Animation & Illustration

Vermont State University’s B.F.A in Animation & Illustration is designed to hone your visual art skills for a career in visual effects, 2D or 3D animation, digital illustration, or computer animation. You’ll learn the foundations of animation and illustration and gain the skills to go straight into the fields of picture book illustration, story boarding, animation, editorial illustration, character design, visual game design, and more. With well-equipped labs and technologies that you can access 24/7, small classes, and expert faculty, Vermont State will ensure you graduate with a professional portfolio to help you stand out in a competitive creative job market.

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Paul Williams

Assistant Director of Admissions

802.635.1217

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Why Study Animation & Illustration at Vermont State?

  • State of the art technology: Our three computer labs, two art studios, photo lab, and animation studio have all of the tools you need: digital cameras, digital video recorders, tripods, light kits, Oculus VR headsets, a 3D printer, iPads, and Wacom tablets. You will have 24-hour access to the studio, and all software licenses are included in your tuition and course fees.
  • Industry-standard software: Faculty are constantly keeping tabs on the software and technologies that the industry is asking for. That’s why we teach you the software that will make you the most hirable, including ToonBoom, Harmony, the full Adobe Create Suite, AfterEffects, and Autodesk Maya.
  • The Vermont Animation Festival: The Vermont Animation Festival has been hosted on the Vermont State University-Lyndon campus since 2015. The festival attracts artists from around the country and gives our students a chance to showcase their work, design posters, and merchandise, take leadership roles as teaching assistants, and even lead screenings and film analysis for the public.
  • Exciting job opportunities: Graduates from this program have gone on to work at Levi’s, Life is Good, NBC, Lego, Zutano, and Dog Mountain.

Financial Aid for Animation & Illustration Students

Vermont State University is providing a high-quality, affordable degree in Animation & Illustration to students across Vermont and beyond. More than 80 percent of Vermont State students are awarded financial aid, including new students, transfer students, international students, out-of-state students, and first-generation students. Our financial aid team is here to help you explore all your options.

Internships and Job Preparation in Animation & Illustration

We offer several opportunities for you to gain practical skills in animation and illustration through internships, co-ops, career coaching, and more.

  • You’ll put your illustration and animation skills to work by interning with local and regional organizations, building your skills, gaining professional experience, and enhancing your resume.
  • In your third year of study, you will take the Animation & Illustration Workshop in which you will create work for outside clients and experience what it’s like to produce work for a studio. This means that even before you graduate, you will have work experience in the industry.
  • By the time you graduate, you will have a professional-level portfolio ready to submit to potential clients and employers.

Minors Available in the Animation & Illustration Program

Interested in adding a minor to your degree program? See minors available in the Animations & Illustration program below.

  • Animation
  • Illustration
See Full List of Vermont State Minors

Student Stories

A woman with long hair smiles at the camera threw two computer monitors.

“The teachers and classes all prepare you for what you’re going to be doing after college. The biggest thing is getting your name out there. All my professors have been telling me this. I’ve always had great teachers who are really responsive and definitely there if you need help.”

Electra Poulson, ‘20
A woman with a pencil in her ear looks over her shoulder as snow falls around her.

“I love the artistic side of game design, and I want to incorporate that into what I do. Game design is a growing field, and it’s cool because there’s a lot of experimentation going on.”

Sophia Ruiz, ‘20