START DATE
FEBRUARY 2027
DURATION
60 WEEKS
FORMAT
ONLINE
Create a professional film and animation portfolio in 60 weeks
You start with no experience and finish with a showreel ready for the screen. This certificate program is built for exactly that transition. Across 60 weeks, you progress from the fundamentals of 3D to crafting animated shots and short films, telling stories through movement, camera, lighting and visual effects. By the end, you will have a portfolio to support applications for junior roles, internships or further education in film and animation.
Is the animation certificate program for you?
- Complete beginners. If you have never opened a piece of creative software but want a clear, disciplined path into film or animation, this structure supports you from the first day. You do not need any prior technical background.
- Self-taught creators looking for direction. Perhaps you have already experimented with Blender, Unreal Engine, or Maya, but your learning has felt scattered. If you want to move past random online tutorials and organise your skills into a cohesive workflow, this course bridges that gap.
- Ambitious specialists. If you already know you want to focus on a specific discipline like 3D animation, technical art, or visual effects, you need targeted work to prove it. The course helps you build a dedicated showreel that demonstrates your exact strengths to employers.
- Career changers. If you are moving away from an unrelated industry, you need a practical qualification that translates directly to the job market. This program focuses entirely on producing tangible assets that help you make that transition.
What you’ll be able to do after 60 weeks
- Navigate the entire 3D pipeline, managing your projects independently from the initial blockout and asset creation through to the final render.
- Align your practical output with specific studio departments, creating targeted work in areas such as scene design, character animation, visual effects, or compositing.
- Explain your technical and creative decisions clearly, participate in peer reviews, and use constructive feedback to refine your work.
- Assemble a professional showreel and portfolio tailored to meet the standards required for junior roles, industry internships, or advanced degree programs.
- Map out your immediate career or educational goals with a realistic understanding of the current animation and film landscape.
Animation Certificate Curriculum Overview
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TERM 1 (20 WEEKS), 3D FOUNDATIONS & STORYTELLING THROUGH ENVIRONMENTS
Basic 3D
Build your foundational technical skills by learning modelling, UV unwrapping, and texturing in the first 5 weeks. You will apply these core concepts immediately by constructing a complete 3D set filled with detailed props.
Introduction to Roles
Discover how production teams operate and find your own area of interest. This 5 week module features weekly intensive introductions to technical art, animation, sculpting, and simulation, followed by dedicated time to experiment in the discipline that suits you best.
Introduction to Unreal Engine
Master the fundamentals of this real-time engine, which is widely used across both the film and gaming sectors. You will learn to navigate the interface and tools, concluding the module by assembling a complete digital environment using pre-made assets.
Project: Environmental Storytelling
Learn how to convey narrative through world-building rather than dialogue. For this project, you will design and construct an immersive environment that allows viewers to experience a story firsthand as they move through the space.
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TERM 2 (20 WEEKS), FILMMAKING, SPECIALISATION & YOUR FIRST SHORT FILM
Introduction to Film Making
Gain a practical understanding of cinematography and visual composition. This module covers the core principles of framing images, selecting camera types, and using lighting to alter the mood and atmosphere of a scene.
Storytelling
Learn how to build narrative into every element of a production, from character design to environmental details. You will study story structures, scriptwriting, and storyboarding to understand how ideas translate to the screen.
Role Classes
Select your specific discipline within the production pipeline to receive targeted technical training. Throughout this module, you will work with an industry mentor who provides guidance and direct feedback on your progress.
Project Based Learning
Develop practical problem-solving skills through hands-on assignments that run alongside your specialist classes. This approach trains you to source information independently and solve technical challenges relevant to your chosen role.
Project: A Short Film
Collaborate with your peers to take an original concept from script to screen. Together, you will handle the scriptwriting, storyboarding, animation, and directing to produce a finished 45-second short film.
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TERM 3 (20 WEEKS), MASTER CLASSES & THE ANIMATION CAPSTONE IN MAYA
Master Class
Learn directly from active industry professionals who bring current studio techniques into the classroom. These sessions focus on practical exercises to ensure you can confidently apply these advanced methods to your own workflow.
Role Classes and Project Based Learning
Advance your technical specialisation through targeted lessons, building on the foundations from Term 2. You will complete independent projects designed to expand your problem-solving abilities and help you deliver complex production tasks to a professional standard.
Project: Animation Capstone Project in Maya
The Capstone Project: You make a short film. As a final piece it needs to not only represent all that has been taught in the program. This is also a large project that acts as a centerpiece in your portfolio.
Delivered Online
Learn from anywhere. On-demand lectures, live feedback sessions, community and mentor support delivered online.
Meet our people
Hear from graduates and guest instructors, from the onsite diploma programme, through a variety of interview series that provide insight into CADA and the exciting journey towards a career as a Digital Artist.
GRADUATES
Emil Burchard, Effects Artist at Ghost VFX
GUEST INSTRUCTORS
Jean-Christophe Rodier
Senior Character Rigger
Daniele 'Danko' Angelozzi
Lead Sculptor
Thomas Rodeschini
Effects Technical Director
Careers after completing the Animation & Film certificate
Modern film and animation studios structure their teams around highly specific pipeline roles. When you complete this 60-week programme, your immediate next step will be entering these production environments as a junior artist, intern, or trainee. The industry requires specialists who understand studio functions and deliver work to technical standards. Your portfolio demonstrates your readiness to contribute to these entry-level production tasks.
