AU Game Center is a unique multi-disciplinary academic research center operating through a partnership between the School of Communication and the College of Arts & Sciences with core activities of the center are clustered in three interlocking areas:
1) World-class academic programs exploring games and interactive media in a variety of contexts that are based on experiential education approaches and innovative production experiences; 2) Critical research, artistic exploration, and in-depth analysis of games as a media form; and 3) Field-defining service and policy initiatives as they pertain to games and game education.
Bradley University, Department of Interactive Media
The Department of Interactive Media at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois is home to over 300 students in 5 majors (Animation, Game Art, Game Design, User Experience Design, and Music Composition for Video Games) alongside a Master’s Program in Game Design and Development.
Bradley University’s game design program has been nationally ranked almost since its inception. Our game design curriculum is built to give students as much practical, real world applicable experience as possible. During their time at Bradley, students develop anywhere from ten to twenty different games in a variety of genres and in team sizes ranging from solo efforts to teams of over twenty developers.
The vibrant games community at Northeastern comes together from across the disciplines represented at the University. Faculty support the academic programs from within the College of Arts Media and Design, from the Khoury College of Computer Sciences, and from the Bouvé College of Health Sciences.
Students work toward undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs while participating in the many game-related clubs and groups around campus. Most games students participate in one of more coops with game development studios and research groups around the world. And many participate in the game jams, game development conferences, and conventions hosted on campus and throughout the city.
The NYU Game Center is the Department of Game Design at the Tisch School of the Arts. Our mission is to graduate the next generation of game designers, developers, entrepreneurs, and critics, and to advance the field of games by creating a context for advanced scholarship and groundbreaking work.
Whether you want to contribute to blockbuster AAA titles, study virtual reality, or use gaming to help with medical therapies, Purdue University’s game development and design major has a place for you. Purdue has been a leader in preparing students for careers in the games and animation industries. Alumni have worked for EA Games, Riot Games, and more.
Because our professors are interested in new ideas and uses for computer games, they will help you stretch your imagination throughout the program. You will take classes in video game design and development, animation, visualization, rendering and programming.
At Purdue, a gaming degree provides the STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and math) that’s in demand today. Your studies will include trigonometry, calculus, and physics. And because employers also desire graduates who are well rounded, our game studies program also includes courses in economics, psychology, and English.
The final result? You will be a career-ready graduate who knows how to prototype games and game systems and who can consider their impact on society.
Research projects open to undergraduate students have focused on the use of games for sustainable energy, therapy and medicine, entertainment, information visualization and more.
University of Miami Department of Interactive Media
The Department of Interactive Media offers tomorrow’s visual storytellers and and innovators a complete curricular experience in critical understanding and effective creation of contemporary interactive design. Our programs are designed to prepare a new generation in the field of transmedia and interaction design with a mission to explore the creative uses of narrative, documentary, technology, design and human behavior to entertain, impact, augment, and influence how people communicate.
Recognized as one of the top game design programs in North America by the Princeton Review, USC Games represents an exciting collaboration between the School of Cinematic Arts’ Interactive Media & Games Division and the Viterbi School of Engineering’s Department of Computer Science. Incorporating elements of design, artistry, production and engineering, USC Games offers an utterly unique educational experience for students, and serves as the launching pad for them to play significant roles in the game design field. With rigorous, hands-on instruction from master designers, producers, engineers and working professionals in the industry, students have an unprecedented level of opportunity to delve into every aspect of creating games for a global audience.
Abertay University is the home to Europe’s oldest games degree, and consistently ranked among the top places in Europe to learn game design and development, with five undergraduate and two graduate degree programmes, spanning two divisions within the School of Design and Informatics.
Creating unique games means working in a unique way. So we anticipate the future of the games and computing industry, and collaborate with skill sets from across the creative world. As a game, app or immersive content developer, you’ll have the chance to work with actors in motion capture suites, game artists, writers, composers, and business experts who can train you to market and profit from your games while you’re studying.
