5. RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
The College of Design and Social Context (DSC) at RMIT University (RMIT) houses nine schools, more than 21,000 students from Australia and Vietnam, and 1,000+ academics and instructors. DSC programs are interdisciplinary and range from certificates to PhDs in areas such as art, design, fashion, media and communication, architecture, education, social studies, and property management.
The School of Design is part of the DSC. Within the school are 10 digital design programs, including three options that are ideal for animators. At the undergraduate level, students can earn an Animation and Interactive Media BDes. Graduate students can earn a Master of Animation, Games, and Interactivity (AGI), or a graduate certificate in AGI.
RMIT also provides a vocational program—the Diploma of Screen ad Media (Animation, Gaming and Visual Effects—for students seeking a degree that combines elements of communication, media, and film. Examples of areas of study for this program include video editing, graphic design, digital imaging, 2D and 3D animation design, motion design, visual effects, virtual and segmented reality (VR/AR), sound design, compositing, interactive and game design, concept development, and previsualization.
Graduates of this program are prepared to pursue careers as digital media practitioners across industries. Program alumni are also guaranteed entry into the Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media (Content Creation and Design). Potential job titles include 2D Animator, 3D Animator, Storyboard Artist, Game Designer, VFX Artist, Graphic Designer, Motion Design Artist, and Production Designer.
The Animation and Interactive Media BDes at RMIT is a full-time, studio-based program with solid ties to the creative industry through organizations such as Experimedia, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), and Film Victoria. This three-year program also emphasizes studio-based, hands-on learning from day one; internships with major studios such as LucasArts, Method Studios, and Viskatoons; workshops; guest lecture series; and international learning opportunities with over 165 partner universities worldwide.
In studios and the classroom, Animation BDes students will explore 2D and 3D Animation, Special Effects (SFX), and Interactive Media. Course examples include 2D and 3D Animation; Animation and Interactive Media Studio 1-4; Animation and Interactive Media Design for Movement; Advanced Visual Effects; Sound Design for Animation; and 3D Animation Practice. Students will also have opportunities to take electives to develop skills in areas such as alternative animation, experimental video, and sound design.
In the final year of Animation and Interactive Media BDes program at RMIT, students will collaborate on projects, and produce a professional animated work individually.
Graduates of the RMIT Animation and Interactive Media BDes program are Animators, 3D Visualizers and Modelers, Digital Artists, Art Directors, Character Designers, Motion Graphic Designers, Pre-Production Artists, and Visual Effects (VFX) Artists. Some program graduates teach, while others have launched their own studios or freelance businesses.
Program alumni have exhibited at festivals and conferences such as Annecy, London International Animation Festival (LIAF), ACM SIGGRAPH (Association for Computing Machinery-Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques), and Melbourne International Animation Festival (MIAF). They have also been hired at major studios and agencies such as LucasArts, Viskatoons, and Method Studios (formerly Iloura).
The graduate certificate in Animation, Games, and Interactivity at RMIT University is designed for immediate entry into the field or guaranteed entry into the master’s degree program. Students in this six-month program will take courses such as Animation, Games, and Interactivity Studio 1; The Illusion of Life; and Professional Preproduction. All certificate students have opportunities to attend industry events and work with professional from places such as the Melbourne International Animation Festival, and the creative co-working community known as ACMI X.
Graduates of the RMIT Animation, Games and Interactivity certificate program will have the skills and expertise to pursue careers in areas such as character design, visual effects, 2D animation, interaction design, 3D animation, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), motion graphics design, game development, and pre-production art.
The RMIT Master of Animation, Games, and Interactivity takes place in a collaborative, studio environment with access to state-of-the-art equipment and research centers such as the Centre for Games Design Research; participation in industry events; the opportunity to work with organizations such as Film Victoria and ACMI X; and the chance to exhibit at Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF).
Course examples for the master’s program include Character, Place and Simulation; Animation, Games, and Interactivity Studio 1-3; Advanced Play Design; Research Methods for Design and Digital Media; Animated Narratives; and Professional Preproduction. In year two of the program, students will complete the Professional Research Project (Animation, Games, and Interactivity) worth 24 credit points, and the Animation, Games and Interactivity Industry Portfolio, worth 12 credit points.
The Master of Animation, Games, and Interactivity at RMIT University can be completed in two years full-time or four years part-time. Graduates are prepared to pursue advanced roles in all areas of Animation, Games, and Interactive Media. Program alumni are also prepared to launch their own studios or freelance businesses.
Founded in 1887, RMIT University is one of Australia’s original tertiary institutions—and the largest. The school employs nearly 10,000 global staff members that serve more than 90,000 students across three campuses and two sites in Australia, two campuses in Vietnam, and a research and industry collaboration center in Spain. RMIT also provides programs to students through partners in Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Belgium, Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands.
The undergraduate and graduate programs at RMIT University are housed across four academic colleges and 16 academic schools. As part of RMIT, all programs are officially recognized by the Department of Education and Training of Australia.
