Want to be a Computer Animator or Programmer?

Are you fascinated by the special effects that make movies like “Toy Story” seem so real? Do you enjoy video games, science fiction and adventure movies, animation, or even music videos? People with imagination and technical expertise work behind the scenes to create the effects that today’s video game players and moviegoers enjoy. If you are an out-of-the-box thinker, comfortable with computers, and have a flair for art and design, you might be a good candidate for a career in compute graphics. Does this sound like you?

“I’ve always excelled in art but have an interest in computers”
“I’ve always excelled in programming but have an interest in art”
“Computer Visualization sounds interesting, but I can’t handle the math/programming”
“I love computer games”
“I want to get a job creating special effects for movies in Hollywood”

Program Description

The Digital Media program at Parkland College is an interdisciplinary degree program specializing in the art and science of computer generated imagery. The program provides students with the necessary training and skills to pursue a career in computer animation and visual effects, design, interactive graphics programming, virtual reality and visualization, and game development. The field of computer graphics and animation spans a wide variety of disciplines, areas of expertise, and employment opportunities. Some of these industries include feature film, video, and commercial production, post-production, visual effects, CAD/CAM, architectural and industrial design, computer gaming, graphics software applications, simulation, research, virtual reality, forensics, automobile design, fashion, and interactive web development.

The program offers 2-year Associate degree programs and certifications in either 3D computer animation or 3D graphics programming. The certificates earned in 3D computer animation are industry-recognized certificates from Alias/Wavefront. Parkland College is an authorized Alias/Wavefront Maya 3D animation training center and uses course materials approved and provided by Alias/Wavefront for the purpose of preparing students for the industry recognized Alias/Wavefront certificate.