To enroll for our classes, wait for the registration period that correlates with your schedule, whether you're interested in Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter Term. Locate the course or courses you want to take and click on the “Add to cart” button. Then, fill out the enrollment form and purchase your course. Be sure to use a Chrome browser to check out.
At this point, you will officially be a CGMA student! Remember, you can only sign up during the registration periods, which you can find on our Academic Calendar, and your account becomes active only after your completed purchase of a class.
You can check out our current roster of courses here: https://www.cgmasteracademy.com/courses and tracks here: https://www.cgmasteracademy.com/programs
Application/Portolios are not mandatory unless listed on course page. They are an optional feature to use if you are unsure of your skills. If you'd like a porftolio review, please submit your portfolio by completing the Portfolio Review Request form on any course page of the CGMA website. Please allow 3-5 business days for a response to your portfolio review request (excludes weekends and holidays).
Course prices range from $599 to $998. Please refer to the course pages for specific pricing information. It is located at the bottom in the blue banner.
We offer promotional discounts for those who purchase two or more courses. Earn a savings cof $50.00 USD with two courses, and a savings of $75.00 USD with three or more. Be sure to have these classes present in your cart at time of checkout so the promotion properly applies itself! Due to covid-19 this service is not applicable at this time
We also offer gratns to those who are a part of the Animation Guild Union, which cover portions of tuition. Please visit our Tuition Aid page for details of the Animation Guild Union discounts and class coverage!
Courses range in lengths from six to ten weeks. Please refer to individual course pages for accuate duration.
Technically no. The only limitations are based on your own schedule, which we urge you to seriously consider. If you are working, we recommend one course per term. If you have an open, two or three courses would be appropriate. If you are seeking more than three, please contact [email protected]
We highly recommend students take the courses prerequisities to ensure they have the technical skills necessary to benefit from each course.
In cases when students request the option to skip a course’s prerequisites and are still interested in participating in a track (or wish to take a particular advanced course due to his/her professional expertise), we suggest a portfolio review first.
Please submit your portfolio by completing the Portfolio Review Request form on any course page of the CGMA website, or by emailing your work to [email protected]. Along with a link to your portfolio or demo reel, be sure to include the following information: Is there a certain field you’re trying to gear your portfolio to? Which course(s) are you interested in taking? Share any additional notes about what you would like to gain from your training.
Please allow 3-5 business days for a response to your portfolio review request (excludes weekends and holidays).
Yes! So long as you have a stable internet connection, you can take our courses. CGMA has many international students. There are no visa requirements for taking our courses, since you can take it from anywhere in the world.
Students must be at least 18 years old to enroll independently. If you are under 18, please reach out to [email protected] for advisement.
Please write to [email protected] with any questions you may have .
Please make sure you are using a Chrome browser to complete your registration. All others will have problems with checkout. If the problem persists, please contact us by email at [email protected] , and we will help you enroll.
Payment is needed in order to complete the enrollment process. Once you have pressed the “Register” link for a particular CGMA Master Class and completed all the enrollment information fields – then you will be prompted to pay as the final step of the enrollment process.
Yes! We are now an approved partner of the Animation Guild CSATTF Skills Training Grant Program. Here are some basic requirements of the program:
(*) You must complete a separate reimbursement application for each class.
Before you complete and submit these forms, contact CGMA to determine if the class you’re interested in is really what you’re looking for, if it will be available on a day and time when you can take it, and if you meet the prerequisites. It is important to remember that seats in CGMA Masterclasses are not reserved until tuition is paid.
Once you have confirmed that the classes you want are available, fill out the attached reimbursement forms. The entire application must be completed and submitted. Ignore all references on the forms to the “IATSE Basic Agreement” or the “online roster”.
(*) You will have to show proof of thirty days’ employment in the last two years at an employer signed either to a TAG collective bargaining agreement or an IATSE collective bargaining agreement under TAG’s jurisdiction. Non-union employment does not count. This typically takes the form of paycheck stubs that indicate the 30 days of union employment. If you are unsure about this step, contact Steve Kaplan ([email protected]) or Mike Sauer ([email protected]) and ask for clarification BEFORE sending your application to CSATTF. You can also contact the guild at 818-845-7500.
(*) CSATTF reimbursement forms can be found here: Grant Reimbursement Application.
(*) Reimbursement Guidelines:
The specific training course must have been pre-approved in advance, by CSATTF. Non-approved courses will not be reimbursed.
(*) The entire course must be successfully completed in order to receive reimbursement; incomplete or unsuccessfully completed courses will not be reimbursed.
