ACCAD courses are open to all interested students from any major and can be found under the Adv Computing Cntr Arts&Design (ACCAD) designation in the Ohio State course listings. Graduate students are the primary co-hort taking ACCAD classes. They are incorporating 3D animation or interactive media into their thesis work. ACCAD 5000 level courses offer undergraduate sections. Undergraduate students should understand course requirements before enrolling. E-mailing the instructor is recommended to be sure experience level matches course expectations.
Since ACCAD is a research center we do not offer a degree but instead offer both courses and research opportunities for students enrolled in programs throughout the University.
Please look at our Affiliated Programs links (left menu) to explore which programs have structured degrees in new media and that are aligned with our Center. Students studying at ACCAD usually want to incorporate animation and interactive media into their thesis or dissertation topic and often do so with a multi-disciplinary team of faculty advisors. These students have historically been from: Dance, Art, Architecture, Design, Art Education, Music, Theatre, and Electrical and/or Computer Science and Engineering. Students should contact each department separately to find out more about their degree program.
ACCAD investigates technology as a form of artistic and scientific exploration. At ACCAD we hope to impart a unique blend of artistic vision and talent with computer and software knowledge. ACCAD's facilities support a full suite of computer graphics and animation software from such companies as Autodesk, Adobe, Vicon, and Unity Technologies. See our Facilities page for more details.
Graduate Research Assistantships are available depending on the research projects currently in house. The number of these GRA positions available varies from year to year.
Experience
You receive hands-on working experience on a research project. GRA's job assignments differ, depending on the project.
Monthly stipends
GRA positions provide monthly stipends.
Tuition/Fee Waive:
GRA positions provide part or full Tuition and Fee Waivers, depending on the appointment.
At Ohio State, the Moving Image Production undergraduate major encourages the development of a deep understanding of film production in the areas of animation, documentary, experimental and narrative cinema. ACCAD courses are offered and ACCAD affiliated faculty teach courses for this major. This major is meant to provide students for a range of careers.
The OSU Art Department has an undergraduate emphasis in "Art and Technology". They offer several 3D computer animation courses as part of their curriculum. Contact Prof. Amy Youngs, e-mail: youngs.6(at)osu.edu, to get more information. Here is a web site that describes the Art and Technology focus in the Art Department.
The OSU Design Department offers undergraduate courses, with some courses in 3D computer modeling. See Design Undergraduate Studies. Contact Gabe Tippery, tippery.2(at)osu.edu, undergraduate adviser in the Design Department if you are interested in what a Design degree may offer.
If you are interested in an undergraduate degree experience to prepare for application to the Digital Animation and Interactive Media (DAIM) MFA program, the DAIM graduate program looks for students who have a strong animation background as well as a strong art and design foundation (drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, 2D design, 3D design). The animation background could be in traditional (hand-drawn), time-arts based as well as computer animation. Additionally, there should be some knowledge of cinematic structure through film studies as well as animation history. Developing artistic thinking and creative problem-solving is foundational.
Other courses that animators find helpful are Acting, Script Analysis, Creative Writing, Film Studies, Video Production, Interactive Design and basic computer programming. Depending on your area of undergraduate study, you might have room to take electives and you should look at the OSU Minor areas of study (e.g. Design, Film Studies, Studio Art, Video Art).