“We have created an environment that fosters collaboration with students, researchers, and industry,” said Derick Ostrenko, assistant professor of digital art at LSU. “Educating our own visual artists is vital to continue growing the digital media industry in Louisiana.”

LSU is home to several programs for aspiring animators. The LSU School of Art offers a BFA and MFA in studio art with a concentration in digital art. The program fosters creative insight and theoretical grounding in addition to practical expertise. Students refine their skills in classes that provide an integrated understanding of animation, visual effects, 3D modeling, and interactive systems. LSU pulls instructors from the wide range of Louisiana digital media companies. These companies also offer internship opportunities for LSU students, keeping students and faculty current in trends, practices, and professional workflows.

The Master in Digital Media Arts & Engineering, an interdisciplinary program of the College of Art & Design and the College of Engineering, DMAE is an intensive, two-year master’s degree that employs a practice-driven approach to produce polished outcomes designed to meet industry needs. The courses explore cutting-edge developments in video games, interactive design, visual effects, and animation.

The DMAE program is housed within the LSU Center for Computation & Technology located on LSU’s campus in the Digital Media Center, a state-of-the-art, $29.3 million facility that is shared with Electronic Art’s North American Test Center. Students work with a diverse group of digital artists, programmers, musicians, and researchers who help them develop their ideas into the future of media. Visit dmae.lsu.edu for more information about the program.

LSU’s Arts, Visualization, Advanced Technologies and Research (AVATAR) hiring initiative established a university-wide faculty focus on the intersections among art, technology, and computation, creating new research areas in virtual environments, digital art, electroacoustic music, animation, video game design, scientific visualization, and more. Many digital art students at LSU pursue a minor in digital media, which allows them to take classes in video game design, electronic music, and interactive graphics.

Students interested in expanding their studies beyond digital art and animation may consider LSU’s BA in theater with a film and television concentration, as well. LSU students also benefit from a strong film and media arts program, which offers courses in screenwriting, film theory, and video production.

Visit animationcareerreview.com for more information and to view a complete list of rankings.