Animation + Game Art

The Animation and Game Arts (AGA) concentration at UMass Dartmouth is an integrated design and technology program with the mission of providing future creative leaders the skills and knowledge to meet the design and communication challenges of the twenty-first century. A key objective is to develop graduates who are broadly educated, articulate, scholarly, visually-sophisticated, and capable of active participation in all phases of the design process. The AGA concentration offers students the opportunity to improve their critical thinking and aesthetic abilities while gaining an in-depth understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of various types of media and technologies.

Curricular offerings include: storytelling and storyboarding, two and three-dimensional animation, three-dimensional modeling, interactive design, game design, web design and virtual reality studies. https://www.umassd.edu/programs/animation-game-arts/

Foundations Program

Required of All Majors (except Art History and Music)

The Foundations Program is a rigorous program designed to promote creativity, to develop technical and conceptual skills, and to provide an essential awareness of our visual culture. Its drawing, two-dimensional, three-dimensional, and digital courses serves as prerequisites-requisites for all 200 or higher-level courses in Art + Design and Art Education programs. Its art history component, Introduction to the Study of Art, serves as a prerequisite for higher-level Art History Program study that is demanded by each of the studio art departments.

Except where transfer or advance placement examination credits are accepted in lieu of requirements, first-year students may expect to take five courses, totaling 15 credits, in each of their two first-year semesters. The exception being Art Education majors due to of licensure requirements and increased credit load.

The successful completion of the Foundations program is a required of all candidates for a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree from the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

ARH- Art History Elective (300/400 level) - Credits: 6

ARH 102 - Introduction to the History of Art Credits: 3
ARH 200 - Theory & Criticism of Art & Design Credits: 3
FOU 101 - Visual Arts Seminar Credits: 3
FOU 110 - Foundation Drawing Credits: 3
FOU 120 - 2D Form and Surface Credits: 3
FOU 130 - 3D Form and Space Credits: 3
FOU 140 - Digital Essentials Credits: 3

University Studies / Distribution

ENL 2XX Literature elective - Credits: 3
MTH Mathematics elective - Credits: 3
Science electives, 3 credits from each area (The Natural World and The Engaged Community) - Credits: 6
The Social World: 3 credits from three areas (Human Questions and Contexts, The Nature of US Society, The Nature of the Global Society) - Credits: 9

ENL 101 - Critical Writing and Reading I Credits: 3
ENL 102 - Critical Writing and Reading II Credits: 3

Electives

Five courses at any level, may include studios - Credits: 15

Major Studios

The following are designated courses, each of which requires a grade of C or better for advancement. Students who receive less than a C in one of these courses shall be subject to review that may result in provisional continuation or dismissal from the option.

AXD 245 - Story Structures Credits: 3
AXD 246 - Principles of Animation Credits: 3
AXD 248 - Principles of Game Design Credits: 3
AXD 345 - 3D Digital Modeling Credits: 3
AXD 346 - 3D Digital Animation & Modeling Credits: 3
AXD 347 - Visual Design for Games Credits: 3
AXD 348 - Game Design Credits: 3
AXD 445 - Senior Animation Studio Credits: 3
AXD 447 - Senior Game Studio Credits: 3
AXD 448 - Animation +Game Arts Capstone Credits: 3

Studio Options and Additional Requirements

AXD 2XX level drawing - Credits: 3

(Consult advisor on selection)

Studio electives - Credits: 9
300/400 studio elective - Credits:3