While traditional cinema, television, and visual effects houses remain the primary employers, the technical workflows you learn are now vital to several parallel fields. Virtual production, high-end advertising, and architectural pre-visualisation all rely on the same 3D animation and rendering pipelines. This overlap means your showreel will be relevant to a broad range of creative companies, offering a clear path into steady industry employment or advanced cinematic studies.
Testimonials
Read about our students' experiences from our onsite diploma programme.
My experience at CADA has been very fulfilling. I’ve met a lot of amazing people through the school and the projects we have done, which have opened gateways into the industry. But CADA has also helped me go from a basic skill set within 3D to a very advanced level. They helped me find my passion and supported me in pursuing it. For me, CADA is about the people you get to know, work with, and connect with.
Freya Tuwel Rasmussen
The amount of knowledge I have learned about the principles and work methods within the world of 3D here at Copenhagen Academy of Digital Arts is immeasurable.
Especially the teachers at the school who's previously worked in the industry has given me invaluable insight and know-how and what to expect when we enter the industry in the future."
Christian Just Skjøt
Attending CADA has been a transformative experience. I discovered that going to school doesn't have to be draining, it can be revitalizing and fun! Along the way, I made lifelong friends and valuable industry connections.
Marie Alsing
Mathias Gregersen
Signe Harremoës Feldstein
Studying at CADA has allowed me to explore a side of myself I’ve always wanted to know. Learning the many kinds of creativity that 3D has to offer, alongside like-minded people has been exactly what I needed to find my passion. Everything from the competitions to the collaborations has made me a better artist and team player.
Simon Kaarfast
At CADA, I was provided with a class full of like-minded people that I could learn and grow with. Being part of a community is very helpful when you're first starting out, as it also facilitates a lot of feedback.
Gregers Berth
When I started out at CADA I knew nothing about 3D or animation. They taught me everything I know within the field. Today I am an educated 3D Digital Artist, working in the games industry. At CADA I was part of various film and game productions, and I was taught by leading professionals from around the world. I worked with like-minded, passionate, and creative students and teachers, and some have become lifelong friends of mine. Attending CADA was a dream come true. I found an unending passion and newfound creativity within 3D arts.
Oliver Lundt
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Application Process
STEP 1: SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
Fill out the application form and include a short motivational letter of up to one page. This helps us understand your background and goals.
STEP 2: BOOK YOUR ADMISSIONS MEETING
After your application submission, you will be redirected to schedule a meeting with our admissions team. This is an opportunity to ask questions and confirm that the program is the right fit.
STEP 3: COMPLETE YOUR ENROLLMENT
Complete enrollment, pay the registration fee of EUR 335 and secure your spot in the next cohort.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the program self-paced?
The online program combines on-demand content with live Q&A sessions.
At launch, parts of the program will already be available on demand. Other sessions will be recorded as they are delivered live and then added to the on-demand library. This allows you to work either independently at your own pace, or by following the schedule laid out by CADA.
If you follow the CADA schedule, it is more likely that you will be able to collaborate with other students on group projects, as you will be progressing through the program at similar times. Mentoring hours will be assigned to online students within specific time frames.
Group work can be approached in several ways.
Students who follow the CADA schedule can participate in group projects with classmates at the same stage of the program, with the expectation that they match the agreed pace and are available for coordination and meetings.
Alternatively, students working at their own pace may coordinate group work with other online students who happen to be at a similar stage. While we support this and encourage a strong online community, CADA cannot guarantee that suitable group partners will always be available.
Finally, all projects can also be completed individually. Group projects are designed to give insight into specific roles within a 3D production, but students who prefer to work alone can take a generalist approach, cover all roles themselves, and complete the assignments independently and on their own schedule.
Is the program conducted in English?
Yes, the program is conducted in English, so it is a requirement that you have an acceptable level of fluency in the language.
Does this program require an admissions portfolio?
No. You don’t need to submit a portfolio when you apply for this program.
Are classes delivered live, on-demand or a mix of both for the online format?
Classes will be delivered through a combination of live Q&A and feedback sessions, and on-demand lectures that you can rewatch. Flexibility is a core element on the online study format.
How do I reserve my spot in the education?
Upon successful submission of your application and acceptance into the education program, a non-refundable registration fee of EUR 335 is required to secure your place. This fee will guarantee your spot and ensure your enrollment.
Is there an application deadline for the education?
We have a rolling admissions policy for our programme, without a fixed application deadline. We advise submitting your application promptly once you decide to join, as enrolment is on a first-come, first-served basis among qualified candidates.
Are there any age limits for students wishing to enrol in CADA's programmes?
Our programmes have no age restrictions. Whether you're just starting your artistic journey or looking to enhance your skills later in life, we welcome students of all ages who are passionate about CGI, Digital Arts, and 3D.
Contact our Admissions Counsellor
Phone: +45 70 27 77 87
Opening Hours: 09:00 – 15:00 CET