Associate in Applied Science in Animation and Time-Based Media

Digital Arts
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Course Sequence

Field of Interest

Field of Interest: Visual and Performing Arts

The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Animation and Time-Based Media is designed for the student who wishes to develop marketable skills in the area of digital animation and time-based media development. The program provides the student with an understanding of the equipment, operations, and knowledge of the terminology related to still image, video, and animation production. It allows for the exploration of personal interest in this area, prepares students for employment, and upgrades skills of those already employed in this field. Employment opportunities are included in video and multimedia fields, such as digital animator, media production, marketing, publishing, motion graphics, photography, storyboard artist, freelance artist designer, web and interactivity design, and multimedia artist/designer. A Certificate of Completion (CCL) in Animation and in Time-Based Media are also available.

Details

Details icon Important information you’ll need when applying for admission:

Field of Interest
Visual and Performing Arts
Type
Associate in Applied Science (AAS)
Academic Plan
Animation and Time-Based Media (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
3199
Total Credits Required
69-77
Catalog Year
2024-2025
Effective Term
Fall 2024
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

What You’ll Learn

This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:

  1. Create still, interactive, animation, and time-based images to project specifications demonstrating professional competence in research, planning, production, and presentation.
  2. Apply critical thinking skills, the creative process, and historical and visual literacy to solve visual, technical, and conceptual problems.
  3. Critique narratives and complex still, interactive, time-based, and animation media to evaluate their effectiveness for diverse audiences.
  4. Research and apply industry standard tools to develop effective complex time-based media or animations and workflows.
  5. Demonstrate professional and collaborative practices in diverse settings (e.g., communication, time management, organization, and legal and ethical considerations).
  6. Communicate narrative through animation, still, and time-based media while recognizing diverse opinions and cultural and individual differences.
  7. Create a collection of works (e.g. capstone, internships, and/or portfolio) that reflect professional competency.
  8. Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.

Career Opportunities

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Maricopa County-based annual median wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Art Directors

$58,370

Special Effects Artists and Animators

$58,835

* Career and wage information provided by Lightcast using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources and Lightcast’s proprietary analytical processes. Lightcast’s data covers multiple classes of workers including QCEW, non-QCEW, and those who are self-employed. Disclaimer

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.
  • Consult with your faculty mentor or academic advisor to determine educational requirements, including possible university transfer options, for your chosen career field.

Pathway Map Options

There are multiple options available for this pathway map. These options vary depending on the locations, partners, and available tracks of the award.

These pathway map options may share some common coursework. To explore what additional coursework may be required, select your desired option from the list below. Once selected, the list of courses and any associated details will be automatically updated in the course sequence below. The differences between individual pathway map options may only be a few courses.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

Note: Because you are viewing this pathway map on a mobile device, some columns below have been hidden. To view all columns, please rotate your device or view this page on a device with a larger screen.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AVC100 Introduction to Digital Arts 1
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC or FYC 3
MAT Mathematics Any approved general education course from the Mathematics area;
MAT14+ recommended for students planning to transfer to a four-year university 		3–6
AVC177 Digital Photographic Imaging I Critical course Gateway course 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 0–3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
AVC169 or
AVC178		 2D Media Design or Digital Arts Studies Critical course 3
AVC/MMT184 Digital Animation I Critical course 3
ARH101 or
ARH102 or
ARH115 or
HUM/THF205		 Art from Prehistory Through Middle Ages or Art from Renaissance to Modernism or History of Photography or Introduction to Cinema H, HU or H, HU or HU or HU 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication SB or SB or L or SB 3
SB Social & Behavioral Sciences SB 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 0–3
AVC248 or
ART255		 Design Self Promotion or Art Marketing 0–3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative SG or SQ 4
AVC280AC or
AVC297AC		 Digital Media Arts and Design Capstone or Commercial Art Internship 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3
AVC248 or
ART255		 Design Self Promotion or Art Marketing 0–3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

Note: Because you are viewing this pathway map on a mobile device, some columns below have been hidden. To view all columns, please rotate your device or view this page on a device with a larger screen.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AVC100 Introduction to Digital Arts 1
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC or FYC 3
AVC177 Digital Photographic Imaging I Critical course Gateway course 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AVC169 or
AVC178		 2D Media Design or Digital Arts Studies Critical course 3
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 0–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MAT Mathematics Any approved general education course from the Mathematics area;
MAT14+ recommended for students planning to transfer to a four-year university 		3–6
AVC/MMT184 Digital Animation I Critical course 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
ARH101 or
ARH102 or
ARH115 or
HUM/THF205		 Art from Prehistory Through Middle Ages or Art from Renaissance to Modernism or History of Photography or Introduction to Cinema H, HU or H, HU or HU or HU 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication SB or SB or L or SB 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3

Term 9

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 9
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative SG or SQ 4
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3

Term 10

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 10
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SB Social & Behavioral Sciences SB 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3

Term 11

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 11
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AVC280AC or
AVC297AC		 Digital Media Arts and Design Capstone or Commercial Art Internship 3
AVC248 or
ART255		 Design Self Promotion or Art Marketing 3

Pathway Map Option Details

No pathway map option has been selected. Please select from the pathway map options listed above.

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Follow one of the options below to get started on your personal career pathway.

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Program Information

Learn more about and find contact information for the Digital Arts program.

General Help

Ask general questions over the phone at 480-461-7400 or via online chat.

Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • H = Historical Awareness
  • HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
  • SG = Natural Sciences General
  • SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative

Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, meet with an academic advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm13?id=187427).

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Animation and Time-Based Media