Education Articles from College Matching Service

In this world of web, every individual and business organization is trying to highlight themselves through their respective websites. Web based applications are also in demand. People want to use applications that can work both as desktop applications and web based applications. Usually a set framework is used for building web applications but out-of-the–box technologies are always preferred. Uniqueness and a touch of professionalism can be imparted to web applications by programmers. A skilled web developer needs to have a degree from a professional institute coupled with the inborn talents. There are several schools and institutes growing up to nurture the creative skills in students to help them grow into professional web developers.

Schools offering web designing courses:

• Hands On Technology Transfer, Inc.- This institute offers training programs in 75 countries. They offer a guarantee on the quality of courses offered and 100% money back offers. Cost effective IT training will also be offered in this institute.

• PC TECH - This school is based in New York City and offers IT courses along with other technical classes. One to one specialization is there in the classes of this institute.

• Boston University Corporate Education Center- The web developing courses offered here include, training on project management, certificate boot camps for Cisco, Microsoft and more. The institute teaches its students real world applicability of the training that they impart.

• Coleman College- This institute offers certificate and degree programs in computer information science, computer graphic design and computer office application. The courses last for about 8 months and students get job immediately after the courses finish.

• Smart Solutions- This institute provides a wide ranging course in SAP technologies along with web designing courses. Oracle training, Microsoft and Cisco training are also provided by this institute.

• ExecuTrain South Florida- This training institute trains the students adequately in web development so that they enjoy a very good profile while searching for jobs in the It market. The institute also offers value added services that can help the budding developers.

Visual communications are developed by the professional graphic designer with the objective to convey some messages via media. This form of art uses media as one of the most import vehicle to empower communities, develop links and create an informative environment. The graphic designing industry is considered to be a fast changing and challenging for the professionals. Hence every business is largely depended on the candidates and their skill of designing. Whether it is a domestic or international organization, qualified designers are always in demand. To meet the growing demands of such professionals, Visual Communication schools are cropping up at a faster rate.

Schools providing Visual Communication education:

• Strayer University , Virginia- This University has a large number of branches in Arlington, Chesapeake and more. The University is known for its 110 year of excellence in education. Visual Communication training and degrees are offered here. The University is suitable for working students as it has flexible class hours.

Courses offered are:

i. Graphic Arts Applications

ii. Design and typography

iii. Computer Graphics applications

• Westwood College , California- This College offers Visual Communication degrees both online as offline. The courses offered here are simply vocational and can be applied in practical by the students as soon as they step into the industry.

Courses offered:

i. Digital Illustration

ii. Digital Layout

iii. Color Theory

iv. Design and typography

• Brooks College, San Jose - The students of this University can complete internship with a firm to have a real world experience of the designing industry. This college in California offers students training and degree in the following areas of Visual Communication:

Courses offered are:

i. Information design

ii. Web design

iii. Multimedia design

iv. Creative typography

v. Animation and more.

• International Academy of Design & Technology, Pittsburgh - This institute primarily focuses on practical classes. The institution concentrates on professional courses and makes students skilled professionals.

• Gibbs College, Montclair , New Jersey – This College prefers to have a low student and teacher ratio so that individual attention can be provided to each student. Students are provided a career oriented course in Visual Communication and designing. The college has several branches apart from New Jersey with each having excellent infrastructure.

Most of the universities today offer outstanding quality and design education. But selection of the right institution is often difficult. You can select university according to the courses offered. The courses offered in such university should complement other courses like liberal arts, sciences and humanities. Cross disciplinary studies and the distance of the university also matters.

1. KSU- A school of Visual Communication

Kent State University is one of the largest major universities in United States that provides a comprehensive course in Visual Communication. The university courses are designed keeping in mind the career requirements of the students pursuing the course. Graduates from this university are enjoying some of the prominent positions in the top companies across the world.

Why Kent State University?

• Tailored learning experience: Students are allowed to invest their creativity to a large extent during the course. Their study curriculum includes practical classes, assessing weaknesses and motivations.

• State-of-art technology: Students are allowed to utilize Visual Communication Design Resource Center that covers an area of about 2,535-square-foot. This center includes b/w laser printer, color laser printer, color scanners and plotter and photocopier.

• Effective internship programs: For internship programs students are exposed to the working atmosphere of organizations like Discovery Channel, MTV, Metropolis magazine and The Smithsonian Museum and MOMA

• Dedicated faculty: The faculty is knowledgeable and highly educated. There are about 9 professors and instructors. They have a close connection with the students and always ready to support them with any requirements.

2. Brooks Institute

Brooks institute has been built keeping in mind the requirements of those professionals who doesn’t have the technical skills to translate their creativity into reality. These people are trained and taught photography and visual arts that help them to establish a successful visual arts career.

Courses offered here are:

• Associate Degree in Visual Journalism
• Bachelor of Film and Video Production
• Bachelor of Arts Degree in Professional Photography
• Bachelor of Visual Communication
• Master of Science Degree in Photography
• Associate of Film and Video Production
• Bachelor of Visual Journalism

Online courses are gaining popularity as people get a vivid knowledge via web without begin physically present at the classrooms. Online web development courses are very popular with the business as people want learn more in short span. Self paced courses, distance learning programs simultaneously with the online web development education are always encouraged. But it is always recommended that these courses should be obtained from genuine sources and only after a research work. In exchange of comparatively lesser monetary gains these organizations offer a big platform of learning to the novice as well as to the experts. People who have fetched enough knowledge in the same field also prefer to go for online courses so that they can keep themselves updated.

