Cal State Fullerton’s illustration program ranks No. 3 among the nation’s public schools and No. 17 among all schools, according to Animation Career Review, an online resource for aspiring professionals in animation, game design, graphic design, digital art and related fields.
“2020 Illustration School Rankings” considered 142 schools with illustration programs from across the United States, using such criteria as academic reputation, admission selectivity, depth and breadth of the program, and value as it relates to tuition and indebtedness.
CSUF’s Department of Art offers three degrees for aspiring illustrators, including a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts.
The strength of its illustration program lies in giving students the conceptual understanding, technical skills and practical experience to become effective and creative communicators, says Cliff Cramp, professor of art and program coordinator.
“We focus on visual storytelling,” explains Cramp. “The better illustrators understand their craft, our visual language, the better visual communicators they will be.”
In addition, faculty members continue to work in the industry, providing students with firsthand insights to the latest trends as well as professional connections.
Graduates of CSUF’s illustration program work at a variety of entertainment and publishing companies, such as Blizzard Entertainment, Cartoon Network, DreamWorks SKG, EA Games, Lucasfilm Ltd., Marvel Entertainment, Nickelodeon, Top Shelf Productions and The Walt Disney Co.
“Our students gain employment in video games, board games, publishing, comics, children’s books, animation, the film industry, cover art, licensing and more,” says Cramp. “They are employed in every major studio on the West Coast.”