() Complete one “Request for Reimbursement Form” per course.
(*) The “Request for Reimbursement Form” must be completed and submitted with supporting documentation within 45 days after course completion date.
(*) Request for reimbursements are subject to the “Reimbursement Policy,” set forth below.
You can review the full CSATTF grant application process here: The Animation Guild – Grant Reimbursement Program .
No. At this time, we recommend that those in need of financial assistance seek personal/educational loans or participate in available employee training reimbursement programs through their employers.
However, keep in mind that students pay only for the classes they take in the current term. Those students who take any of our full tracks such as Foundation & Design or Environment Arts benefit from studying under some of the best artists from the animation, film, and game industries without paying for the full track in advance.
Please contact us if you need supporting documents for any financial aid applications.
Though our payment method works through our merchant service provider, PayPal, you do NOT need a PayPal account to purchase classes. You will need a valid debit/credit card and email address to complete payments.
We do not offer financial aid, scholarships or grants. Payments are accepted up front to confirm and complete class registration. For information about our payment plans, visit out Tuition Aid page.
The short answer is maybe. Current IRS publication 970 states that “If your education is not required by your employer or the law, it can be qualifying work-related education only if it maintains or improves skills needed in your present work. This could include refresher courses, courses on current developments, and academic or vocational courses,” (pg 65).
If you are a concept artist, visual development artist, or something of the like, then you may qualify for an education deduction. It is important to note that this paragraph is for informational purposes only and you should ALWAYS consult a tax professional before making tax related decisions.
For more information about this particular section of IRS pub. 970 please visit the IRS website here: IRS pub 970.
We currently only accept payments through PayPal, which calls for any major credit card or personal bank account. A PayPal account is not necessary to pay.
Students can split a single or multiple-class purchase into smaller installments during the enrollment process. At the time of final purchase, students will be presented with the option to pay by “PayPal,” “Credit Card,” or our new “Installments” option. Click installments, then fill out the payment process like usual.
The 4-payment split option is only available for the first week of registration, with payments scheduled to post monthly. After the first week, students can split payments in up to 3 installments. Payments will automatically be deducted from your payment source.
Please check with our Finance Department ([email protected]) to find out exactly when your payments will be due, and please make sure that sufficient funds are available around those times to prevent a disruption in your enrollment process.
*Please note that any Payment Plan transactions that qualify for a refund are subject to our standard 5% processing fee.
Yes! All eligible Payment Plan transactions are refundable. Please see our Refund Policy tab above for more information about how refunds work at CGMA.
eChecks are one type of bank payment that are used when buyers have not linked a backup payment source (like a debit or credit card) to their PayPal accounts, or when a transaction is too risky to allow an instant payment.
The money is withdrawn from the buyer’s bank within a day or two. As soon as PayPal receives confirmation of sufficient funds from the bank, they will deposit the money in our PayPal account.
*NOTE: Bank processing times vary by the buyer’s country.
Examples:
Australia: 3-5 business days
Brazil: 1-3 business days
Canada: 6-8 business days
France: 8-10 business days
UK: 5-7 business days
If you need more time to make your a payment, please immediately write to [email protected] with the subject line: “URGENT | P ayment Plan Issue.” We will try our best to work with you on what options you can take.
Your payment will be processed through our PayPal merchant account powered by Domestika, Inc. This means that the name appearing on your credit card or bank statement will display as either “DOMESTIKA” or “CGMA BY DOMESTIKA.”
You will receive two receipts after your purchase. One will be generated by Paypal and the other by our internal system. The latter can be downloaded from inside the virtual classroom and will contain all the detailed information about your course purchase.
Generally speaking, there are no refunds for CGMA courses unless there are special circumstances. When you register for a course, the seat is held for you and can no longer be bought by another student.
Nevertheless, here are some options we provide for CGMA students who may have special circumstances:
To obtain a full refund, you must contact CGMA at least 5 days prior to the course's start date. *Regardless, a 5% processing fee is included in all transactions and will not be refundable.
Please be advised that the following Refund/transfer policy does not apply to group purchases (5 or more courses per term). For such cases please contact our Admissions Departments at [email protected]
Request for course cancellation during the first week of a course may qualify for a refund (with a 15% cancellation fee of the total course price).
For courses that are 5-6 weeks in duration, there are no refunds or transfers after their Week-1 assignment due date.
Request for course cancellation during the second week of an 8-10 week-long course (and before their assignment due date) may qualify for a refund, with a 22% cancellation fee of the total course price.
