• For Individuals
  • For Businesses
  • For Universities
  • For Governments
Coursera
  • Coursera Plus
  • Log In
  • Join for Free
    Coursera
    • Browse
    • Animation

    Animation Courses Online

    Learn animation techniques for creating engaging visual content. Understand principles like timing, spacing, and movement in animation.

    Skip to search results

    Filter by

    Subject
    Required
     *

    Language
    Required
     *

    The language used throughout the course, in both instruction and assessments.

    Learning Product
    Required
     *

    Build job-relevant skills in under 2 hours with hands-on tutorials.
    Learn from top instructors with graded assignments, videos, and discussion forums.
    Get in-depth knowledge of a subject by completing a series of courses and projects.
    Earn career credentials from industry leaders that demonstrate your expertise.

    Level
    Required
     *

    Duration
    Required
     *

    Skills
    Required
     *

    Subtitles
    Required
     *

    Educator
    Required
     *

    Explore the Animation Course Catalog

    • C

      Coursera Project Network

      Midjourney for Beginners: Craft an Exquisite Piece of AI Art

      Skills you'll gain: Generative AI, Content Creation, Digital Design, Creativity, Creative Design, Artificial Intelligence, Graphic and Visual Design

      4
      Rating, 4 out of 5 stars
      ·
      22 reviews

      Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

    • U

      University of Colorado Boulder

      Ready to Roll – The Video Production Process

      Skills you'll gain: Storyboarding, Media Production, Storytelling, Content Creation, Editing, Aesthetics

      4.9
      Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
      ·
      27 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • C

      Coursera Project Network

      Adobe Illustrator for Beginners: Create Vector Artwork

      Skills you'll gain: Adobe Illustrator, Graphic and Visual Design, Design, Color Theory, Adobe Creative Cloud, Graphic Design, Design Elements And Principles, Typography

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      16 reviews

      Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

    • Status: New
      New
      U

      University of Colorado Boulder

      Modern Video Editing Techniques

      Skills you'll gain: Storyboarding, Post-Production, Editing, Writing and Editing, Media Production, Storytelling, Timelines, Typography

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • E

      Edureka

      Introduction to Midjourney

      Skills you'll gain: Generative AI, ChatGPT, Creative Design, Content Creation, Creativity, Graphic and Visual Design

      3.6
      Rating, 3.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      18 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • P

      Packt

      Create Beautiful Imagery with Midjourney AI

      Skills you'll gain: Multimedia, Generative AI, Adobe Photoshop, Media Production, Post-Production, Content Creation, User Accounts, Graphic and Visual Design, Creative Design, File Management

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free
      Free
      C

      Coursera Project Network

      Getting Started with Adobe Spark

      Skills you'll gain: Content Creation, Design, Multimedia, Digital Design, Graphic and Visual Design, Graphic and Visual Design Software, Typography, Design Elements And Principles

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      69 reviews

      Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

    • Status: Free
      Free
      P

      Peking University

      Chinese Characters for beginner 汉字

      Skills you'll gain: Language Learning, Vocabulary, Literacy, Language Interpretation, Translation, and Studies

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free
      Free
      C

      Coursera Project Network

      Using Animations and Transitions in Microsoft PowerPoint

      Skills you'll gain: Microsoft PowerPoint, Presentations, Student Engagement

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      10 reviews

      Intermediate · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

    • C

      Coursera Project Network

      Cinematic Storytelling Simplified: Mastering Lumen5 AI

      Skills you'll gain: Storytelling, Content Creation, Media Production, Generative AI, Creative Design, Editing

      Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

    • Status: Free
      Free
      C

      Coursera Project Network

      Create Visually Engaging Presentations using Microsoft Sway

      Skills you'll gain: Presentations, Productivity Software, Multimedia, Business Correspondence, Content Creation, User Accounts, Storytelling

      4.9
      Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
      ·
      13 reviews

      Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

    • C

      Codio

      Introduction to VueJS Framework

      Skills you'll gain: Vue.JS, HTML and CSS, Web Applications, JavaScript Frameworks, Front-End Web Development, Web Design and Development, Data Storage Technologies

      4.1
      Rating, 4.1 out of 5 stars
      ·
      34 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    Animation learners also search

    Design
    Graphic Design
    Beginner Graphic Design
    Graphic Design Projects
    Advanced Graphic Design
    Design Projects
    3D Design
    Communication Design
    1…567…11

