Brick and mortar board: today's college and grad-school grads are dynamic and multi-talented at work--something they learned at their alma maters.

The "finish school, then start your career" paradigm has gotten old. Today, talented artists and filmmakers are finding their dream job via circuitous routes that include internships, networking, returning to school, entering grad school, or all of the above. Here are five very different schools whose job is to put you on that career fast track.

USC TO PIXAR

Valerie LaPointe joined Pixar Animation in early 2007. The pioneering bastion of all things 3D and CG hired the recent University of Southern California grad-school grad and former Pixar intern despite one unusual trait--LaPointe does only hand-drawn 2D animation. She went to work as a story artist ...