INTERNATIONAL ENROLLMENT
Hollywood Animation Academy gives international students a direct path into serious animation training online. Learn live from industry professionals, receive daily classroom critique, and build portfolio work for real studio expectations—without relocating to the United States.
If you want a traditional university degree, there are schools built for that. If you want skills-first training, professional mentorship, and stronger portfolio work, HAA is built for a different kind of student—one focused on becoming hireable.
Train for a professional animation career from your home country
Train With the People Who Made the Films You Grew Up Watching
Animation has never stood still — and neither has HAA's faculty. The animators who shaped the Disney Renaissance. The story artists behind Pixar's most celebrated films. The directors who defined television animation. They built today's industry. Now they are here to prepare you for what comes next.
Faculty credits include Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks, Warner Bros., Marvel, and Fox.
Live instruction, portfolio growth,
and industry mentorship - without moving abroad
WHY INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS CHOOSE HAA
For many international students, the biggest challenge is access. You want serious training, real feedback, and instructors who understand the professional pipeline—but relocating can be expensive, complicated, and unnecessary. HAA’s live online option gives qualified students access to focused, studio-style training from anywhere.
Train online from your home country
Join live classes with real-time critique and instructor interaction
Build a portfolio around the skills studios actually hire for
Complete 2,100 hours of focused training in two years
Avoid visa, relocation, and overseas housing costs for online study.
Build a network with your instructors and your classmates
Be apart of real classroom energy live 5 days a week to keep you motivated
Our faculty credits include the world’s best studios
Live training with feedback—
not passive, prerecorded learning
THE CRITICAL ADVANTAGE OF THE HAA CLASSROOM
You attend class live, watch demonstrations as they happen, and receive direct critique on your work. That matters in animation, because growth comes from feedback, revision, and consistent practice—not just watching lessons alone. Degrees don't matter in this industry — portfolios do. And because you train from where you live, there's no visa to justify, no relocation, no degree requirement standing between you and the real professional training you need.
For international students, that means you can access real mentorship and structured training while staying where you are. You get a more practical path into serious portfolio development without putting your life on hold to move overseas.
At HAA, you don't learn animation alone in front of a screen — you join a live classroom. Cameras are on, so you're really there with your classmates: jumping into discussions, talking through the work, and trading the easy conversation that turns a cohort into real friends — all while you animate. That's the energy of a working studio, and it's exactly what self-paced programs can never give you.
You watch your classmates' creativity take shape beside your own, and when one of them gets a critique, you learn from it too — every session, you absorb a dozen lessons, not just your own.
Self-paced programs give you none of that. With no schedule, no classmates, and no one to notice when you go quiet, a hard week becomes a skipped week, and the course quietly goes unfinished. But when you invest in your future and spend years developing your craft, it all comes down to one thing: proving it with your reel. That's the HAA advantage — and the motivation of finishing with your class beside you.
You get the expertise and support to grow, the friendship and community to keep you thriving, and the guidance to cross that finish line together — and walk away with the portfolio and qualifications you came here for.
Live instruction and demonstrations
Direct critique on assignments and portfolio work
Studio-relevant tools and workflows
Small class environment with close mentoring
Flexible independent work outside live sessions
WHAT INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW
Before you apply, know the essentials. Classes are taught in English, admission includes a portfolio review, online students need the required equipment at home, and live sessions must fit your schedule and time zone. If those basics work for you, HAA can offer a focused path into serious animation training without requiring international relocation.
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY
Because classes, feedback, and coursework are in English, students should be comfortable speaking, reading, and writing in English well enough to follow demonstrations, participate in critique, and complete assignments successfully.
PORTFOLIO + ADMISSIONS REVIEW
Admission is based on portfolio review and program fit. HAA provides admissions guidance on what to submit, including options for students pursuing 2D, 3D, story, and related pathways. For many students, this is the best next step because it gives a clear sense of fit before making a bigger commitment.
EQUIPMENT + TIME ZONE PLANNING
Students need the required home setup for coursework and should be prepared to attend live sessions during HAA’s scheduled class times. Independent work is more flexible, which helps many international students manage time zone differences while still participating in structured, high-accountability training.
TUITION and priority seating
Tuition for international students is $29,000 per year. Our in-person program is our core experience and those students have priority for seating. We have a maximum of 12 per classroom including online students. We want to ensure students get the attention they need when every frame counts in a competitive portfolio.
Online students will have the same hours as in-person students, but have flexible hours based on their time zones. Core instructional hours must be attended live.
The practical questions, answered clearly
LISA BLANCHARD
Student Success Manager and Admissions
Text: 913-832-6075 | Lisa@HollywoodAnimationAcademy.com
Contact Lisa in our admissions office to get any answers you need, arrange a campus tour, or request enrollment materials!
Built for portfolio and professional growth—not a traditional degree path
IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND
HAA is a state-certified private school in Missouri focused on professional animation training. It is not a degree-granting university. This means: more of your time goes into studio-relevant skills, portfolio development, critique, and production training rather than general education coursework. If recognition in your home country is important, confirm how this credential is viewed locally before enrolling.
HAA grants certificates of completion recognizing the 2100 hours of professional-level skills training.
Designed for students who care most about skills, mentorship, and portfolio strength
Focused on studio preparation rather than general academic coursework
Best fit for students seeking a more direct path toward professional readiness
HAA offers online Introductory and Intermediate courses separately from the certificate programs
Serious training, global access, and a clearer way forward
For international students who want more than casual online learning, HAA offers a focused alternative: live instruction, industry-connected mentorship, and portfolio development that can be pursued from your home country.
It is not the right fit for every student. But if you are looking for serious training, honest expectations, and a stronger path toward professional-level work, it is a compelling option to explore.
