Online degree progam VS Independant study

#1

Hi all. First time poster long time reader.

This is really a two part question so ill jump right in.

Part 1. What are the best or at least reasonably good, if any, schools that offer online degree programs for getting a degree in CG be it Modeling or Animation. Im not asking about individual courses ie. gnomon or the courses here at cgsociety, but actual degree programs. Im not able to relocate at the moment so traditional classes at some of the big schools(VFS, Gnomon etc) is not an option. We do have an Art Institute and the Southwest University of Visual Arts in town but the idea of forking over 87k for a generalist degree frankly gives me a heart attack. Full Sail’s degree is only 54k which is doable but more on that in part 2.

Part 2. Up until recently I have been in the process of enrolling into the online Computer Animation Bachelors course through Full Sail. Because of financial aid issues (which subsequently have been resolved) I had to back out. At this point I resigned myself to independent study. Plans were/are in place to sign up for Digital Tutors, Gnomon and Simply Maya courses, Get a laptop and the Autodesk/Adobe software suites and continue taking the generalist classes at my local community college.

Since the option of Full Sail is essentially back on the table and from things I’ve been reading on this site about independent study I’m completely clueless on what to do. Now say what you will about the school but Im a firm proponent that you get from a school what you put into it and having poured over the reviews of Full Sail it turned out to fit the criteria I was looking for and the thought of having a bachelors is enticing but I’ve also been reading that having a good portfolio and good assets a degree isn’t really necessary.

So… now the question. What are your thoughts about getting a degree vs pursuing an independent study route. How much of a disadvantage will I be without the degree in a few years when I start looking for work?

#2

If you want to study animation (character/creature) then your best bet is with an online
course tutored by a professional. Most degree courses are not run by professional animators
and dont cater to indusrty requirements so many graduates find it difficult to get work unsurprisingly.

So after spending 50k on acquiring a degree the actual work a graduate produces on his/her reel is often quite poor. The decision on weather to hire a graduate is almost completely dependent on the candidates reel, an animation supervisor will not be particularly interested in the class of degree the graduate has achieved, so dont think a degree counts for much, simply put, it doesn't.

Get yourself a decent reel, this has to be your priority.

I should add here that although getting a degree is not essential to becoming an animator, certainly
if you do have one you will have more scope to change your career path if the animation doesnt work out.

[www.animationateam.com](http://www.animationateam.com)
#3

Honestly, I’m not sure you are going to find too many Bachelor’s programs like what you described. However, certificate programs should be plentiful. Animation Mentor, Gnomon, Escape, etc. I believe all offer full certificate programs online. Most accredited schools like IU (where I work) do offer some classes online for student convenience, but an entire degree (Bachelor’s of 125 credits) would be seizure inducing for any technology staff hehehe

#4

Yup,
But dont overlook the point that certificates are pretty much meaningless to a hiring VFX company.
Your reel is everything.

Rob
animationaTeam.com

#5

Full Sail. Get your Degree.:slight_smile: Better to have one and not need it than to need it and not have one.:slight_smile: Degrees will allow you to cross into other countries. So highly recommend you obtain it. Talent means nothing to an immigration officer unless you have the correct papers to cross international borders, or have won national and/or international awards.

Digital Tutors and Gnomon are great investments! :slight_smile: I learned most of what I know from both sites.:slight_smile:

And on top of that, supplement your courses with Jason Ryan’s webinars.:slight_smile: Very informative and straight to the point.:slight_smile:

54K… Consider this, when doing online schooling you can still have a part time or full time job, so you really are not taking on a large amount of student loans.:slight_smile:

All the best with your studies! :slight_smile:

#6

Thanks for the replies everyone :thumbsup: I really like the statement about having a degree and not needing being better than not having one and needing one. As of right now im going to take my basic non art classes (public speaking, writing, math etc) at my local community college and then in a year go for the online degree. Hopefully by then with the recent happenings in washington the degree program will come down in price for me. Any other tips you guys have for someone starting out in my position?

#7

Speaking as someone who’s now helping pay off a significant other’s student loans 54k would definitely be a large amount of student loan, the issue is that it’s really tough to work a lot of hours and still do well in an intensive CG program.

Save up and do what you have to do but avoid big loans if at all possible, for me paying 54k for an online degree seems a bit ridiculous. A degree from a local college along with other training (like Animation Mentor or iAnimate if you want to animate) will get you to the same place if not farther and a whole lot cheaper.

#8

Grants would cover a good chunk of the total degree cost leaving about only $32k in loans being needed, and with taking my non art courses through my local community college that should knock a few grand off of that amount. For the next year though im just going to keep my head to the monitor and work on my assests and demo reel.

#9

try animschool out, i did the cost is affordable and the learning is very hands on. I wrote a review on the online course section about it.

#10

Hi…just noticed this post and it fits right in with my situation so I wanted to get some clarification on your thoughts ( anyone ).
I just started the full sail online program…
I’ve done Animation Mentor and Escape Studios (vfx in production). Both were super and I attribute what I know to them in addition to coursework here at cgsociety, fxphd and 3DTi.
I noticed Escape was coming out with a Compositing in Nuke course ( 40wks ) that looks real tasty.
So…again (sorry if it seems like a repeat)…
it seems that full sail may not get me to where I need to be ( employed in vfx or animation ).
The paper ( 4 yr ) is better to have than not but if it doesn’t give me a good reel…or if I’m not learning much from it…maybe better to goto certificate programs that teach me large amounts of material and that enhance my reels.
When an employer looks at my site and my resume, if I have it right, it seems he may overlook my ‘Certificate Only’ education if my reel is what he’s looking for.
I’m looking for some solid advice before I invest a hefty amount on the school. Although the school is only 2.5 yrs long, quite honestly, I’m in my 40’s so wasted time is not a luxury for me and I really need to be precise in my movements so to speak.
Thanks,
Joe

#11

I would suggest continuing on at your local community college and get your associates degree, perhaps in fine art if they have that. At the same time learn 3D on your own through the resources you mentioned. After that you can decide whether to go on and get a bachelors. The most important thing is your work. An Associates in Fine Art along with a very strong 3D portfolio will be enough to get you into the industry.

#12

thanks Joann,
I did read the sticky on the site regarding degrees vs certificate programs and quite honestly, it seems pretty split.
It seems a lot of people say to get the degree as a matter of not only getting the 4yr degree as its better to have than not have, but as a matter of gaining some ‘life’ experiences and some degree of responsibility.
I think in my situation where I’m on my 2nd home and as a single dad, I can say I probably don’t need that aspect (getting life experiences) of the degree.
If I was 20yrs younger, then I’d probably have a different view of the situation. I seemed to have done the reverse where I took certificate coursework first and I’m now thinking of a degree program.
Anyways, thanks for your input.
J

#13

I achieved a degree and I didn’t get a job. Independent study and research found me the job I’m into today, and ontop taking a fantastic program such as AnimSchool helped make it real as well.

#14

This thread has been automatically closed as it remained inactive for 12 months. If you wish to continue the discussion, please create a new thread in the appropriate forum.