蝌蚪传媒

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top 20 most innovative university in the nation - U.S. News & World Report 2024

蝌蚪传媒 is at the Forefront of Entertainment and Immersive Experiences

Located at the heart of one of the world’s premier tourist destinations, 蝌蚪传媒 is uniquely positioned as a leader in research and education in the field of entertainment and immersive experiences. Our distinctive advantage lies not only in our geographical location but also in the strategic partnerships we have with some of the world’s largest entertainment companies, including Universal Studios and the Walt Disney Company. These partnerships provide a unique opportunity for 蝌蚪传媒 to delve deep into the realm of immersive experiences, offering students and faculty the chance to engage directly with industry leaders and shape the future of entertainment. Our location here in Central Florida, where immersive experiences are deeply embedded in the cultural fabric, positions us uniquely to drive the evolution of this dynamic field.

蝌蚪传媒’s strategic focus on entertainment and themed experiences fosters the development of dedicated spaces that harness our wide-ranging expertise. By integrating our strengths in simulation, digital gaming, human-computer interface, augmented and virtual reality, hospitality, education, business, and the arts, we’re creating a multidisciplinary platform for groundbreaking research and innovative education. Our state-of-the-art facilities and pioneering curriculum are designed to incubate creativity, stimulate innovation and encourage collaboration across a broad spectrum of disciplines, resulting in immersive experiences that push the boundaries of what is possible.

蝌蚪传媒 is also playing a crucial role in supplying a robust talent pipeline for this burgeoning industry sector. Our comprehensive programs are designed to prepare students for the diverse challenges and opportunities they will encounter in the immersive experience and entertainment sector. Our graduates are not only prepared to meet the demands of the industry but are also poised to lead and shape its future. In this way, 蝌蚪传媒 is contributing significantly to the economic vitality and innovative spirit of Central Florida and beyond.

FIEA is a major source of talent for our EA Sports development studio in Orlando, resulting in one of every two new graduates hired over the last 2 years.鈥

— Daryl Holt, EA Sports vice president

Research that Enhances the Human Experience

蝌蚪传媒 faculty are driving the research and creation of immersive experiences fueled by technology to enhance the human experience. Through modeling and simulation, AR and VR, our researchers can design, treat, educate, train, and entertain 鈥 as well as help people understand and connect with each other in new ways. These virtual and immersive experiences have the potential to make a big difference in the real world.

Mohamed Abdel-Aty

Mohamed Abdel-Aty, Ph.D.

Trustee Chair鈥≒egasus Professor and Chair

Mohamed Abdel-Aty is one of the world鈥檚 top 20 scholars in the field of transportation science. His research interests include traffic safety, transportation planning and intelligent transportation systems. At 蝌蚪传媒, he is the director of the Smart and Safe Transportation Lab and the Future City initiative. He is part of a 蝌蚪传媒 team leading an research effort that is part of U.S. National Science Foundation effort to develop livable, safe and inclusive communities with technologies built on advances in wireless communications. With over 650 papers published in top academic journals, he is a 2021 and 2022 highly cited researcher, according to analytics company Clarivate.

Carolina Cruz-Neira

Carolina Cruz-Neira

Agere Chair Professor

Carolina Cruz-Neira is a pioneer in the field of virtual reality. She is known for helping create the CAVE Automatic Virtual Reality Environment, which is a cube-like room with 3D images projected onto walls. Her research focuses on the design and development of virtual reality systems and their applications in education, training and healthcare. She is a leading expert in the field, and her work has helped to make virtual reality a more accessible and affordable technology.

Peter Weishar

Peter Weishar

Director of 蝌蚪传媒’s Themed Experience Program

Peter Weishar is a leading expert in the field of themed experience. The founding director of the 蝌蚪传媒鈥檚 themed experience graduate program is the 2022 recipient of a Peter Chernak Distinguished Service Award from the Themed Entertainment Association for his educational and volunteer service to the industry. He has decades of experience in the arts, with a varied background as an art director of games, an NYU animation professor and a college dean at Savannah College of Art and Design, he has extensive experience crafting immersive environments and mentoring students. He is training the future workforce of designers and storytellers and helping to reimagine what themed experiences encompass, as he believes they are the future of artistic expression.



Mohammed Abdel-Aty, Ph.D.

Mohamed Abdel-Aty, Ph.D.

