You imagine how a drawing, character, or scene could move.
College major · Arts & Design
Animation major
Bring characters, stories, and imagined worlds to life.
Animation explores how drawing, movement, sound, storytelling, and technology combine to create experiences over time. Studying it means more than learning tools. Students use drawing and design, storyboarding, and 2D and 3D animation to make decisions about questions such as what should move, and what should stay still. Program quality often shows up in the depth of critique, access to production resources, and the opportunity to connect character development with sound and editing in finished work.
In practice, Animation tends to combine designing and making with collaboration and people-centered work. Early coursework often introduces Drawing and design and Storyboarding; later work asks you to use those foundations in areas such as 2D and 3D animation, Character development, and Sound and editing.
Research & editorialDavisville Labs
Last reviewedAugust 11, 2026
Reference systemsNational Center for Education Statistics · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · US Department of Labor
Editorial standards
✦ Compass Intelligence
Could Animation fit you?
Start with your own words. Compass connects what you care about to the study patterns, questions, careers, and real projects inside Animation, then gives you something concrete to test.
Start with your story. Leave with something real to test.
How Compass Intelligence works
1
You tell us what matters.Interests, strengths, dislikes, or a future you can picture.
2
Compass reads the Animation guide.It looks for overlap with this field’s study patterns, questions, careers, and projects.
3
You get something to test.The goal is better evidence about Animation, not a verdict.
Take the same context deeper with an AI you already use
Three clues worth noticing
01 02 03
You enjoy detailed creative work that improves through many revisions.
You like combining visual art, storytelling, and technology.
Clues are useful. Trying the work is better.
What college may feel like
See the shape of Animation.
In practice, Animation tends to combine designing and making with collaboration and people-centered work. Early coursework often introduces Drawing and design and Storyboarding; later work asks you to use those foundations in areas such as 2D and 3D animation, Character development, and Sound and editing. Programs differ, so use this as a pattern to investigate rather than a universal curriculum.
Learn the language of Animation
Drawing and design + Storyboarding
See how the pieces influence one another
2D and 3D animation + Character development
Develop a point of view
Sound and editing plus electives, methods, or a concentration that lets you go deeper
Show what you can do with what you know
Use designing and making in research, internships, studios, fieldwork, projects, clinical work, or a capstone, depending on the program.
Study signature
ReadingSome
WritingRegular
QuantitativeSome
Hands-onRegular
Design & makingCentral
People & collaborationFrequent
Questions you may keep asking
What should move, and what should stay still?
How can timing and expression make a character feel believable?
Which visual choices make the story easier to follow?
Reality check
Know what you are signing up for.
Animation has tradeoffs just like every other path. These are the ones worth noticing before you choose it.
Your first idea is rarely the finished idea.
In Animation, work tied to Drawing and design and Character development can involve critique, revision, tradeoffs, and repeated attempts before the result feels resolved.
Strong work is often collaborative.
You may need to understand clients, communities, teammates, audiences, patients, users, or other stakeholders rather than working only from your own point of view.
The degree title is a starting point, not a destination.
Animation can support several career directions, and employers may welcome graduates from related fields. Practical experience, internships, projects, and additional credentials can matter alongside the degree.
Where it can lead
One major. Several directions.
Animation can connect to directions such as Animator and Storyboard Artist, but a degree title is only one part of the path. Experience, credentials, graduate study, and the choices you make along the way still matter.
Animation can support several career directions, and employers may welcome graduates from related fields. Practical experience, internships, projects, and additional credentials can matter alongside the degree.
01
Animator
Creates movement and performance for characters, objects, interfaces, and visual stories.
02
Storyboard Artist
Translates scripts and concepts into visual sequences that guide a production team.
03
Motion Designer
Uses typography, graphics, and animation to communicate ideas across digital media.
04
Visual Effects Artist
Builds or combines digital imagery that would be difficult to capture in production.
Skills + AI
Build capabilities that travel with you.
In Animation, tools will change faster than the underlying need to understand the field, communicate clearly, and test ideas against evidence or real constraints.
Creative iteration
Through work such as Drawing and design and 2D and 3D animation, you practice making something, getting feedback, and improving it through repeated cycles so you can turn an idea into something another person can see, use, or evaluate.
