The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Art and Animation requires completion of at least 131 credits with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better. The program usually spans eight semesters of 15 weeks each, or a total of four academic years. See Degree Requirements for additional information.
This is a sample sequence of courses for a student in the 2025-2026 academic cohort. This sequence should not be used for advising purposes; please contact your Student Success Advisor for a copy of this program’s Curriculum Flowchart.
| Semester | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | ANI 101 Animation Basics I | 3 |
| ART 101 The Language of Drawing I | 3 | |
| ART 115 Art and Technology | 3 | |
| ART 125 Tone, Color, and Composition I | 3 | |
| ENG 116 Fundamentals of Storytelling | 3 | |
| COL 101 College Life and Academic Skills | 1 | |
| FLM 115 History of Film and Animation | 3 | |
| Semester Total | 19 | |
| Semester 2 | PRJ 101 The Basics of Production | 3 |
| ANI 151 Animation Basics II | 3 | |
| ART 120 Language of Drawing II | 3 | |
| ART 130 Tone, Color, and Composition II | 3 | |
| ART 151 Life Drawing I | 3 | |
| Semester Total | 15 | |
| Summer Semester 3 | ART 150 Human Anatomy | 3 |
| CG 201 Introduction to 2D Computer Graphics | 3 | |
| CG 225 Introduction to 3D Computer Graphics | 3 | |
| Semester Total | 9 | |
| Semester 4 | PRJ 201 or PRJ 202 2D Animation Production or Game Art Project I | 4 |
| ART 201 Life Drawing II | 3 | |
| CG 275 Introduction to 3D Animation | 3 | |
| Open Elective An elective of the student’s choice from any department at DigiPen | 3 | |
| Semester Total | 13 | |
| Semester 5 | PRJ 251 or PRJ 252 2D Animation Production or Game Art Project I | 4 |
| ART 251 Character Design | 3 | |
| ART 350 Storyboards | 3 | |
| Digital Art and Animation Elective Art, Animation, Film, or Computer Graphics course numbered 300 or higher | 3 | |
| Semester Total | 13 | |
| Summer Semester 6 | ART 300 Perspective, Backgrounds, and Layouts | 3 |
| CG 300 3D Environment and Level Design | 3 | |
| Semester Total | 6 | |
| Semester 7 | PRJ 301 or PRJ 303 3D Production Pipeline or 3D Production Pipeline I | 4 |
| ART 200 Animal Anatomy | 3 | |
| Digital Art and Animation Elective Art, Animation, Film, or Computer Graphics course numbered 300 or higher | 3 | |
| English Elective Any three-credit English course numbered 150 or higher | 3 | |
| Semester Total | 13 | |
| Semester 8 | ART 401 Conceptual Illustration and Visual Development | 3 |
| CS 115 Introduction to Scripting and Programming | 3 | |
| COM 250 Professional Communication | 3 | |
| Semester Total | 9 | |
| Summer Semester 9 | PRJ 401 or PRJ 402 Cinematic Production I or Game Art Project II | 4 |
| Digital Art and Animation Elective Art, Animation, Film, or Computer Graphics course numbered 300 or higher | 3 | |
| FLM 201 Cinematography | 3 | |
| Semester Total | 10 | |
| Semester 10 | PRJ 451 or PRJ 452 Cinematic Production II or Game Art Project II | 4 |
| HSS Elective Any Communication, History, Psychology, or Social Sciences course of three credits or more | 3 | |
| HSS Elective Any Communication, History, Psychology, or Social Sciences course of three credits or more | 3 | |
| Natural Science Elective Any three-credit Physics Natural Science course | 3 | |
| Semester Total | 13 | |
| Semester 11 | PRJ 471 or PRJ 472 Cinematic Production III or Game Art Project II | 4 |
| ART 450 Portfolio | 3 | |
| COL 230 College Success for Artists | 1 | |
| General Education Elective Any COM, ENG, LAW, HIS, SOS, PSY, or MAT elective | 3 | |
| Semester Total | 11 | |
| Degree Total (minimum credits required) | 131 | |
