Full Sail Real World Education

At a Glance
Name: Full Sail Real World Education Contact: Admissions Department Major Courses of Study: Recording Arts, Film Digital Media, Show Production & Touring, Game Design & Development, Computer Animation Degree Offered: A.S. Accreditation: ACCSCT Tuition: Depending upon course of study, ranges from $30,000 to $32,000 Financial Assistance: Yes.

One of the pioneering facilities in media education, Full Sail Real World Education has been in continuous operation since 1979. In 1989, the school undertook an ambitious construction program that turned a 30,000-square-foot facility into a spacious and spectacular campus, in which 280,000 square feet of classroom, laboratory, lecture hall and studio space offer the 3,000-plus students a comprehensive array of media arts career tracks. And, Full Sail continues to expand, regularly adding new educational facilities and curricula additions, reflecting continued changes in the professional media industries. “The industry never stops evolving, so why should we,” states Bill Smith, program director for Full Sail.

Full Sail offers well-planned and real-world-based curricula that cover six main fields of media arts: Recording Arts, Film, Digital Media, Show Production & Touring, Game Design & Development, and Computer Animation. Each of these degree paths culminates in a fully accredited Associate of Science (A.S.) degree. Furthermore, Full Sail has deftly adapted its various career tracks to reflect the interactive and converging nature of the media industry. Exposure to such a wide range of media choices helps students refine their own career goals as they progress through the curricula.

Helping students achieve their goals is a large and diverse staff of instructors, many of whom are also working professionals within their respective academic areas. “In fact, that’s one of the prime directives of our mission statement,” notes Smith. “Most of our instructors are still active and successful in their fields. This is not a place for retired engineers to come and teach; we are focused on people who can deliver what they did in a session yesterday to a lecture today. This is truly what sets Full Sail apart.”

The school also has a rigorous student-to-teacher ratio goal, which varies according to course type and application. For instance, in Full Sail’s well-equipped audio recording studios, the ratio is never more than six-to-one when students are sharing equipment. Full Sail has all major analog and digital console types, including SSL, Neve and Amek, as well as 24 full-sized Digidesign Pro Tools systems. It is also the site of the largest Unity network server in the country, with all Pro Tools and Avid editing systems networked, because they are in the most advanced media environments. Visiting lecturers from various genres of the media and entertainment industry, from record label executives to legendary engineers, regularly augment the planned study course, further broadening the vistas of students.

Full Sail’s graduates continue to find success throughout the entertainment industry. Last year alone, three Full Sail graduates were nominated for Grammys, 24 worked on Grammy-winning projects, and 75 worked on Grammy-nominated projects. Grads also worked on some of this year’s biggest releases, including Creed’s Weathered, Jennifer Lopez’ J to the L-O and OUTKAST’s Stankonia.

Full Sail grads also earned credits on some of this year’s biggest motion pictures including Lord of the Rings, Spider-Man and Black Hawk Down, and worked on animated movies such as Ice Age and Lilo & Stitch. And in the sound reinforcement arena, Full Sail graduates have been working on some of the biggest tours including U2’s Elevation Tour, NSync’s Celebriy Tour, Paul McCartney and Ozzfest.

“The goal at Full Sail is for our graduates to enter directly into the mainstream of the media industry, at any level,” Smith explains. “From small recording studios to major post-production and film studios, a Full Sail graduate is ready for anything.” •