For courses that are 8-10 weeks long, there is no refund allowed after their Week-2 assignment due date.
For the courses Advanced Substance for Environment Art or Animation for Beginners (i.e. a 3/4-week-long course), there are no refunds or transfers allowed.
Ultimately, if any refund is issued, all refunds will be issued to the original payment method only. We do not process refunds to alternative methods or accounts, regardless of circumstances. Refund processing times may vary based on your payment provider.
In order for us to process your refund request, we will need the following.
Alternatively, you can provide us with the Transaction ID# issued to you from PayPal (after you completed your purchase), and we can process your refund with this information. If you purchased more than one course under the same transaction, then make sure you still give us the name of your course and its instructor to ensure we refund the correct one to you. Again, all of the above assumes you qualify for a refund.
Any missing information will delay the processing of your refund request.
Ultimately, if any refund is issued, all refunds will be issued to the original payment method only. We do not process refunds to alternative methods or accounts, regardless of circumstances. Refund processing times may vary based on your payment provider.
Excluding the course start date, assignment due dates, and weekly Live Q&A’s (which depend on the instructor, so check the syllabus the week before the start date), there is no set class schedule.
Once accessible, you can review and complete the current week’s lecture and assignments at your own pace. At the end of each week, access to the next week’s lessons will be granted. Please note that the final course schedule is not confirmed until the week before its planned start date.
Even after a course begins, CGMA reserves the right to change course schedules due to instructor unavailability, technical emergencies, acts of God, or by acts of third parties (such as strikes, terrorist acts, or government orders).
We estimate 10-20 hours each week, depending on the type of class you are taking, your skill level, etc. However, we suggest students spend as much time as needed to properly complete and comprehend the week’s assignment. Ultimately, this number will be different for each individual. Just make sure to allow enough time for assignment review and completion.
All course lectures are high-quality video presentations featuring your qualified instructor, which you can be stream through your browser. All other course content (i.e. individual critiques, Live Q&A’s, forum post, etc.) is presented in a mixture of video and written formats.
In general, each student will get weekly feedback from the instructor about their work and progress via a central class forum. There will also be live, weekly Q&A sessions where students can ask additional questions. Here, the students and instructor can engage in open dialog similar to that found in traditional classrooms. All sessions will be recorded.
Instructors are not required to critique projects outside the course assignments, but you can always ask! You can ask fellow classmates for feedback.
Absolutely! Our virtual classroom allows for artistic exchange and we heavily encourage student collaboration. This gives each student a sense of community, inspiration from fresh perspectives, and networking opportunities for the future.
Since weekly assignments are independent from one another, it is essential that they are completed the same week they are assigned. Should any student not complete 80% of assigned work, they will not be eligible for a Certificate of Completion.
Yes. All legal/major US holidays are observed.
All our course instruction is given in English, though our course video also provides subtitles in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
The average number for maximum enrollment is 20 students. This ensures that every enrollee receives the proper amount of time attention per course session, though this can fluctuate depending on the course. For specific course information, contact admissions.
Yes and yes. Assignments will be assigned each week so that you can practice the skills and techniques covered in that lesson. Each assignment will take anywhere from six-to-eighteen hours to complete (depending on: the type of course, your skill level, the complexity of the work, etc). Upon completion and submission, your instructor will review your work and provide you with a personal in-depth critique, as well as a live Q&A session.
No, lecture videos are not available for download. But as of Winter Term 2021, students have lifetime access to their course content and can access it through the same portal.
Yes, the lectures are available all 24 hours the week they are released. They will remain available for the length of the course as weeks go by. For example, by week four, you'll have access week one through four.
Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate retroactive downloads at this time. CGMA content is licensed from the artist who created it.
Lectures are hosted video streams that work on all major OS platforms, in all modern/up-to-date web browsers. As a rule, it is always helpful to have the latest version of the browser you are using to minimize any difficulties.
Beyond this, some courses do require students to have a particular software package. In these cases, please review the course description and requirements for specific details.
Additionally, due to ongoing compatibility issues with Apple mobile devices ,we can not currently guarantee site functionality on any iOS system nor offer support if you use an iOS device to participate in the class.
CGMA will provide technical support insofar as it relates to the operation of the CGMA website, the forum and chat system and the transfer of course materials. We cannot assist with internet connection problems on the student’s end, faulty hardware, or problems with a student’s individual software package.
If you have course-related issues, you can submit a Tech Help ticket for course related issues inside the classroom.
