Colleges That Offer Video Game Programming
Video games are a huge part of our culture, but they’re also more than just fun. In fact, they can be a very lucrative career option. If you’ve always been interested in how video games work, these schools offer programs that will teach you all about them—and prepare you for a career as a game developer:
DigiPen Institute of Technology
DigiPen Institute of Technology (formerly DigiPen) is a private, non-profit university located in Redmond, Washington. The school offers an undergraduate degree in Computer Science that emphasizes game development and production. As part of their curriculum, students can study 3D animation, interactive media design and sound design.
The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science program at DigiPen provides students with an in-depth understanding of software development for video games. Students may choose from two tracks: Game Programming and Interactive Media Design & Production (IMDP).
Game Programming focuses on developing both 2D and 3D games using a variety of tools including Unity3D (C#), UDK or Unreal Engine 4; the IMDP track focuses more on storytelling techniques as well as audio production for games like “Mass Effect 3” or “Batman Arkham Asylum.”
Full Sail University
Full Sail University offers a Bachelors of Science in Game Design and Development, which can be completed online at the Bachelor’s level. This degree is designed for those who wish to become professional game designers, artists or programmers.
Full Sail University’s Bachelor of Science in Game Art and Design prepares students for careers as game developers and designers. The program provides an education that allows students to explore their creative passions while developing technical skills needed to succeed in this competitive field.
Rochester Institute of Technology
RIT has a video game design program that focuses on art, animation, and sound. It also offers a game development program, which is more focused on programming and software engineering. The combination of these two degrees—one in art and the other in programming—allows students to learn about both sides of video games during their time at RIT.
The school has several different ways for students to earn their degree in Game Design at RIT:
- Bachelor of Science – Digital Games & Media Arts (DGMA)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts – Digital Games & Media Arts (DGMA)
- Bachelor of Science – Computer Science (CS) with Concentration in Game Design
The Guildhall at SMU
The Guildhall at SMU is a game development program based in Dallas, Texas. The program is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), which means it meets certain standards of quality. The program is three semesters long and costs $43,000.
The University of Utah Entertainment Arts and Engineering Program
The University of Utah’s Entertainment Arts and Engineering Program is a four-year degree offered through the university’s School of Computing. The EAE Program is designed to prepare students for careers in video game development, with each year focusing on an area of specialization that includes game design, programming, art design, sound design and production management. Students may choose between a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree.
The EAE Program has been ranked among the top 10 programs in North America by Game Developer Magazine and has had multiple students win awards at national competitions such as ACM SIGGRAPH for virtual reality projects.
You can go to college to learn how to build a video game.
The good news is that you can go to college to learn how to build a video game. You’ll need an academic background in programming, which means taking courses like Computer Science and Software Engineering, but once you have that down, there are plenty of programs out there that offer technical degrees in gaming.
In general, video game development degrees are focused on learning how to make the software behind video games: programmers who create the code that runs inside your favorite games (such as Fortnite). While this might sound incredibly technical and hard-to-understand (and it is!), it also means that if you have an interest in computer science or software engineering but aren’t sure what kind of career path would be best for you—a degree program could help guide you toward making great games!
There are a lot of different programs you can take to learn how to make video games. You can learn from the best in the industry, and have access to resources that will help you finish your project on time. These programs also offer networking opportunities with other students and professionals in a variety of roles like artists or programmers as well as employers who are looking for talent.