Ever thought of combining your academic pursuits in illustration & animation with a global adventure that will boost your inspiration as a creative individual? Earning your illustration & animation degree abroad is the perfect way to maximize your artistic growth through studiously engaging with educational programs in a challenging new cultural environment.
Why Earn Your Degree Abroad
On the one hand, animators and illustrators are always looking for new ways to create and perceive the world around them. On the other, travel is a great way to expand your perspective and see the entire world in a new light. Need we say anything more about why earning your illustration & animation degree abroad will prove to be the perfect storm? This is your opportunity to push the envelop of what you are capable of both as an artist and a global citizen.
Locations
While art is universal, illustration & animation degree abroad programs are more particular to countries that boast thriving entertainment or literary traditions that incorporate graphic design. This rules out many smaller countries that, while artistically rich in many respects, may lack the historical influence or resources which currently make illustration & animation a popular area of academic study.
Keeping this general framework in mind, some of the most popular destinations where you can earn your illustration & animation degree abroad include France, Italy, Australia, Canada, and the United States. These countries all boast top notch universities and arts schools that will further place you in an environment where illustrators and animators can gain international exposure.
Many students also choose to earn their illustration & animation degree abroad in regions that lay outside the western tradition, including countries such as Mexico, Turkey, and India. If you are looking for to supplement your academic pursuits with an experience which will greatly expand your cultural perspective, any of these countries would make a great match.
The language barrier is another important factor to keep in mind while researching potential locations where to earn your degree abroad in illustration & graphic design. While specialized English speaking programs are available in some places, most countries tend to utilize their native language as the medium of education. A degree abroad is a great excuse to become fluent in another language!
Academics & Degrees
International students from all different countries can choose to pursue their illustration & animation degree abroad at the undergraduate level, which often manifests in a BFA, or the graduate level, which usually takes the form of an MFA. Bachelor degree programs in illustration & animation generally last three or four years, and Master’s programs generally last one or two years. The duration and timing of your semesters will vary depending on where you study.
Undergraduate programs generally cover all the basics of illustration & animation, beginning with fundamental aspects of drawing and art theory in the early years and progressing to more complicated concepts such as character design and portfolio development as your studies continue. Master’s programs tend to pick up right where the undergraduate degree leaves off, offering additional opportunities to specialize in areas such as digital illustration, texture mapping, and 3D design.
Illustration & animation is one field where it is easiest to learn by doing, so also try to combine your degree abroad with an internship and as much practice as you can will yourself to complete. Upon finishing your illustration & animation degree program abroad, with a comprehensive portfolio and professional experience to supplement your studies, a whole world of opportunity will await you beyond!
Benefits & Challenges
Grow Your World. Earning your degree abroad in illustration & animation is the opportunity to redefine everything you thought you knew about the world you are replicating in art.
Practice Makes Perfect. Sometimes it’s easier to be productive when you’re in charge of your own schedule; going abroad is the chance to begin an entirely new routine where you can learn, socialize, and draw until your heart's content.
Inspiration Abroad. Let’s face it, few things in this world are able to strike up inspiration as much as travelling. The chance to go somewhere new, try new things, and constantly stay on the move is too good to pass up on for any creative individual.
