Animation, Minor
Explore animation as a creative and professional skill. You gain hands-on experience in two-dimensional or three-dimensional digital animation production and experimental moving images.
Quick facts
Locations
Credits
Additional facts
Accreditation
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Minor description
Animation minor description
The animation minor program is an opportunity for you to pursue your interest in art and expand any career path with critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills. Across six courses, you learn animation techniques and concepts. You can pursue multiple courses in 2D, 3D or stop-motion animation, or focus on one of those areas. Distinguished faculty members with expertise across an array of distinct areas teach within the field, including independent animation filmmaking, computer-generated imagery, machine learning, virtual reality and extended reality.
In addition to classroom learning, faculty members provide you with professional mentorship opportunities such as assistantships, scholarships, residencies and exhibitions. The program is further augmented by visiting artist and scholar lectures and public exhibitions supported by the School of Art Galleries, the ASU Art Museum, the Ceramics Research Center and Archive, and Pyracantha Press. These events and activities offer you the opportunity to develop working knowledge of the art world, experience contemporary art and culture, and build a professional network of future colleagues. The program is also enriched by close proximity to cultural institutions in the Phoenix metropolitan area and nearby regions, such as the Phoenix Art Museum, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, the Heard Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
You can visit the animation areas of study webpage to learn more about the program and the faculty. You can subscribe to the School of Art newsletters and follow the school on social media to engage with the creative community.
Why earn an animation minor at ASU?
Faculty teaching this animation minor are the same professionally active group who teach the Bachelor of Fine Arts in animation. You gain access to the same studio environment, visiting artist programming and professional mentorship as BFA students in a flexible format.
This two-dimensional and three-dimensional animation minor is among a small number of animation programs available fully online at a Research I university, giving you flexibility to complete coursework wherever you are. The minor's broad career applicability connects creative skills to hands-on impact across animation, medical visualization, communications, data analytics and urban planning.
Additional details
Lemon Tree Animation Club is a student-led organization dedicated to experimenting with visual aesthetics, story concepts and production of animated content. Alongside workshops and portfolio building programs, the club welcomes guest lecturers and showcases student work, inviting anyone with a passion for animation and storytelling to join and collaborate.
Women in Animation at ASU may also provide resources for you to integrate into the animation industry, forming a community where you can network among peers who share the same passion, reach for positive change and engage with the current industry environment.
Courses
This undergraduate minor includes courses focused on a specialized topic, so you can advance your skills for further professional opportunities. Explore all courses below:
2026-2027 Catalog Year
The minor requires 18 credit hours. A "C" minimum is required for all courses in the minor, although students must maintain a 3.00 GPA in the post-baccalaureate certificate program.
| Requirement | Minimum grade | Credit hours |
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The minor in animation consists of 18 credit hours, of which nine credit hours must be upper division. Only courses completed with a grade of "C" (2.00 on a scale of 4.00) or better can be used to satisfy minor requirements. Minimum
grade:
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ART 116 Introduction to Digital Media
3 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
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C | 3 |
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ART 217 Introduction to Computer Animation
3 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
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C | 3 |
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ARS 445 History of Animation
3 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
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C | 3 |
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3 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
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C | 3 |
| Track Courses | ||
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Students select one track and complete six hours from that track. At least three credits must be upper division. |
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Track Course
3 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
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C | 3 |
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Upper Division
Track Course
3 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
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C | 3 |
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Prerequisite courses may be needed in order to complete the requirements of this minor.
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Enrollment requirements
GPA Requirement: None
Incompatible Majors: All BFA in art majors
Other Enrollment Requirements: None
Current ASU undergraduate students may pursue a minor and have it recognized on their ASU transcript at graduation. Minor requirements appear on the degree audit once the minor is added. Certain major and minor combinations may be deemed inappropriate by the college or department of either the major program or the minor. Courses taken for the minor may not count toward both the major and minor.
Here are the admission and application details
Paying for college
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students receive financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimateCareer opportunities
Careers this animation minor prepares you for
This minor enables graduates to develop additional competencies that complement the marketable knowledge and skills they acquire in their majors. When combining the animation minor with their major program of study, graduates can find employment in:
- animation
- communications and marketing
- content creation
- data analytics
- graphic design
- medical animation
- policy advocacy
- public relations
- sales
- urban planning
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
School of Art
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ART 151
soaadmin@asu.edu
480-965-8521
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
