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.

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.

Clark was founded in 1887 as one of the first all-graduate institutions in the country. Today, Clark promotes a rigorous liberal arts curriculum within the context of a research experience that addresses challenges on a global scale.

We are a powerhouse in game design and technology. The Princeton Review ranks our undergraduate Game Design program No. 4 in the world and our Master of Fine Arts program No. 7.

Gain the skills you need to enter high-growth fields in interactive media and build a successful career in a rapidly changing technology industry.

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.

The Department of Emerging Technology in Business and Design (ETBD) explores how new technology can effect positive change in almost any aspect of society. The program, strongly transdisciplinary, comprises faculty from the worlds of business and design, obviously, but also from data science, engineering, programming, the arts, and the humanities.

The program offers two undergraduate degrees, one in ETBD and one in Games + Simulation. The Master in Entrepreneurship and Emerging Technology (MEET) brings together innovators from all academic backgrounds in order to gain the marketable skills required by top employers and become a well-rounded leader who excels in both entrepreneurship and emerging technology.

Graduates of the undergraduate and graduate programs often find themselves working as startup founders, digital marketers, growth hackers, social media marketers, UX designers, and more.

BE A SPARTAN.

At one of the world’s leading research universities, you’ll have access to life-changing opportunities, powerful resources and a supportive, inclusive community. Are you ready to join the next generation of Spartans?

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.

Experience is at the heart of everything we do.

Founded in 1898, we’re renowned for our experiential learning model, high-impact research, deep partnerships, and worldwide reach. From day one we’ve pursued innovative ways of teaching and research that place a premium on experience and engagement with the world. Today, our signature approach erases traditional boundaries, empowering not only students, but faculty, alumni, partners, and innovators to solve problems and pursue impact.

Games at Northeastern University combines both the creative practice of making games with the rigorous study of those games and their players. Students engage in small and large-scale game development and participate in games research alongside our distinguished faculty.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Computing touches everything.

Michigan Technological University is a flagship public research university founded in 1885. Our campus in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula overlooks the Keweenaw Waterway and is just a few miles from Lake Superior.

Join the inventors, engineers, coders, and innovators of tomorrow here at Michigan Tech. Because tomorrow needs AI experts, cybersecurity specialists, and visionaries who champion big data and grand challenges. The future needs you. Look ahead to the College of Computing.

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, architecture, 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.

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.