Illustration, Design and Animation
For undergraduate students in the Illustration, Design and Animation (IDA) program, passion is their purpose, limited only by what they choose to make of it. The program encompasses a dynamic faculty with expertise in graphic design, illustration, letterpress, book arts, visual narratives, animation, motion graphics, information design and interdisciplinary collaborations with the environmental sciences. Students develop a portfolio of work that conveys meaning and supports visual problem solving.
You’ll be immersed within a creative, no-holds-barred world in which the historical roots of the field are acknowledged while modern possibilities and mediums are pursued through a broad array of curricular offerings, including field trips, team projects with community clients, internships and study-abroad programs. With a high quality portfolio and web presence, students are prepared to go directly into the field and/or apply to graduate programs.
- Resources & Facilities
- Faculty
- Degrees
- Annual Portfolio Review
- First Year Experience
- Clubs
- Student Work
- Admissions
Resources and Facilities
The School of Art houses excellent facilities including studio spaces, computer labs with Wacom Cintiq Touch screens and animation stations, a digital imaging lab with large format printing, mounting and other services, letterpress equipment, photopolymer platemaking equipment, metal and wood type collections, binding equipment, darkrooms, wood and metal shops, sculpture foundry and ceramics labs.
External resources include the Center for Creative Photography, the University of Arizona Museum of Art and the Poetry Center as well as an excellent main library that houses an extensive book art collection. The campus also houses the Learning Games Initiative Research Archive and the extensive Children’s Literature Collection.
View Our IDA FacilitiesFaculty
Our faculty gives students an inside look into arts careers, having had direct experience and success in the professional art world. In addition to being leaders in their fields, our faculty works closely with students to provide the kind of guidance and mentorship that turns raw talent into developed professionalism.
Pooja Venkatachalam Kumar
Assistant Professor of Practice
Degree
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
125 units are required to complete the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art with an emphasis in Illustration, Design and Animation (IDA), 42 units of which must be upper division coursework. Students must complete 24 units of upper division coursework in IDA.
Download the BFA Studio Art/IDA checklist for detailed information.
Your portfolio will be reviewed during the Spring Portfolio Review for acceptance into the program.
Specific Program Requirements also can be viewed through UA Academic Catalogs.
Contact an academic advisor or set up an advising appointment to learn more about School of Art programs and admissions.
UNDERGRADUATE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Annual Portfolio Review
Through a portfolio review each spring, the school will accept 36 to 40 students into a combined Illustration, Design and Animation Program.
Portfolio Review InfoFirst Year Experience
All Studio Art majors at the School of Art will begin their journey with the First Year Experience. The program is an engaging variety of eight-week thematic workshop-structured art courses, designed as an experiential initiation into professional artistic practice, creative methodology and studio work ethic.
Learn MoreClubs, Professional Opportunities & Outreach
American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) student chapter
Visit the AIGA website
Book Art Collective
Visit us on Facebook
UA Illustration + Design News
Visit us on Facebook
Persona Magazine
Visit us on Facebook
College Book Arts Association
Visit the website
Student Work
Click here to view some of our students’ animation work, and see other IDA examples below.
