BFA Games and Animation at University of Cincinnati

Programme overview

Formal games have a 5,000-year history, and recorded animation, if we take cave paintings found at Lascaux into account, dates back 17,000 years or more. These media are not new, but the design renaissance of the past century –– from Elizabeth Magie and Winsor McCay, to Respawn Entertainment and PIXAR –– is ever-evolving. Games and animation permeate every aspect of our culture. Games implement and model systems; animation models movement in space.

Faculty: College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning | Duration: 4 years | Study mode: full-time | Location: Cincinnati, OH, United States

What you will study

Year One: During the foundation year students learn the basics of drawing, systems design, the industry, and the software used in the profession. Students will learn how historical and identity dimensions shape their production of games and animation, and how their works contribute to broader cultural discourse. By the end of this first year, students will select the animation or games track.

Career pathways

2D Animator 3D Animator Level Designer Systems Designer 2D Character Artist 3D Character Artist 2D Environment Artist 3D Environment Artist Visual Development Artist Concept Artist Gameplay Programmer Graphics Programme Rigging Artist Shader Developer User Interface Designer User Experience Designer Quality Assurance Tester Game Tester Cinematics Animator Cinematics Directo

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admission to this major follows the university/college admission requirements: Information for Freshman Students . The College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning at the University of Cincinnati seeks to attract, enroll, and graduate academically talented students of varied and diverse backgrounds. Success in our programs is largely dependent upon sound academic preparation. In multidisciplinary programs like those in DAAP, students’ insight and perspective are greatly enhanced by exposure to students from different backgrounds, geographies, and co-curricular interests. DAAP has an admissions review process to support these goals. Please note that it’s impossible to predict – or guarantee – what credentials a student will need to gain admission into DAAP, because the size and quality of the applicant pool varies each year.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Entry terms: Fall, Spring and Summer semesters for first-year and transfer students; the College-Conservatory of Music generally accepts transfer applications for fall only, except BA Music and Electronic Media.

First-year: Early Action deadline November 1 (fall only); fall application deadline March 1 (rolling admission), spring November 1, summer March 1. Confirmation deadlines: May 1 (fall), December 1 (spring), April 1 (summer). The BSN has a priority deadline of November 1 and CCM applicants are encouraged to submit pre-screening materials by November 15.

Transfer: fall application deadline July 1, spring November 1, summer March 1. CCM programmes: December 1 application deadline for fall; DAAP programmes: March 1 application deadline for fall.

First-year applicants apply through the Common Application; ACT/SAT scores are optional for fall 2025 and fall 2026 entry.

Graduate applications: programmes set their own deadlines and decision schedules. Most programmes use the UC Graduate Admissions Application; Nursing uses NursingCAS, Occupational Therapy OTCAS, Physical Therapy PTCAS, Athletic Training ATCAS, Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology CSDCAS, and Public Health SOPHAS.

Apply through the official page: https://admissions.uc.edu/apply.html

Explore more study programmes

Arts & Humanities