    In summary, here are 10 of our most popular animation courses

    • Midjourney for Beginners: Craft an Exquisite Piece of AI Art: Coursera Project Network
    • Ready to Roll – The Video Production Process: University of Colorado Boulder
    • Adobe Illustrator for Beginners: Create Vector Artwork: Coursera Project Network
    • Modern Video Editing Techniques: University of Colorado Boulder
    • Introduction to Midjourney: Edureka
    • Create Beautiful Imagery with Midjourney AI: Packt
    • Getting Started with Adobe Spark: Coursera Project Network
    • Chinese Characters for beginner 汉字: Peking University
    • Using Animations and Transitions in Microsoft PowerPoint: Coursera Project Network
    • Cinematic Storytelling Simplified: Mastering Lumen5 AI: Coursera Project Network

    Frequently Asked Questions about Animation

    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.‎

    The kind of person best suited to learn animation is someone who may want to become a game developer artist, an animator, or visual effects artist for a variety of media including film or television, or a digital or graphics designer for the internet. Someone who may do well learning animation might also be able to work both independently and on a team. Often animators must work with a team of other animators or creative colleagues on projects. Someone learning animation will need to be able to handle feedback from directors, other animator team members, game designers, and clients and then edit their work to comply with those requests. Another characteristic of someone who may be well suited to learn animation is patience. That’s because creating animation is a labor-intensive process in order to capture the details that go into each character and setting frame to frame.‎

    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, Coursera offers a variety of free courses across many topics, including animation. While you can access most course materials for free by auditing the courses, this does not include graded assignments or a completion certificate. For those looking to obtain a certificate to showcase their learning or enhance their professional profile, Coursera provides the option to purchase the course. Additionally, Coursera offers free trials or financial aid to learners who qualify, making certifications more accessible to everyone.‎

    This FAQ content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

    Other topics to explore

    Arts and Humanities
    338 courses
    Business
    1095 courses
    Computer Science
    668 courses
    Data Science
    425 courses
    Information Technology
    145 courses
    Health
    471 courses
    Math and Logic
    70 courses
    Personal Development
    137 courses
    Physical Science and Engineering
    413 courses
    Social Sciences
    401 courses
    Language Learning
    150 courses

    Coursera Footer

    Technical Skills

    • ChatGPT
    • Coding
    • Computer Science
    • Cybersecurity
    • DevOps
    • Ethical Hacking
    • Generative AI
    • Java Programming
    • Python
    • Web Development

    Analytical Skills

    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Big Data
    • Business Analysis
    • Data Analytics
    • Data Science
    • Financial Modeling
    • Machine Learning
    • Microsoft Excel
    • Microsoft Power BI
    • SQL

    Business Skills

    • Accounting
    • Digital Marketing
    • E-commerce
    • Finance
    • Google
    • Graphic Design
    • IBM
    • Marketing
    • Project Management
    • Social Media Marketing

    Career Resources

    • Essential IT Certifications
    • High-Income Skills to Learn
    • How to Get a PMP Certification
    • How to Learn Artificial Intelligence
    • Popular Cybersecurity Certifications
    • Popular Data Analytics Certifications
    • What Does a Data Analyst Do?
    • Career Development Resources
    • Career Aptitude Test
    • Share your Coursera Learning Story

    Coursera

    • About
    • What We Offer
    • Leadership
    • Careers
    • Catalog
    • Coursera Plus
    • Professional Certificates
    • MasterTrack® Certificates
    • Degrees
    • For Enterprise
    • For Government
    • For Campus
    • Become a Partner
    • Social Impact
    • Free Courses
    • ECTS Credit Recommendations

    Community

    • Learners
    • Partners
    • Beta Testers
    • Blog
    • The Coursera Podcast
    • Tech Blog
    • Teaching Center

    More

    • Press
    • Investors
    • Terms
    • Privacy
    • Help
    • Accessibility
    • Contact
    • Articles
    • Directory
    • Affiliates
    • Modern Slavery Statement
    • Do Not Sell/Share
    Learn Anywhere
    Download on the App Store
    Get it on Google Play
    Logo of Certified B Corporation
    © 2025 Coursera Inc. All rights reserved.
    • Coursera Facebook
    • Coursera Linkedin
    • Coursera Twitter
    • Coursera YouTube
    • Coursera Instagram
    • Coursera TikTok