Bachelor Of Science In Digital Animation
About Specialization
Program Learning Outcomes
About Specialization
Turn Fantasy into Reality
Have you always wanted to know behind-the-scenes secrets of Pixar and Freej? This program offers aspiring animators the opportunity to create their own movie magic by fusing cinematic storytelling with digital technology and finding their own creative voice with close guidance and encouragement from experienced faculty and guest speakers.
Facilities
Our digital design and drawing studios are fully equipped to allow learners to develop 2D and 3D work through both traditional and modern means. Students have access to a range of state-of-the art digital design programs and facilities.
The Course
This degree is designed to teach students everything they need to know about animation principles, current techniques and industry standards. Students will be primed to make their mark in this exciting field, producing work in professional, creative and stimulating environments. Students will benefit from direct contact with highly experienced animation artists and tutorial staff and will be encouraged to develop skills across traditional and modern animation disciplines, including subjects such as figure drawing, contextual studies and the handling of state-of-the-art digital programs.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate breadth and depth of knowledge in digital animation concepts and processes.
- Use and integrate knowledge and relevant technologies, methodologies, and professional skills into meaningful animation and time-based solutions.
- Apply critical thinking and analytical skills per animation industry standards.
- Produce a satisfactory body of animation work, appropriate for a professional position in the industry.
- Appraise digital animation practices, ethical and social responsibilities in regional and global contexts.
ADMISSION
REQUIREMENTS
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GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
For undergraduate degree completion, undergraduate students must satisfy the following requirements:
- Earn a minimum CGPA of 2.00 on a scale of 4.00.
- Successfully complete all courses as described in the study plan.
- The Degree Completion requirements must be met within the timeframe of the program.
- Transfer students must successfully earn a minimum of 50% of the course credits for the program at AUE.
ACCREDITATION
The American University in the Emirates is licensed by the UAE Ministry of Education – Commission for Academic Accreditation | caa.ae
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
Course Category
Total Number of Courses
Total Number of Credit Hours
General Education Courses
10
30
Core Courses
12
33
Specialization Courses
16
60
Free Electives
1
3
Total
39 Courses
126 Credit Hours
FEE STRUCTURE
Tuition (One Semester)
………
Approx. 31,291 AED
One academic year is two semesters
Admission (One Time)
………
3,150 AED
Last Updated on October 7, 2024
Preparatory Courses
Prior to their enrollment in the program, students applying for Bachelor of Science in Digital Animation must sit for the placement test related to the program, failure to successfully passing the placement test, they are required to enroll in the following courses:
| # | Course Code | Course | Credit Hours | Exemption Condition |
| 1 | CIT 90 | Computer Preparatory | 0 | Passing the Placement Test |
| 2 | DES 90 | Drawing Preparatory | 0 | Passing the Placement Test |
| 3 | ENG 99 | Academic Writing (*) | 0 | Passing the Placement Test |
General Education Courses
Core Courses
Specialization Courses
Free Electives
General Education Courses
GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES
10 COURSES | 30 CREDIT HOURS
A: University Core Requirements
The student selects 6 credit hours (2 courses) from the list below:
The purpose of this course is to facilitate the process of transition into the new academic and cultural environment for the new students enrolled in the AUE. Furthermore, it aims to promote their confidence so that they could succeed and meet their academic requirements. The course assimilates academic content with interactive in-class activities to ensure understanding of curricular options and begin to develop a future career plan through self-reflection.
Innovation is the engine of opportunity and, acting as a catalyst, this course is intended to ignite an interest in innovation and inspire entrepreneurial action. At the core of innovation and entrepreneurship is a commitment to experiential learning that will encourage students to engage in critical thinking, creative problem-solving while also equipping them with the soft skills needed in their pursuit of academic and professional endeavors. Students will discuss the relevance and role of innovation and entrepreneurship in work and life situations; determine opportunities for creative disruption and design a strategy for its implementation; develop a practical understanding of innovation through thoughtful debate and exercises, and demonstrate critical thinking and individual insight with a personal mastery portfolio.
B: Languages and Communication Studies
The student selects 9 credit hours (3 courses) from the list below:
Students must take all of the following courses:
This course provides students with advanced writing skills in English so that they can successfully pursue their studies in various academic specializations. It helps students to develop, improve, and upgrade their writing and structure skills, and it also acquaints students with technical writing, research papers, and essays since brief research methods are applied in student projects and assignments.