Trustee Chair鈥≒egasus Professor and Chair

Mohamed Abdel-Aty is one of the world鈥檚 top 20 scholars in the field of transportation science. His research interests include traffic safety, transportation planning and intelligent transportation systems. At 蝌蚪传媒, he is the director of the Smart and Safe Transportation Lab and the Future City initiative. He is part of a 蝌蚪传媒 team leading an research effort that is part of U.S. National Science Foundation effort to develop livable, safe and inclusive communities with technologies built on advances in wireless communications. With over 650 papers published in top academic journals, he is a 2021 and 2022 highly cited researcher, according to analytics company Clarivate.


Carolina Cruz-Neira

Carolina Cruz-Neira

Agere Chair Professor

Carolina Cruz-Neira is a pioneer in the field of virtual reality. She is known for helping create the CAVE Automatic Virtual Reality Environment, which is a cube-like room with 3D images projected onto walls. Her research focuses on the design and development of virtual reality systems and their applications in education, training and healthcare. She is a leading expert in the field, and her work has helped to make virtual reality a more accessible and affordable technology.


Peter Weishar

Peter Weishar

Director of 蝌蚪传媒’s Themed Experience Program

Peter Weishar is a leading expert in the field of themed experience. The founding director of the 蝌蚪传媒鈥檚 themed experience graduate program is the 2022 recipient of a Peter Chernak Distinguished Service Award from the Themed Entertainment Association for his educational and volunteer service to the industry. He has decades of experience in the arts, with a varied background as an art director of games, an NYU animation professor and a college dean at Savannah College of Art and Design, he has extensive experience crafting immersive environments and mentoring students. He is training the future workforce of designers and storytellers and helping to reimagine what themed experiences encompass, as he believes they are the future of artistic expression.

Background Image of 蝌蚪传媒 Knight on horseback leading the charge to the future of higher education

University Research Impact

蝌蚪传媒 researchers are committed to discovery and innovation. Each year, our researchers attract more than $200 million in grants, gifts and sponsored awards. But a dollar figure doesn鈥檛 tell the whole story. Research and scholarship are about the impact our work is having on our students, community, nation and around the globe. It鈥檚 about helping solve real-world problems that make a difference in people鈥檚 lives. In addition to supporting innovative research, we鈥檙e helping strengthen and diversify our local and state economy.

9

Knights were named U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellows in 2023, and an additional 10 received honorable mentions. .

14

Fulbright Scholars from around the world choose 蝌蚪传媒 graduate programs to do their research.

32

Licenses and options executives in 2020.

100%

Of themed experience students had a full-time job or internship upon graduation in 2022.

135

Patent applications filed in 2019.

$214.8M

Sponsored research funding in 2022

蝌蚪传媒 is a Leader in Entertainment and Immersive Experiences

#1

No. 1 Graduate Game Design Program in the World
For nearly 15 years, The Princeton Review and PC Gamer has recognized 蝌蚪传媒’s program in the top five in the world.

#5

No. 5 Undergraduate Game Design Program in the World
In 2024, The Princeton Review and PC Gamer recognized 蝌蚪传媒 with its highest ranking ever for the program.

Top 15% of Animation Schools in the Nation
Animation Career Review ranks 蝌蚪传媒 No. 21 in the U.S. 鈥 placing us among the best.

top 20 most innovative university in the nation - U.S. News & World Report 2024

Top 20 Most Innovative University in the Nation
U.S. News & World Report ranks 蝌蚪传媒 above Cornell, Harvard and Princeton as most innovative in its annual list of best colleges.

40+ Years of Being a Leader in Simulation
蝌蚪传媒’s Institute for Simulation and Training has helped put Orlando on the map for this industry.

University for Producing Patents
蝌蚪传媒 is ranked in the top 25 among public universities in the U.S. for producing patents by the National Academy of Inventors.

Institutes, Associations and Affiliations

  • Lockheed Martin
  • Monster Media
  • N-Space
  • Orlando Museum of Art
  • Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra
  • Orlando Science Center
  • PAGE 15

Companies Employing 蝌蚪传媒 Graduates

  • Apple
  • Disney
  • DreamWorks
  • Electronic Arts (EA)
  • EnVu
  • Epic Games
  • GameSim
  • Iron Galaxy
  • Microsoft
  • Nintendo
  • Rockstar

Igniting Imagination through 蝌蚪传媒 and Universal’s Creative Lab

蝌蚪传媒 and Universal Creative have partnered to develop the Creative Lab, a unique learning experience designed to provide immersive design education to the next generation of design leaders. Launched in Spring 2023, the unique program provides students with an unparalleled opportunity to learn from the industry’s most creative minds, where classroom learning meets real-world experience at the heart of Universal Orlando Resort.

