Master in Character Animation
- Los Angeles, USA
- Valencia, Spain
Master degree
DURATION
5 years
LANGUAGES
English, Spanish
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Apr 2026
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning, On-Campus, Blended
Key Summary
The Master’s in 3D Character Animation is designed for those seeking to build a solid career in the audiovisual sector—one of the fastest-growing areas within the global creative industries. This program offers comprehensive training that combines strong theoretical foundations with intensive practice focused on creating professional projects.
The academic journey covers two essential paths:
- 3D Character Animation: from the 12 principles of animation to advanced acting, lip-sync, and motion analysis for realistic, expressive performances.
- Professional Rigging: building skeletons and control systems that give 3D models movement, integrating tools like Python to optimize processes and enhance technical production.
By the end, students will have a specialized 3D animation portfolio built with industry-standard software such as Maya, preparing them to work as animators, riggers, or technical artists in film, video game, and advertising studios worldwide.
Dual Certification
International Certification USA–Spain
Our dual-degree program allows you to graduate with two official certificates:
- Curriculum certified in the USA, meeting American industry standards for creative careers worldwide.
- European accreditation is fully recognized in Spain and across Europe.
This ensures your training is not limited to one country. You’ll have the credentials to work internationally, from Hollywood to European studios.
- Official diploma issued in California
- International registration backed by the BPPE
- Translation and validation of academic transcripts
- Portfolio guidance and support in English
- International letter of recommendation
You could choose the following formations:
Animation
3D character animation is based on the 12 principles of animation, physical laws, and believable character reactions. Training ranges from learning human locomotion to theatrical performance and the psychology of conveying compelling emotions. Additionally, personal filming is included to analyze and improve performances. This knowledge is complemented by lip synchronization. From the fundamentals to the acting, animation gives you the ability to create believable characters. The training includes understanding production in audiovisual companies focused on animated films, video games, and advertising. Finally, your portfolio with your best works will be your letter of introduction to the industry as a character animator.
Software: Maya
Rigging
In Rigging with Maya training, you will learn to create structures and connections to bring 3D characters to life. This animation technique articulates objects through skeletons and controls to add movement. The rigger plays a crucial role in the production by giving a soul to objects and providing tools for the animator's artistic potential. In addition, we will explore the automation and simplification of tasks with Python, which is ideal for artistic and technical profiles without the need for prior knowledge in 3D or programming. Training ranges from nodes to advanced character rigging and provides essential skills for professional character animation production. This specialization in rigging is highly in demand in the industry and will provide you with opportunities in the job market.
Software: Maya
- Creatives passionate about animation and digital cinema
- Graduates in fine arts, design, audiovisual communication, computer science, or related fields
- Audiovisual professionals seeking specialization in character animation or rigging
- International students looking for official certification in the USA and Europe
Universal Arts School offers:
- Partial scholarships for outstanding artistic profiles
- Special discounts for early enrollment (check active code)
- Flexible financing plans tailored to students
Character Animation
Block 1 – Animation Fundamentals
- Introduction to Maya and production pipeline
- The 12 principles of animation applied in basic exercises
- Anatomy basics for solid, believable poses
Block 2 – Body Mechanics and Acting
- Body mechanics: weight, mass, arcs, and movement flow
- Realistic animation: lip-sync, acting, and facial expressions
- Storyboarding and planning animated scenes
Block 3 – Animation Styles and Variations
- Cartoon animation: exaggeration, rhythm, stylized characters
- Quadruped animation: felines, canines, and equines
- Applying techniques across different morphologies
Block 4 – Final Project
- Creation of a scene with two or more characters
- Narrative planning: action, motivation, character relationships
- Integrating all principles into a complete animation
Rigging
Block 1 – Rigging Fundamentals and Props
- Character anatomy, nodes, and planning
- Transformations, constraints, joints, and skinning
- Basic prop rigging and biped rig creation
Block 2 – Limbs and Deformations
- Arm and leg rigs with FK/IK blend
- Hand, foot, and reverse foot controls
- Stretch systems for arms, spine, and basic blendshapes
Block 3 – Facial Rigging and Advanced Rigging
- Facial controls: eyes, mouth, eyebrows, hair, nose
- Advanced facial rigs with tweaks and deformers
- Extra skinning, corrective morphs, ribbons, clothing, and accessories
- Rigging quadrupeds and winged characters
Block 4 – Game Rigging and Scripting
- Creating rigs for games and implementing them in Unity and Unreal
- Cloth simulation and technical specifications
- MEL scripting in Maya for process automation
- Rig cleanup, optimization, and production readiness
- Universal Arts School is an international reference in animation, video games, and VFX
- Dual accreditation: BPPE (California, USA) and official European homologation
- Recognized in creative rankings for academic quality and hands-on methodology
- Master the principles of 3D animation and rigging with Maya
- Create believable characters and movements across multiple formats
- Develop technical skills in automation and programming with Python
- Build a competitive demo reel to access film, animation, and video game studios
- Obtain a dual USA–Spain degree with international validity
Animation
- 3D Character Animator for short and feature films
- 3D Animator for animated series
- 3D Animator for video games
- 3D Animator in VFX, advertising, and documentaries
- 3D Animator in pre-vis, tech-vis, and post-vis
- Facial animator and MO-CAP curve cleanup
- 3D Animator for virtual reality
- Technical Animator / Character TD
Rigging
- Rigging Artist
- Rigging TD
- Rigging Supervisor
- Technical Animator
- Pipeline TD / Technical Director
- Animation Programmer
- Dual USA–Spain degree with international recognition
- Campuses in Los Angeles and Valencia
- Training delivered by active industry professionals
- Use of industry-standard software: Maya and Python
- Project-based methodology focused on building a professional reel
- Alumni network and partnerships with international film and game studios