DePaul University Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media
DePaul University’s game programs are housed within the Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media (CDM), a unique, collaborative college that is home to the Schools of Design, Computing, and Cinematic Arts. Students work and learn together in interdisciplinary teams of artists, programmers, producers, writers, and sound designers, mastering the iterative development process and creating polished experiences. They build a portfolio showcasing their skills developing AAA, indie, and art games, as well as transformative play experiences on established and emerging platforms.
CDM offers state-of-the-art, pioneering facilities including the new Jarvis Student Center for Innovation and Collaboration, which houses an XR suite and DePaul Originals Game Studio; a Virtual and Augmented Design Lab, two makerspaces; and gameplay, research and development, and playtesting labs. Students are encouraged to take part in several student gaming organizations, DePaul’s Esports Center, and the game/animation study abroad program in Japan.
DePaul is a Top Game Design School according to both the Princeton Review and Animation Career Review.
Offering a comprehensive curriculum that integrates technology training with critical thinking and artistic development, Kent State University’s Animation Game Design program encourages students to explore games in the context of traditional arts, time-based media, and design. Accredited through the National Association of Schools of Arts and Design (NASAD), the AGD program emphasizes critical and creative thinking while helping students develop the technological and professional skills they’ll need to excel after graduation.
Students in the AGD program receive hands-on instruction in collaborative environments from award-winning faculty active in the game industry. Through classwork, internships, and various opportunities to display their work, students learn not only how to make games, but how games can reach diverse audiences and serve various purposes, from games for social impact, to commercial games, to games for education. Learn more about the Animation Game Design program at Kent State University and check out some recent student work!
The Computer Simulation and Gaming (CSG) program in the Tandy School of Computer Science at the University of Tulsa, provides students with a hands-on, project-based, leading-edge curriculum that combines the multiple disciplines of computer science, art, music, film, and storytelling. Throughout their studies, CSG students will develop skills in game programming, 3D graphics, animation, 2D & 3D level design, game mechanics, and gameplay.
Columbus College of Art & Design, Game Art & Design
Go from player to maker. In our new Game Art & Design major, you will be able to share and build games created through your unique perspective. You’ll learn everything game-making, from introductory coding to playable prototypes. You’ll develop the game art and game design skills and build the confidence you need to create both digital and physical game-ready assets alongside emerging trends in augmented and virtual technologies. Our program will give you access to a diverse community of students and local creators, visiting practitioners, and expert guidance from CCAD faculty across disciplines. As a Game Art & Design major, you’ll learn how to build environments intended for player exploration, storytelling, and immersive gameplay. You’ll be engaged with community game forums and have the opportunity to participate in hackathons, regional game festivals, and expos. In Game Art & Design, you’ll collaborate, connect, create, and play with your peers and those in the game industry.
Our graduates will be prepared with the skills needed to succeed across a growing industry. The Game Art & Design curriculum intends to prepare students for many possible career outcomes including independent production artists, interactive media artists, colorists, concept artists, 2D or 3D asset creators, production virtual and augmented reality artists, game designers, and play testers.
Whether your goal is to create games to entertain, to teach or to help society understand the world’s problems, Indiana University’s game design degree gives a well-rounded base on which to build a future career. Emphasizing both technical and creative aspects of game design, our program teaches how to transform ideas into a compelling reality as part of the next generation of video game creators. The game design program is part of the Media School, which is where you want to be if your passion is making, telling, researching, or analyzing stories.
At Santa Monica College, our students are the change agents who will bring the next wave of design technology to fruition. Courses across entertainment technology, interaction design, graphic design and interior architectural design draw insight from experienced faculty including industry professionals, who use current technology to solve real world problems.
Located in the heart of Silicon Beach, the new Center for Media & Design unites all SMC programs focused on preparing students for careers in the rapidly evolving media, design, and technology fields.
Instructors focus on job-specific skills that employers value including:
Communication
Collaboration
Leadership
Decision making
Fluency in industry software and technology applications
We offer a range of education options including Associate in Science degrees and certificate programs across many concentrations.
Game Design program focus on providing applied, real-world skill development. Assignments and class work focus on case studies, simulations and lab projects. Students will also complete a Co-op Work Term within the industry. The final semesters in the program are project-based, in which students work in teams to develop a game.