The intent of this course is two-fold. First, it introduces students with the basic research terminologies. Second, it familiarizes them with the process of research from choosing a topic to writing the proposal. Students will be immersed in hands on experience where they will be introduced to research concepts that will help them understand, interpret, and critique a scientific research. Contents to be covered include the language of research, types of research, elements of scientific research proposal, writing an academic research proposal using APA style, research ethics, crafting data collection instruments, and interpreting data.
Students must take one of the following Arabic Language courses:
This course is designed to enable students to analyze multiple texts in various fields of knowledge. In order to be able to distinguish between texts despite their difference of contents, it also enables student to simulate those texts in a correct way, and to transform the information into skill and behavior. And since writing is an integrated building process, and that the building is affected by its parts, therefore student needs models, linguistic laws, planning, cohesion and goals including: news and inquiries, demand and influence of the recipient.
This course is based on the principle that “Education” is an accumulative task especially when it comes to language learning. This process undergoes specific stages to assist the non-Arabic speakers to reach the ultimate goal which is to acquire the required skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) easily and accurately. To achieve this aim, text-based dialogues are provided as a head start for the non-Arabic speakers to continue to the higher levels. The course also provides basic elements for reading, writing, dialogues, and listening to assist the learners to confidently interact with the Arab community.
This course is designed to enable the Arabic-speaking student with the necessary language skills, especially focusing on the steps of writing reports, official letters and systematic research. To achieve this, and to develop the student’s abilities to understand correctly what he reads and listens, and to gain the ability to write articles, reports, meeting minutes and recommendations of conferences and seminars in a sound manner, the course was concerned with training the student in basic writing skills; such as multiple spelling rules, punctuation marks, paragraph system, and essay writing progressively.
C: The Natural sciences or Mathematics
The student selects 6 credit hours (2 courses) from the list below:
The natural science course incorporates a wide range of subjects sciences such as astronomy, geology, biology, chemistry, and environmental science. The course will present the scientific facts of astronomy, the Earth and its weather, water, and environment, biology, and nutrition with the chemicals of life. The course emphasizes understanding the core principles of different branches of science and their effects on our lives. Moreover, the course explores the scope of natural phenomena, changing environmental conditions, general health rules of nutrition, and the variety of living organisms. The course helps the students to acquire skills in observation, critical thinking, analyzing, interpreting, understanding, and discussing scientific terminology and facts.
This course gives a thorough introduction to sustainable energy, conservation, and energy efficiency within the UAE and the world. It will explore the relationship between energy, environment, economy, and ecological well-being. It will discuss energy production from the biology, natural science, environmental science, and social sciences perspectives. A variety of topics will be introduced including global warming, climate change, sustainable food production, solid wastemanagement, environmental and natural resources laws. The course includes the growing challenges of climate change and energy crises and proposes solutions to overcome them.
The ‘Principles of Environmental Science course is designed to introduce the fundamental concepts of environmental science to undergraduate students. It includes topics from different areas of study such as ecology, biology, soil science, and atmospheric science. The course aims at raising environmental awareness among students and providing them with the scientific knowledge and skills to identify, prevent and solve environmental problems. Additionally, it deals with ecological concepts, organism interactions, communities, and ecosystems. The course focuses on key areas of population dynamics, biodiversity, human activities, environment-managed ecosystems, air quality, water, and solid waste management.
This course is designed to develop a good understanding of the fundamental concepts of mathematics. It also stresses crucial cognitive transferable skills such as the ability to think logically and concisely. Mastering this course will give students the confidence to go on and do further courses in mathematics and statistics.
D: The Social or Behavioral Sciences
The student selects 3 credit hours (1 course) from the list below:
An introduction to the science of psychology, its theories, and foundations. The course is focused on principles and research methodologies, including the following topics: history of psychology, the biology of mind, memory, learning, child and personality development, psychological disorders, and therapy. The course aims to introduce the basis of psychology, provide the foundational knowledge to pursue the subject in more depth in the future, and build an ongoing interest in the application of psychology in everyday life.
This course serves as an introduction to the interdisciplinary and multifaceted social sciences. The content of the course covers the range of different disciplines that social sciences consists of, namely: anthropology, sociology, psychology, political science, economics, and to a lesser extent also history and geography. The secondary aim of the course is moreover for students to develop their critical thinking skills by engaging actively with material about social issues, social change, and social institutions.
