
Skills you'll gain: Storyboarding, Animations, Storytelling, Musical Composition, Motion Graphics, Video Production, Writing
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

Epic Games
Skills you'll gain: Unreal Engine, Game Design, Video Game Development, Animation and Game Design, Ideation, 3D Modeling, Visualization (Computer Graphics), Software Documentation, Software Design Documents, 3D Assets, User Experience Design, Computer Graphics, Usability, User Interface (UI), User Experience, User Interface (UI) Design, Interactive Design, Virtual Environment, Version Control, Prototyping
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

Duke University
Skills you'll gain: Event-Driven Programming, Animation and Game Design, Game Design, Storyboarding, 3D Assets, Programming Principles, Computer Graphics, Computer Programming, Scripting
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

California Institute of the Arts
Skills you'll gain: Animation and Game Design, Animations, Game Design, Video Game Development, Design, Technical Design, Conceptual Design, Design Elements And Principles, Creative Design, Storytelling
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

Skillshare
Skills you'll gain: Unreal Engine, Adobe After Effects, Motion Graphics, Animations, Multimedia, 3D Modeling, Animation and Game Design, Logo Design, 3D Assets, Video Editing, Computer Graphics, Adobe Illustrator, Visualization (Computer Graphics), Adobe Photoshop, Post-Production, Storyboarding, Photo/Video Production and Technology, Creative Design, Typography, Timelines
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

Skills you'll gain: 3D Assets, 3D Modeling, Unreal Engine, Video Game Development, Computer Graphics, Visualization (Computer Graphics), Graphical Tools, File Management, UI Components, Design Software, Data Import/Export, User Interface (UI), Software Installation
Beginner · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months

The University of Tokyo
Skills you'll gain: Visualization (Computer Graphics), Interactive Design, Computer Graphics, Computer Graphic Techniques, Human Computer Interaction, Animations, User Interface (UI), Design, 3D Assets, Technical Design, Algorithms, Simulations
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months

Skills you'll gain: Adobe After Effects, Motion Graphics, Animations, Post-Production, Video Editing, 3D Assets, Timelines, Graphics Software, Color Theory, Image Quality, Typography
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

Skills you'll gain: Sales Presentation, Customer Engagement, Canva (Software), Video Production, Marketing Materials, Promotional Materials, Copywriting, Promotional Strategies, Multimedia, Product Promotion, Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Target Audience, Value Propositions, Content Creation, Animations
Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

Skillshare
Skills you'll gain: Adobe After Effects, Motion Graphics, Animations, Multimedia, Logo Design, Video Editing, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, 3D Assets, Computer Graphics, Creative Design, Typography, Graphic Design, File Management, Color Theory, Image Quality
Beginner · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months

Skills you'll gain: Canva (Software), Graphic Design, Graphic and Visual Design Software, Motion Graphics, Animations, Content Creation, Social Media, Data Sharing, Collaborative Software, Marketing
Intermediate · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

IESE Business School
Skills you'll gain: Storytelling, Public Speaking, Oral Expression, Presentations, Verbal Communication Skills, Persuasive Communication, Content Creation, Drive Engagement, Writing, Non-Verbal Communication, Active Listening
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Browse the animation courses below—popular starting points on Coursera.
Knowing why you want to learn animation, be it for film, games, or personal projects, will keep you motivated. Regular practice with animation software is crucial. Join online communities like the Animation subreddits or local groups for feedback and support. Work on real projects such as creating short animations. Coursera offers the course Interactive Computer Graphics by University of Tokyo, which can help you get started with animation.
The skills and experience you may need to have already before studying animation include having a creative mind with the ability to pay attention to the smallest details, some drawing or other artistic ability, and feeling comfortable working on a computer. Having a familiarity with computer graphics software and computer programming may also help you learn animation as well as learning how to create animated 3D movies. If you have some basic graphic design skills, they'll also be helpful. Another set of skills you may want to have to learn animation is the knowledge of color theory so you can understand the use of colors to express and communicate various emotions or feelings.
Learning animation may be right for you if you feel compelled to express your creativity using computer programs to create illustrations used on various media or platforms. It may be right for you if you want to learn how to design and develop game worlds and gameplay for video games, from concept to presentation. Studying animation is also a good idea if you plan to enter the virtual reality field where interactive animation and character animation and design are important to know. Studying animation may be beneficial for you to learn if you plan to become a 3D artist working on various platforms that require certification, such as Unity.
Yes. You can start learning animation skills on Coursera for free in two ways:
If you want to keep learning, earn a certificate in animation, or unlock full course access after the preview or trial, you can upgrade or apply for financial aid.