CGMA presumes that all students use legally licensed software packages and are able to receive any technical support that is supplied with the software.
Yes. Our courses are administered via streaming video, text, and supplimentary materials (i.e. brushes, material list, rigs). Each course has requirements that will be published before registration opens.
For smooth, interruption-free playback, we recommend a minimum download speed of 3 Mbps (6+ Mbps strongly recommended).
Microphone and webcams are not required to interact with an instructor. However, you are welcome use them when applicable. The default manner of class interactions is text postings in class forums and our chat feature during the Live Q&A sessions. For all other requirements, please see above.
Processor:
CPU: Intel or AMD processor with 64-bit support, dual core 2 GHz or faster processor
RAM: 4 GB (recommended 8GB or more)
Nvidia® / ATi® cards with DirectX 11 or higher and minimum 2 gigs of ram / Intel Gen9 HD500 or higher
Screen Resolution: 1440×1080 minimum (1920x1080 or higher strongly recommended)
Operating System Requirements:
Windows 10 (64-bit) version 1809 or later / macOS Mojave (version 10.14) or later / Linux distro based on kernel 4.9 or later / Android 10 or later
iOS not currently supported
If you are on a shared connection managed by a network administrator (dorm, workplace, common room in an apartment/condo), you must ensure that CGMA is permitted in their whitelist to load media content.
The CGMA website and services are optimized for the Chrome browser. While other browsers may work for accessing the site, Chrome is the only one that is officially supported.
No, it is the student's responsibility to obtain any software required for their course.
As is within our virtual classroom, our primary language of communication is English, but our virtual classroom support team works tirelessly to provide the best student support possible.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us; we are here to help.
Our virtual classroom support team works tirelessly to provide the best student support. As is within our virtual classroom, our primary language of communication is English. We are located in the USA. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us; we are here to help.
Certificates of Completion are granted to students who successfully complete 80% of the class assignments (i.e., for an 8-week course, students must complete at least six assignments to receive a certificate of completion). There are no exceptions! Students must follow all assignment description requirements.
NOTE: Instructors monitor assignment submissions and can approve or deny any submission based on whether it met assignment requirements.
For Course Certificate of Completion:
Typically, a Course Certificate of Completion is automatically granted 2 weeks after the course ends to students who submitted the required number of assignments based on the assignment description. Please allow 1-2 weeks for processing. However, course instructors have the final say on whether or not a student followed all outlined instructions.
Please note that once your request has been processed, you will have the option to receive either a free digital certificate or physical diploma for and extra fee.
In the event that you do not automatically receive a Certificate of Completion upon course conclusion, please reach out to our Admissions Department via [email protected] with the email subject: “Reques t for Course Certificate of Completion,” along with the student’s full name and the name of the course completed.
The CGMA Loyalty Program rewards ambitious students for their course participation with CGMA. As a student, you'll be able to earn loyalty points that can be used as discounts for course purchases.
Currently, Loyalty Points are earned through two main Reward Actions:
-Course Enrollment
-Certificate of Completion
When a student successfully enrolls and remains in a course for the entire term, they earn 20 points. When a student earns a Certificate of Completion by completing the required number of assignments, they receive an additional 5 points.
At this time, one loyalty point can be redeemed for $1.
Although we will offer this feature in the future, you can currently only aquire points for your own use through the "Course Enrollment" and "Certificate of Completion" Reward Actions.
Yes. Points expire 12 months after they are awarded.
No. Not at this time.
No. Students must elect to use one of three discount types CGMA offers at the time of course purchase. You are not able to combine these.
CGMA will grant retroactive points to anyone who took courses during the 2022 Spring & Summer terms, when the Loyalty Points Program launched. Any participation before this time does not count.
In the rare/unlikely event that CGMA cancels a course, we will fully refund you any points you used to purchase a course.
If you used points in your initial course purchase and you later transfer to another course, your points will transfer with you and you will received the same discount for the new course.
If you used points in your initial course purchase and you later transfer to another course in a different term, your points will transfer with you and you will received the same discount for the new course.
Minus any administration or refund fees, your points will be refunded back to you.
Generally, no points will be refunded. However, this is based on the refund amount.
You can contact our Admissions Department via [email protected] or call us at 1 (800)-959-0316 for more information.
Points can be redeemed during any open registration period after they've been awarded.
There currently is no cap on the number of points you can redeem at a time.
If a refund is requested before the course begins, yes (minus processing fees).
Once a course begins, there are no refunds for CGMA courses. However, some points-refunds are possible but are determined on a case-by-case basis.