Department of Computer Science, Western University
Established in 1964, the Department of Computer Science at Western has developed strong academic and research programs to become one of the leading establishments in its field. Our faculty are the recipients of many teaching and research awards. Undergraduates can specialize in computer science and pick up a minor in gaming, software engineering, theoretical computer science and applications in computer science. Undergraduates in other disciplines can major or minor in computer science. There are many industrial and research opportunities for our undergraduate students.
Our department is active in both the traditional research areas of computer science and emerging areas. The quality and diversity of the Department’s research activities is internationally recognized. The Department is supported with research grants from a number of sources including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council (NSERC), Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Ontario Research Fund (ORF) and MITACS. Our researchers are involved in several collaborative initiatives both within the university and with external university and industrial partners.
The Department has strong international and industrial links, with connections to other universities and companies in London, across North America and Europe. This provides opportunities for students to involve themselves in exchange programs, or engage in work with researchers in other countries.
Have you ever thought about turning a passion for games into a rewarding career? As a computer science major with a concentration in game design and development, you will be part of an interdisciplinary program that helps you build all the skills you need to design and implement original video games. You will follow player-centered design processes for creating original interactive media while taking cross-disciplinary courses in 3D animation and digital audio manipulation. You will collaborate on multidisciplinary teams in a three-semester sequence of courses to create an original game in a modern studio environment, using contemporary best practices and industrial-strength tools, and publicly release the game on major distribution platforms.
The School of Interactive Games and Media (IGM) comprises faculty from a variety of academic backgrounds with a shared interest in computing as it relates to interactive media, games, simulations, VR/AR, experimental interfaces, and media-centric systems of all varieties. IGM provides an educational environment that supports and encourages creative and collaborative academic inquiry by both faculty and students. IGM’s programs, coursework, research, and development efforts provide students with the knowledge and skills to pursue meaningful and rewarding careers in media-centric, interactive software development, while simultaneously advancing the field and helping to provide a well-rounded educational experience.
At Staffordshire University, we have the largest games department in the UK, so you’ll be joining a community of over 2,000 games students with access to professional-standard facilities, immersive next generation technologies, and connections from the likes of Sony Entertainment and Epic Games. We can help you get your foot in the door of the biggest entertainment industry of the 21st century. At our award-winning institution, we are as passionate about the design and build of games as much as we are about playing them. So whatever stage of game design, development, creation or management you’re interested in, you will get the experience and total immersion you need.
Michigan State University Department of Media and Information
The Department of Media and Information at Michigan State University is housed within the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. It is host to the top-ranked game development program in the nation among public universities.
University of Utah Entertainment Arts & Engineering
The Entertainment Arts and Engineering (EAE) Program at the University of Utah is a top-ranked program in video game education and research and is a national leader in the nascent discipline of games. The program is contributing to the definition of a new interdisciplinary informatics field that deeply integrates art, humanities, social science and computational research and practice. Our diverse faculty have expertise in every facet of game creation, and we have consulted with top industry professionals to build a one-of-a-kind learning experience in game development.
Entertainment designers bring stories to life by creating conceptual worlds, memorable animated characters and immersive gaming experiences.
A successful career in Entertainment Design requires a fertile imagination, an understanding of the technological tools used to invent new realities and the ability to conceptualize within the parameters of a given story. Our alumni work in the fields of animation, video games, theme park design, film and television.
ArtCenter’s Entertainment Design department offers three tracks: – Concept focuses on the skills and creative ability required of entertainment industry concept designers – Animation develops students in the disciplines of character animation, storyboarding, modeling, art direction, and lighting for 3D and 2D animation – Game Design prepares students to create and convey game concepts through prototyping and production for multiple platforms
Are you an IndieCade Alumnus? We want to know! If you've been a speaker, organizer, juror, or presented your game at IndieCade or any IndieCade-related showcase (ex. IndieCade @ E3, IndieCade @ SIGGRAPH, etc. - doesn't need to have been a finalist) we'd like to be in touch.