This visionary initiative has been designed not only to educate but also to cultivate talent, fostering connections and building bridges to future career opportunities. The 蝌蚪传媒/Universal Creative Lab is a testament to the belief that the best way to predict the future of immersive design is to create it. Students learn from and work alongside Universal’s show producers, engineers, creative directors and executives, gaining a holistic understanding of the industry’s design and development process. This immersive experience inspires students, equipping them with the skills they need to shape the future of the industry. The program also offers scholarships to ensure that the brightest minds have the chance to unleash their potential in the future of immersive design. The partnership reiterates 蝌蚪传媒 and Universal Creative’s shared commitment to nurturing the next generation of creators and innovators, proving that the future of immersive design is not just about technology, but about the people who bring it to life.

Learn more about 蝌蚪传媒 & Universal’s visionary initiative

photo of Jacqueline King

蝌蚪传媒 Alumni Are Immersed in Entertainment

As a project manager for Walt Disney Imagineering, Jacqueline (Cade) King 鈥12 led the team behind Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, a simulation ride at Disney鈥檚 14-acre Star Wars: Galaxy鈥檚 Edge that allows up to six people to work together as pilots, gunners and engineers to complete a mission in real time. 鈥淚 went to school to build bridges, and I ended up building spaceships,鈥 says King, who worked with Disney and Lucasfilm to ensure every aspect of the project 鈥 from major conceptual developments to the smallest painted details 鈥 was correct.

How she helped dreams come true

Designing the Future of Experience

蝌蚪传媒 faculty and researchers are exploring what鈥檚 possible with themed environments and virtual experiences to create positive change in the real world. Through themed environments, augmented and virtual reality, as well as modeling and simulation, researchers are able to enhance and enrich the human experience.

蝌蚪传媒 Leads Development of First Large-scale System for Extended Reality Research

蝌蚪传媒 is leading the development of the first large-scale system for extended reality (XR) human subjects research. The system, called VERA, will enable researchers to conduct large studies in XR environments with large and diverse populations. VERA is expected to improve the development of XR technologies for the general population and make them more inclusive to groups such as older adults or people with disabilities.

Professor using virtual reality headset to design a simulation

蝌蚪传媒鈥檚 Institute of Simulation and Training is the Global Model of Collaborative Innovation

蝌蚪传媒 is a leader in the field of extended reality (XR) research. 蝌蚪传媒 researchers are developing new XR technologies that have the potential to revolutionize a variety of industries, including healthcare, education, and manufacturing. 蝌蚪传媒 is also working to make XR technologies more accessible to the general public.

Simulated natural environment

Pioneering the New Era of Simulation

蝌蚪传媒 faculty are leading the way in the development of digital twins, which are virtual replicas of real-world objects or systems. Digital twins can be used to improve the design, operation and maintenance of everything from buildings to airplanes. 蝌蚪传媒 researchers are enabling the use of digital twins to create new virtual worlds that can be used for training, education, and entertainment.

Experience in Action

Dive deeper into how our focus on immersive experiences provides students with a direct path to opportunities and experience.

Entertainment and Immersive Experience Degrees

With interactive media on the rise in Florida and throughout the country, 蝌蚪传媒’s entertainment and immersive experience degrees give students a first-hand look at what it takes to work in the landscape and succeed.

Bachelor鈥檚 Degrees

Best bachelor鈥檚 programs to break into entertainment and immersive experience

Graduate Degrees

Top entertainment and immersive experience programs to advance your future

Creative Degrees

Related degrees for creators and innovators

蝌蚪传媒 Online

Leading online degrees in entertainment and immersive experience

Entertainment and Immersive Experience News


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Colleges & Campus
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Areas of Focus

Innovation. Partnership. Impact. Our integrated approach to teaching, learning and research unleashes the potential of our faculty and students — empowering them to make a difference in their communities and around the world.

Space Technologies & Systems
Entertainment & Immersive Experiences
Health & Human Performance
Energy & Sustainability
Transformative Technologies & National Security