Game Design Schools
There are many game schools to choose from in North America. Each school listed below offers a different set of courses at different levels of tuition costs and offer either a Bachelor’s degree or diploma. Some of the curriculum the following schools include are not for everybody so choose which one is right for you. Before applying to the game school of your choice, keep in mind the admission requirements for each school. It’s a common practice for a school to require some type of art portfolio submission so they can see what skill level you are as an artist and also see how much potential you have to grow as an artist. Remember, your main goal from going to a game school is to get a professional demo reel and portfolio in order to start applying for jobs at a game studio. So choose your school carefully and research as many of them as possible. Here are a few schools you can research further.
DigiPen Institute of Technology- Digipen offers a 2 year Bachelor’s of Art or and Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Game Design. Curriculum concentrates on development of skills in Drawing, Color, Animation, Math, Physics, Computer science, 2D and 3D Level/Environment/Character Design. They also require you to enroll in general education classes like Psychology, English, World History, Economics and Law.
Vancouver Institute of Media Arts (VanArts)- VanArts offers a 1 year program in Game Art & Design and you receive a a diploma once you complete the program. Curriculum includes Life Drawing, Maya Fundamentals, Photoshop, Character and Environment Modeling, Zbrush, Sculpture, Cinematography, Rigging and Lighting. All the fundamentals needed to produce your very own game art demo reel.
Vancouver Film School (VFS)- VFS offer a 1 year program in Game Design and you will receive a diploma in Game Design on successful completion of their program. Curriculum includes Game Theory, Level Design, Cinematics, 3D modeling in 3DS Max, Scripting, Motion Capture, Storyboarding, Flash, Creative Writing and Team Management.
Collins College- Collins College offers a Bachelor’s of Art degree program that can be completed in as little as 10 months. Curriculum includes lessons in C++, Java, 3DS Max, Modelling, Level Design, and Programming.
Westwood College- Westwood offers a Bachelor’s of Science in Game Art & Design. Curriculum includes 3D Modeling, Animation, Color Theory, Cinematography, Art History, Creative Thinking, Psychology and Career Management. Westwood is one of the few game schools that teach both Maya and 3DS Max, which will allow you to work in your preferred format. Westwood also offers courses online, making it even easier for you to make that decision to start your education in Game Art & Design.
The Art Institutes (AI)- AI offers a 3 year Bachelor’s of Science degree in Game Art & Design. Curriculum includes Drawing, Perspective, Animation, Color Theory, Anatomy, Character and Level Design as well as Programming, Storyboarding and Networking.
Full Sail University- Full Sail offers a 21 month Bachelor’s of Science degree in Game Art and a separate Bachelor’s of Science degree in Game Development. Curriculum includes, Art History, Character Rigging, Animation, Demo Reel creation, English, Psychology, 3D Modeling, Level Design,Scripting, Linear Algebra, Engine Development, Programming, OpenGL and DirectX.