This course will introduce the students to the key concepts of Political Science and its principal tools. The course will discuss the role of main political actors in the field of politics and their function.
This course introduces the science of Sociology. Students will examine Society, Institutions, and the relationships that make up a social context. The scientific methodology used to study social interactions, stratification, and other elements of sociological inquiry will be discussed to emphasize the core concept of sociology as a systematic study of societies and social structures
This course provides an understanding of anthropology, the study of human beings throughout time and space. Anthropology is a broad discipline that studies humans from a holistic perspective looking at both biological and cultural aspects. Anthropologists use different methods to understand and study humans. During this course, students will experience ethnographic fieldwork.
This course will provide the students with a comprehensive overview of geography. Emphasis is on concepts that are necessary to understand global, regional, and local issues. This course also includes topics on both human and physical geography.
E: The Humanities or Arts
The student selects 3 credit hours (1 course) from the list below:
This course explores Arab art and aesthetics from the beginning of the twentieth century to date. The students will learn about the contemporary art and design movement in Arab countries, the expression of cultural identity, as well as the factors involved, and changes in aesthetics from Islamic to Arabic art. They will also study and analyze the role of pioneer artists from various generations with emphasis on their influence on contemporary Arab art.
This course will introduce the students to the key concepts of philosophy and its principle tools. The course will discuss the schools of philosophical thought and will apply philosophical analysis to the topics of knowledge, religion, mind, freedom, responsibility, and ethics.
This course provides an overview of Middle-Eastern History, including the sources of Middle Eastern History. The course will conclude with discussions about perspectives on Middle-Eastern History.
This course provides an overview of World / General History. The course will conclude with discussions about perspectives on World History. It surveys the history of humankind from 250CE till 1990 CE. In addition, interregional, comparative, cross-cultural, transnational, and historiographical topics will be considered. The objective of the course is to explore the roots of contemporary globalization and to develop historical thinking and writing.
This course will provide the students with a comprehensive overview of English literature in the United States. It will familiarize the students primarily with early Anglo-American writers and the different literary movements that took place in the United States. Today American literature includes many minority literary works, but the historical matrix remains Anglo-Saxon if we are to consider the dominant culture as the starting historical point.
This course aims to focus on the evolution of Islamic Art through a chronological overview of various trends and approaches throughout history. Students will explore and analyze the rise and influence of Islam leading to the formation of a new artistic culture the world over.
F: Islamic Studies
The student selects 3 credit hours (1 course) from the list below
This course will expand students’ knowledge to enable them to understand the Islamic culture and its characteristics. It analyzes the sources of legislation in Islam. It offers a review of the history of Islam and how it is currently the fastest-growing religion in the world.
The course is designed to give an in-depth understanding of the Islamic civilization. It deals with the universal principles that went into the making of the Islamic civilization. It examines the basic ideas of Islamic civilization besides exploring their contemporary relevance and challenges. The course seeks to effectively address the notion of the ‘clash of civilizations.
G: UAE Studies
The student selects 3 credit hours (1 course) from the list below
The course is designed to introduce the UAE and GCC society with its historical background and uniqueness. It is aimed at enabling students to understand the specific features of the society along with its customs, traditions, and lifestyle. The course will introduce the processes and the challenges of development as well as the future aspirations of the UAE and GCC Society.
Core Courses
CORE COURSES
12 COURSES | 33 CREDIT HOURS
This course examines color theory as an aid to communication, control and expression in traditional and contemporary design. The fundamental course allows students to explore color topics including color theory, color interaction, and color psychology. Students will study a wide range of creative and technical aspects of color and its use in design, experimenting with traditional mediums and digital applications.
This course is one of the fundamental courses in which the students will be introduced to the visual elements of design comprising of: point and line; shape and form; surface and texture; color and value; light and shadow; negative and positive space. The students will practice design principles: unity and variety; similarity; emphasis and point of interest; scale; proportion; and balance. This course is designed to give the students a strong understanding of 2D and 3D visual communications.
Fundamentals of Graphic Illustration and Digital Imaging introduces students to the use of a computer as a powerful digital drawing and imaging tool. The focus of the course is on basic computer skills and use, mastering fundamental digital illustration and imaging skills, and developing efficient working styles. The course learning experience incorporates a variety of visual artwork strategies including but not limited to, color/ texture enhancements, typography, pen/ brush tools, , perspective tool, using different color schemes. This course involves considerable hands-on instruction and multiple projects using Adobe Photoshop/ Illustrator.