Online sources

Some of the online sources of learning web development are as follows:

ed2go : This online web developing training institution offers courses on:

• Web Page Design
• Database Management and Programming
• Web and Computer Programming
• Web Graphics and Multimedia
• Certification Preparation
• Digital Photography and Digital Video

LVS Online Studies : The self study module of this online institute provides the following courses:

• Business
• Graphic design and art
• Photography
• Web development
• Web programming
• Web site editors

Lynda.com Online Training Library : This website offers a complete training program using CD-ROMs, books, videos and other resources. The website has loads of information in the online library to cater the students. Multi-user solution offers by this website is also praiseworthy.

UC Irvine Extension Online : Courses offered by this university include,

• Business Intelligence & Data Warehousing
• Java 2 Enterprise Edition
• IT Certifications, Java Programming
• Linux
• Microsoft .NET
• Visual Basic .NET
• Oracle Application Development
• Database Management
• Oracle Database Administration

O’Reilly Learning : Students can learn as well as contain a university certificate after the completion of the course. The certificate offered by the online university include,

• Linux/Unix System Administration Certificate
• NET Programming Certificate
• Client-Side Web Programming Certificate
• Web Programming Certificate, Open Source Programming Certificate
• Other web designing courses are also offered here.

Animation education can offer students bright career. The specialization in visual effects adds value to the career. Movies, cartoon shows and serial in television are creating big bash in the world of animation. The demands for animators are at the peak. But it often happens that people want to pursue animation education from a particular university or they do not have time to attend regular classes. In such a case, online animation education can also be of great help.

Online sources of animation education

There are a large number of colleges that are offering online courses with certification in animation education:

Westwood College Online - This College has accreditation from Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). This college provides course material and detail instruction on animation. The following are the undergraduate degrees offered by the college online:

• Game and design
• Game software development
• Animation

The Art Institute of Pittsburgh – Online Division - The online division of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh (AI Pittsburgh) awards associate of science degrees and Bachelor of Science to the online students. The online version of the website consists of all the degree programs that complete an animation education course. Students are highly beneficial with such courses and degrees.

3D Training Institute – Online - This institute gathers latest information n animation education from various universities and also has an effective instructional facility to provide its students. The online courses offered here are simply effective for students to get quality job. Here are the courses they offer:

• 3D Project Based Course
• Foundation Workshop

Learning-maya.com - This is an effective website from where students pursuing animation education can get details knowledge about the following:

• Modeling & Rigging
• Animation
• Texturing
• Rendering and Effects

3D movies and 2D cartoons seem to have created a niche in the minds of even adults along with children. The popularity of the animated shows in television has leveraged the growth of animation schools, both online and offline. Creative men and women, with fresh ideas and creative skills, want to achieve the peak of the animation world. Students from some of the famous animation schools are actively taking part to build a virtual world that forms the very basis of entertainment. Animation is now one of the fastest changing and rewarding careers. Well trainer computer animators are always in demand. The cutting –edge competition in technology can be effectively answered with a degree in animation education.

Job profiles of animators :

Below are some of the job profiles of an animator.

• Animation programmer - An animator with this profile is responsible for bringing artwork and characters to life, create real movements in 3D digital environments, storyboarding and animation should also be done.
• Game designer - He/she with this profile is responsible for framing the concept of the game and should have knowledge of game design process, level design and animation.
• Game and art design programmer- The game programmer would be responsible for programming games. The animator is responsible for working in collaboration with a team of programmers.
• 3D production artists - Should have a detailed knowledge about 3D animation and need to take active interest in the production process.
• 2D designers- This profile demands that the designer needs to have a degree in 2D animation along with some knowledge in 3D.

Requirements of animation artists:

An institution that imparts knowledge on animation education takes care of the following and these are the qualities that are sought in animation artists:

• The students who pursued animation education should have excellent knowledge in digital animation techniques.
• Creative people who are able to animate characters
• High imagination power and the capability to put them into play
• Attention to detail and the power to draw human characters and figures
• Meet deadline by planning an effective work schedule
• Attend training and seminars to enhance knowledge.

Animation creates an optical illusion of movements that bear a close resemblance with the reality. 2D and 3D images are rapidly displayed to form a sequence that produces a movie. The animation career is booming as new talents are venturing into the field. Adaptation with latest technology and framing of new ideas always keep the animators in a favorable position.

To meet the rising demand of animators, animation schools are mushrooming all over the world at a faster pace. Most of these schools provide a complete package of web designing which incorporates animation education as well. Animation education is often highly priced but the return back in monetary terms, after certification, is higher.

Institutions teaching animation

• Academy of Art University is one of the oldest private art and design universities that offer a large number of certificate courses like animation, architecture, fashion, graphic design, fine arts and photography.

• The art Institute of Pittsburgh has an online division that offers digital design, interactive media design and graphic design.

• Sheridan College , Canada is one of the famous animation schools with ample services and state-of-art infrastructure. This college teaches its students a 2D and 3D course in animation. This is known to be the first animation schools in the world that provides animation education.

• Gnomon Institute of visual effects, USA was founded by Applications Engineers from Alias Wavefront. High end digital content and techniques are used to training the students in animation.

• Vancouver Film School , Canada is known for the 3D animation and digital effect course. This is a wide platform where students can showcase their talents. This school is known for balancing theoretical and practical classes.

• School of Visual Arts , USA is such an institute whose student speaks about the quality of training. Students from this institute are working in Pixar, Disney, Blue Sky Studio, DreamWorks skg, and Nickelodeon.