Game Design Schools & Online Degrees
Game design is a growing field that attracts well-trained, cutting edge professionals. Students can get the training and education they need from some vocational schools, but look to art schools and four-year universities with cutting edge communications and art departments for more comprehensive programs. There are also many online degree programs available, allowing students to complete and submit their coursework from a remote location. Online degrees in game design particularly make sense, since students are using computer tools as part of the their main coursework anyway.
Students can earn associate’s, bachelor’s and even master’s degrees in game design and related majors. These programs are usually offered through a school’s media arts or communications department, and majors or specialization areas can include game art and design, game design, game art, game development, game programming, video game design, and visual and game programming. Students learn skills like developing special effects, 3D design and illustration, engaging the audience, generating a storyboard, digital design, modeling, animation, programming and more. Associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs offer a mix of major-specific courses and general academic courses. This combination allows students to get a well-rounded experience that can help them become competent professionals within the industry instead of only receiving one kind of training. Students with bachelor’s and master’s degrees are also better positioned to receive promotions, be eligible for higher entry-level salaries, and become managers in the future.
Programs offered directly through art schools may give students a more intense creative experience than at traditional universities. Art schools may also offer a more diverse range of game design programs and majors and will have more focused career resources and contacts for their students. Courses cover topics in character development, 2D and 3D animation, art creation for games, game design history, demo reel creation, preproduction and postproduction, math and graphing, managing products and more.
