BA vs. BFA vs. BS in Animation: How the Bachelor's Titles Differ

Three letter combinations dominate bachelor's-level animation: BA (Bachelor of Arts), BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) and BS or BSc (Bachelor of Science). It is tempting to read them as a ladder, but they are not. They are titles that each institution assigns, and what sits behind a title is visible only in the catalog. This guide shows the patterns that official catalogs reveal and the questions worth asking before you compare programs.

The title is a label, not a standard

In the United Kingdom, the national qualifications frameworks state that degree-awarding bodies have the autonomy to determine their own qualification titles. The framework describes honours bachelor's degrees as leading to titles such as Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science. It does not say what must be inside a BA as opposed to a BSc.

The same is true in practice elsewhere. Two programs both called "BFA in Animation" can differ in studio hours, in how many courses are taught in a computer lab, and in how much of the degree is general education. Treat the title as a first hint and the course list as the evidence. Our bachelor's overview explains how the site separates dedicated animation degrees from broader degrees with some animation coursework.

BFA: studio time concentrated in the major

A BFA is a professional-leaning degree in an art discipline, and where it is offered the credit split usually shows it. Rutgers University-Camden publishes a direct comparison for its art programs. Both its BFA and BA require 120 total degree credits. The BFA requires 81 credits in the major and 39 in general education, while the BA requires 48 credits in the major and 72 in general education. The page describes the BFA as focused on professional and practical training within a specific artistic discipline, and lists Animation among the BFA concentrations.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee shows what that looks like inside one animation BFA: 120 credits, with 72 in the major, 30 in general education, 12 in arts courses outside the discipline and 6 in electives. Its catalog states that the BFA provides deeper, earlier and more continuous animation training than the BA offered there. Note that this comparison is the school's own statement about its own two degrees, not a rule for every university.

A BFA is also often the degree with a portfolio gate. California State University, Long Beach, for example, asks applicants to the animation BFA to submit 10 to 15 images of their best work and to receive a positive faculty recommendation, after first being admitted to its BA in Studio Art. Enrollment there is limited. See admissions and portfolios for how these gates usually work.

BA: more room outside the studio

Where a university offers a BA alongside a BFA, the BA typically trades studio depth for breadth. In the Rutgers-Camden figures above, a BA student has 72 general education credits instead of 39. That leaves space for a second subject, a minor or electives, but fewer animation courses.

Be careful with the generic claim that a BA is "less professional." What changes is the proportion of the degree spent on animation production versus other fields. If you plan to study animation alongside, say, film history or computer science, a BA structure can be a reasonable fit. If you want most of the degree to be production work, compare the major credit total directly.

BS and BSc: two very different meanings

The title BS is the least predictable of the three, because it is used for opposite emphases.

At DePaul University, the BS in Computer Science and Animation requires 192 quarter hours, including discrete mathematics, a computer science core and 3D animation courses. The catalog says outright that there is a heavier emphasis on programming than on art because of the technical demands of the field. This is a path toward technical roles, and it sits closer to our computer animation specialization than to hand-drawn work.

At Jacksonville University, the BS in Animation is built around art and design courses: its major list includes Digital Art, 3D Modeling and Design, Basic Computer Animation, Character Modeling and Animation, and a time-based arts course. The program describes itself as exploring animation critically and creatively, drawing on the humanities and on physical, computational, engineering and social sciences. The catalog lists 42 credits in the major and allows the BS to be taken as a single major or as part of a dual major.

So "BS" alone tells you nothing about math or code. Look for required mathematics, programming and engineering courses in the curriculum.

What a catalog comparison should include

When two programs look similar, compare these items on each official program page:

• Total credits and the number that fall inside the major.
• Studio or production courses versus lecture courses.
• Required mathematics or computer science.
• Whether admission is to the university, to the art school or to the major itself.
• Whether animation is a named degree, a named concentration or one track within a broader art degree.
• Capstone or portfolio requirements at the end of the program.

Remember that credit systems are not interchangeable. Quarter hours (DePaul) and semester credits (most U.S. universities) are different units, and UK, Australian and European systems use their own. A raw number of credits compared across systems misleads.

Do not rank titles

A BFA is not automatically better than a BA or BS. Programs that use the same "Bachelor of Fine Arts" title combine general education and art in different ways. The Academy of Art University lists its BFA in Animation and Visual Effects at 120 units, made up of 24 core, 39 major, 9 elective and 42 liberal arts units plus two 3-unit portfolio reviews. That is a different mix from UW-Milwaukee's, and both are called BFA.

Use the title to narrow your list, then decide by curriculum. Requirements and admissions change from year to year, so confirm every figure on the school's official program page for the year you apply. When you are ready to put programs side by side, the compare page puts programs side by side.