Collaboration
Storyboarding and Character development can strengthen your ability to make better decisions with and for other people.
Communication
This field repeatedly asks you to practice explaining ideas, evidence, and decisions clearly, especially as coursework becomes more applied.
Applied problem solving
This field repeatedly asks you to practice testing, observing, building, measuring, or working in real settings, especially as coursework becomes more applied.
AI may speed up parts of 2d and 3d animation and routine production
In Animation, search, first-pass analysis, drafting, iteration, documentation, and other repeatable steps may become faster. The advantage shifts toward students who can judge whether the output actually fits the problem.
Creative iteration becomes more valuable when answers get cheap
A model can produce options quickly. It cannot remove the need to ask questions like “What should move, and what should stay still?” in a real context, weigh tradeoffs, understand consequences, and take responsibility for the decision.
Use AI as a collaborator while learning the field deeply
Try it for brainstorming, critique, comparison, or repetitive steps, then verify the work using genuine knowledge from Drawing and design, Storyboarding, projects, and feedback. That combination transfers into paths such as Animator and Storyboard Artist.
Try it before college
Do the work. Then decide.
The fastest way to judge Animation is to try a small version of the work and notice what holds your attention, frustrates you, or makes you want to keep going.
High school project idea
25–50 hours
Build a Story That Changes Minds
Create a multimedia campaign that helps people care about an issue that deserves more attention.
- You will create
- Multimedia Campaign & Communication Case Study
Why this helpsBuild a Story That Changes Minds is useful evidence for Animation because it lets you test designing and making in a small, real version of the field.
High school project idea
20–45 hours
Build a Portfolio Around One Creative Style
Create a small collection of work that shows a clear visual voice.
- You will create
- Creative Style Portfolio
Why this helpsBuild a Portfolio Around One Creative Style is useful evidence for Animation because it lets you test designing and making in a small, real version of the field.
High school project idea
30–56 hours
Build a Game People Want to Replay
Create a small game with one irresistible core loop instead of a giant unfinished world.
- You will create
- playable digital game and design case study
Why this helpsBuild a Game People Want to Replay is useful evidence for Animation because it lets you test designing and making in a small, real version of the field.
Questions students ask
Clear answers before you choose.
Use these Animation answers as starting points, then compare the actual curriculum and requirements at the colleges on your list.
What does studying Animation actually prepare me to do?+
The degree can build a foundation for paths such as Animator and Storyboard Artist, especially when students pair drawing and design and storyboarding with internships, projects, research, or a strong portfolio. Employers may also hire graduates from related fields, so evidence of applied skill matters alongside the degree title.
What should a strong Animation portfolio or body of work demonstrate?+
It should show more than polished final images. Look for evidence of research, experimentation, critique, revision, and clear decisions across drawing and design, storyboarding, and 2D and 3D animation. Requirements and preferred formats vary by program.
How is Animation different from Film & Media Studies?+
The fields can overlap, but Animation usually gives particular weight to drawing and design, storyboarding, and 2D and 3D animation. Compare required studios, production methods, portfolio expectations, and the kinds of work students complete rather than relying on the titles alone.
Sources, editorial standards, and methodology
Compass presents a curated collection of 150 high-interest study guides designed around how students actually explore college and future work. The collection includes established majors, emerging or specialized undergraduate majors, career paths that can be reached through several majors, and emerging fields that usually do not have one standard undergraduate degree. Major names and CIP connections use common US college usage and NCES classifications when a clear instructional-program match exists. Study patterns are editorial summaries, career directions are examples rather than guaranteed outcomes, and students should compare actual curricula, admission rules, accreditation, licensing, and program availability at colleges they are considering.
NCES CIP codes: 50.0411
- NCES Classification of Instructional ProgramsNational Center for Education Statistics. Official US taxonomy for fields of study and instructional programs.
- Field of DegreeUS Bureau of Labor Statistics. Federal career exploration resources organized around broad college fields.
- O*NET OnLineUS Department of Labor. Detailed descriptions of occupations, tasks, knowledge, skills, and work activities.
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