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RDC announces first degree in Animation and Visual Effects

May 9, 2018 | 1:31 PM

It’s Red Deer College’s first step toward becoming a university.

Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt joined RDC leaders, faculty, staff and guests on Wednesday for the announcement of a new four-year degree, Bachelor of Applied Arts in Animation and Visual Effects.

Twenty-two students will start in the program in September on their path toward careers in areas such as video game creation and film animation. It’s the first new degree program to be offered since RDC was given degree-granting status in March and the first of its kind in Alberta.

 

 

“We want to ensure that Albertans all across the province have access to a high-quality education that helps them get careers in dynamic, engaging fields,” said Schmidt. “By focusing its first applied degree program in the emerging field of animation and visual effects, Red Deer College has shown that it’s ready to provide students with exciting, creative jobs in a diverse economy.”

“This is a historic day for our College, as this is the first four-year degree that we fully offer at RDC, and it’s a tremendous step in our journey to becoming a university,” RDC President and CEO Joel Ward noted. “Students will stay at RDC to complete all four years of this degree, which fills a gap in current programming across the province and provides them with innovative and applied learning that will allow them to excel in their future careers.”

The new degree was developed over several years, with input and collaboration from professionals across Canada.

“It was very important for us to learn what other post-secondary institutions were offering and to develop a program that would achieve the right mix of creativity and technology, as well as theory and applied learning to ensure students receive a well-rounded education,” said Jason Frizzell, Dean of RDC’s School of Creative Arts. “This degree achieves everything we were hoping for, and it is a wonderful complement to the future of our School.”

RDC has also submitted a proposal to offer a four-year degree in Bachelor of Applied Arts in Film, Theatre and Live Entertainment. RDC representatives are currently working with the Government of Alberta and Campus Alberta Quality Council through the approval process.

While this is taking place, Frizzell and the RDC team are establishing a solid foundation for the School of Creative Arts to transform and grow.

“In support of our new direction and in anticipation of future growth, we’ve expanded the number of Visual Arts courses offered,” he says. “In addition, two new Visual Arts courses have been developed, focusing on Contemporary 2D Strategies and Technologies, and these courses will be offered starting in 2019.”