Online Animation Degree Requirements: Admission, Technology and Visas

"Online animation degree" can mean a program delivered entirely over the internet, a program with some campus requirements, or a campus program with a few online courses. What you need to qualify and to study varies by school, and some of the most important requirements are technical, not academic. This guide uses official pages to show what online programs publish, and what to check before you commit. Our online programs overview and U.S. online listings apply the same distinctions.

Delivery is not the same as attendance

Two different questions matter. Delivery is how courses are taught (campus, online or hybrid). Attendance is whether you must be physically present at any point. A program page that says "available online" may still ask for something else, such as a residency, an exam or a studio visit. Read the program's own requirements, not the marketing label.

Campus programs make the opposite explicit. The University of Colorado Denver's 3D graphics and animation BFA, for example, states that it is an on-campus program. Fairleigh Dickinson University's MFA in Animation says all of its courses use a hybrid format, so students can attend in person, join remotely or combine both, and it adds that F-1 visa holders must attend all courses in residence on a full-time basis. The same program therefore has different effective requirements for different students.

Admission requirements

Many online animation programs have the same academic base as campus programs: proof of secondary school completion for undergraduate entry, language proof when needed, and sometimes an art sample. Full Sail University's catalog is an example of how a school documents its online admission:

• Complete an application and an admissions interview.
• Provide proof of high school completion or an associate's or higher degree.
• Provide a government-issued photo ID.
• Score 70 or higher on the technology assessment.
• Verify English proficiency if English is not your primary language.
• Pay a registration fee (the catalog lists $75).

Full Sail also notes that it keeps sole discretion over admission and that meeting the requirements does not guarantee admission. This is typical. Other schools may require a portfolio, a minimum GPA or test scores instead, or in addition. Academy of Art University's animation BFA page lists no admission portfolio on the page itself; it does include sophomore and senior portfolio reviews as degree requirements.

If a program does ask for samples, see admissions and portfolios.

The technology assessment and access rules

Technology is a formal requirement, not a courtesy. Full Sail's online admissions rules state that applicants to online-only programs must complete a technology assessment that checks whether they have the skills, competencies and access to technology for distance education. Applicants must have access to a reliable computer or tablet that can run multimedia applications and navigate media-rich websites, and reliable high-speed internet. After enrollment, students complete an orientation module.

Academy of Art University publishes concrete minimums for online students in general:

• Windows computers with a minimum of 8 GB memory (16 GB or more suggested) and 128 GB storage (512 GB or more recommended), or a recent macOS release.
• A current browser such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari (macOS only) or Edge (Windows only).
• Internet access of at least 3 Mbps, with 10 Mbps or more recommended, and no data caps that would block large uploads.
• A smartphone or other device that can run Microsoft Authenticator, for multi-factor sign-in.

These numbers are the general minimums for one university's online students. Animation courses may require more, so consult the program and course pages.

Costs that sit outside tuition

Tuition and the cost of working are different lines. Academy of Art University says its students have access to the Adobe Creative Cloud suite while enrolled, but that some classes require additional software or hardware that students may need to buy, and some of it works on only one operating system. Check the syllabus before buying a computer. Our equipment and software guide covers what animation work tends to need.

Fees can also be separate from tuition. One campus example is UCF's Emerging Media BFA, which lists equipment fees of $31.50 per term for part-time and $63 per term for full-time students, and states that students must have continual access to a computer. Verify what applies to your program, and see scholarships and funding for how aid is described separately.

International students and online study in the United States

For non-U.S. citizens who want a U.S. student visa, online delivery raises a rule you must understand early. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Study in the States page says that, for F-1 students, only one class or three credits during each term or semester may count toward a full course of study if taken online or through distance learning.

That means online courses beyond that limit do not count toward the full course of study, so ask the school's international office how a fully online or mixed program would count for your status. Talk to the school's designated school official before enrolling, and do not rely on a marketing page. No program page can promise a visa.

Questions to put to the program

• Is every course online, or is there a residency or on-campus element?
• What is the technology assessment, and what are the computer and software requirements for animation courses specifically?
• Which software is provided during enrollment, and which must be purchased?
• How are tuition and fees listed, and in which unit (per credit, per term, whole program)?
• If you are an international student, how do online courses count for your status?

Requirements change from year to year, so confirm each point on the official page for your intake before you apply.