This course provides a core introduction to drawing, covering a wide range of basic and intermediate practical and technical skills. Students will explore approaches and concepts to the subject through manual practice using a comprehensive range of media and with reference to great masters in the field. Traditional and objective drawing skills in the use of line, tone, form and perspective provide the foundation for learning in this course. Students are required to develop their ability to observe, perceive and interpret through drawing the world around them, reflecting their understanding of 2D and 3D space.
This course introduces students to human centered design thinking methods and practices through a variety of hands-on activities. DT is a methodology used by designers for the identification of problems and the definition of innovative solutions. Students will engage in processes for idea generation including sketching and diagramming, concept mapping and low-fidelity prototyping infusing visualization techniques and empathic tools into their design process.
This course is a chronological survey of art and design offering students an in-depth understanding of the role of art throughout history with a strong focus on aesthetic values, socio-cultural influences and technical terminology. Architecture, sculpture, painting, decorative arts, prehistoric art, design of the ancient world, the world beyond Europe, early Christian and Islamic art and the art of the Middle-Ages and Gothic period form the foundation of the course material spanning a period from 40,000 BC to 1300 AD.
This course covers the extensive cultural shifts from the early Renaissance through to the 20th century. Students will study painting, sculpture, furniture architecture as individual works in relation to their geographical, social, political, and religious environments. Also, analysis and comparative study of periodic decorative elements, strong designs and architectural features will be conducted.
In this course, students will learn various techniques to construct objects in digital 3D space, as well as physical 3D solutions. Students will follow a concept development process of research and sketching, to generate designs for 3D production. A final original design, related to each student’s major, will be constructed using industry-standard 3D software.
The course is designed to promote interdisciplinary collaboration in design. Graphic, Interior, Fashion Design and Digital Animation are brought together into one studio environment to allow students with different skills and strengths work as a team solving a relatively complex design problem. Students develop a research plan followed by the establishment of intent and context for the topic and identification of stakeholders, leading to concept exploration and creation of a holistic design solution in cooperation with other specializations, institutes or with professionals from the industry.
Pre-Internship is a zero credit hour internship preparatory course designed for students seeking an internship. The course will prepare students to successfully plan their internship by researching and identifying potential internship opportunities, creating professional resume and letter of introduction, developing interviewing and networking skills as well as a portfolio per industry requirements. Students will go through different learning modules including experiences, team work skills, communication skills, leadership skills, problem solving, self-management and professionalism to be able to make the most of their internship.
The college considers students’ internship as an essential channel that brings together the college, the students, and the job marketplace. Furthermore, internship is a method that integrates the instructional theoretical backgrounds to real existing practice. The training allows them to work under the observation and guidance of the field supervisor without replacing any regular employee. The internship is closely monitored by a college faculty member as an academic supervisor.
Specialization Courses
SPECIALIZATION COURSES
16 COURSES | 60 CREDIT HOURS
This course is exploration of animation theory, principles and techniques. Principles of animation will be introduced through the art of experimental and stop motion animation. Practical experience with different techniques including but not limited to the media of clay, paper cutouts, found objects, pixilation, and stop motion puppets will be provided to the students. Projects developed in this course will increase the students’ professional vocabulary and allow them to demonstrate a working knowledge of a range of animation techniques.
This course is an exploration of theory, principles and techniques of 2D animation using industry standard software. Students will apply basic animation principles to produce their own characters, storyboards and integrate them into a short-animated movie utilizing industry standard software. Emphasis will be placed on timing and performance. Use of capture device, pencil tests, inking, audio/visual language integration and other 2D animation skills will be explored.
This course is an exploration of the history and evolution of animation forms and contemporary animation. Students will identify and analyze the timeline of different genres and the work of the key creative figures in the development of this industry. In addition to lectures, review and analysis of professional work, they will construct early animation devices to develop an understanding of the moving image.
This course introduces students to the different 3D modeling hard-surface methods using industry relevant software with an emphasis on polygonal, subdivision surfaces and Nurbs modeling. The focus will be on the basic and advanced tools, and the production methodology.
