motion Design majors.
The Motion Design B.F.A at Ringling is based on 5 areas of learning which are Concept Communication, Design, Animation, Technology, and Industry and Professional Practices.
The program starts with a selection of liberal arts classes like Writing, Literature, and Contemporary Design Culture. It then moves into art history and basic design principles before moving into the Design, Animation, and Concept Development courses within the major.
The Motion Design B.F.A program at Ringling is a 4-year program with 120 credit hours, based on their system.
A full-time student at Ringling College Of Art & Design can expect to pay about $19,000 USD per semester in tuition, plus fees, putting the yearly total around $42,000 USD a year.
Some of the student work coming out of the Ringling Motion Design program can be seen on their website, including a demo reel of combined work.
Full Sail University – Digital Arts & Design (Motion Graphics Focus)
Another school in Florida offering up Motion Design is Full Sail University. Full Sail offers online education along with courses at their campus in Winter Park, Florida (a suburb of Orlando).
Full Sail is a smaller private university offering all sorts of arts and entertainment degrees. Although this program isn’t specifically about motion graphics, there is a Motion Graphics area of focus within the program.
One of the things that Full Sail uses to differentiate itself is getting an education in half the time. Through a deep dive program with longer hours, they can hand out a bachelor of science degree in Digital Arts & Design in about half the time of a traditional university program.
But, just because the program is accelerated, don’t expect it to be much cheaper. Tuition for this program comes in at $77,500, which does include books and course materials.
The program at Full Sail is built around gaining “real world” knowledge needed to get a job in the industry. Classes in the 80-week program include Graphics Principles, Color Theory, Typography, and multiple Motion Graphics classes.
Full Sail has graduated many students who have gone on to get good jobs in the industry, but it is a different type of university than most. So, it would be good to compare it against more traditional schools when making a decision about where to attend.
Check out some of the Digital Arts & Design student work.
Other Programs
Although the above programs are highly specialized in the area of motion graphics, there are several other schools that incorporate motion graphic design into other degree programs. Here is a list of some of the other related programs that bring motion graphics into the mix.
California Institute Of The Arts – B.F.A in Graphic Design, with a specialization in Motion Graphics on the M.F.A level.
School Of Visual Arts – B.F.A in Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects.
Rhode Island School Of Design – B.F.A in Film/Animation/Video
Pratt Institute – B.F.A in Digital Arts, with an emphasis in 3D Animation and Motion Arts
Expression College – B.A.S in Graphic Design & Motion
All of the above schools come with fairly high tuition fees, but they all offer some level of student aid as well as scholarship programs. If you are considering going for a degree in motion graphic design or a related field, be sure to review all of your options thoroughly and look at the many ways to offset or reduce fees to make school easier. We hope this is a great starting point in your search for the right motion design school!