This course is an implementation of the twelve principles of animation with 3D animation tools. Students will be able to build a solid set of foundational skills and to create convincing and entertaining animation as well as to enhance their knowledge of the basic physics and mechanics of animation. Studio practice will include graph editor drills, best practices from planning to polish, and carefully guided demonstrations. At the end of the semester, student will be presenting a short character animation, including audio, background, lights, and camera.
This course introduces students to storyboarding as an integrated stage in the preproduction process through studying scripts and sketching a sequence of images to give a better idea of how the scene will play out. Story development, camera language, stages in storyboarding, storyboarding formats, motion and animation, character development, preproduction packets, and pitching will be included. Students will learn how to structure a storyboard for presentation.
This course covers the theory of digital production, compositing and working in digital formats. In addition to production theory, students learn to handle equipment as they shoot, light, record sound, edit, and author original productions.
This course focuses on 3D character design and modeling for animation. Modeling, animation, lighting, texture mapping and rendering are introduced in a production setting. Students will work on several hands-on 3D modeling and animation projects using industry-standard software.
This course introduces the theory and production of motion graphics utilizing industry-standard software and current broadcast techniques with emphasis on classic animation principles and workflow. The focus is on animating with typography, graphic symbols, shapes and color, to design and produce highly compelling time-based motion graphics and typography for broadcast, web, and mobile platforms.
In this course, students will construct rigs for characters and animals, for efficient and convincing animation. Students will experiment with both FK and IK systems and their respective components, spline controls, and blend shapes. Scripting, expressions and Set Driven Key will be covered, to create rigs for dynamic animation.
This course builds upon information introduced in Character Modeling and introduces basic theory of computer animation with an emphasis on character development. Students will be able to hone their professional skills through exploration and application of animation principles (timing, spacing, force, dynamic posing, weight, arcs) and technique. The principles of character animation will be implemented in conceptualizing, storyboarding and executing of a high-quality animation project.
This course covers the pre-production planning and processes for digital animation projects. The students will follow the necessary steps in the production pipeline while identifying and refining their idea, concept and methodology. Students will implement a team-based animation project to understand and manage the collaborative workspace. Tasks will include story, script, concept, storyboard, character design, storyboards, animatics, modeling and rigging.
This course covers production and postproduction for animation. The students will continue working on their team-based Capstone Project. They will receive continuous instructions and critiques from their supervisor. In addition, students will complete peer review approaches to their projects. Students will receive feedback and refine their concepts, methodologies and outcomes, focusing on meeting deadlines, and following the production pipeline to maintain efficient professional practices.
Findings will be documented weekly, compiled, and presented orally as well as in writing through a capstone report. A Demo Reel of the student work on the capstone production will be delivered.
Findings will be documented weekly, compiled, and presented orally as well as in writing through a capstone report. A Demo Reel of the student work on the capstone production will be delivered.
This course provides an opportunity for students to focus on various issues in fashion design and to study advanced techniques and processes. Course content vary each time the course is offered. The course emphasizes research analysis and the creative process that leads to innovative solutions and allows students to pursue individual projects related to the subject of the course. The course may include lectures, discussions, individual projects and critique, depending on the nature of the topic.
Typography-I is the study of letterforms including their purpose as communication tools, type anatomy, syntax, and their evolution with technologies in printing and new media. This course will provide the student with a foundation to understand the evolution of typography from both historical and conceptual perspective. Students will be exposed to a vocabulary of professional terms to articulately communicate their ideas with their peers, and their future associates and clients. In addition, students will learn to incorporate the basic principles of typography with the essential technical skills necessary to achieve success in graphic design and advertising.
This course provides a gateway to enhanced artistic expression and design proficiency, tailored specifically for design students who are required to tackle various means of handling visual interpretations of the human figure across diverse creative disciplines such as Animation and Graphic Design as well as being relevant to those interested in particular facets of Fine Art, Illustration and Fashion design practice. Students will explore the human figure through drawing within the framework of intensive studio practice, honing technical, perceptual and conceptual abilities, while mastering the art of capturing the human form through quick gesture drawings and extended figure studies. Structure, proportion, dynamism and movement, are reflected through studies of line, the interplay of light with form, and tonality to suggest volume and weight effectively through intense drawing exercises.
Free Electives
ELECTIVE COURSES
1 COURSES | 3 CREDIT HOURS
3 Credit Hours must be chosen from any other college/ specialization in condition the prerequisites of the chosen courses are met.
RECOMMENDED STUDY PLAN
General Courses
Core Courses
Specialization Courses
Free Electives
