With the advent of the internet and much advanced cyber growth, young minds have become more inclined toward becoming tech-savvy. They not only want to consume more (games, movies, etc) but also to create more. Game design courses and game art courses have surged in popularity as more want to become the creators of tomorrow. Not just that, they want to learn all those skills in which a technological aspect can be incorporated, and their experiences can be made better. Let us take gaming, for example. As the emergence of internet technologies has taken place, children no longer want to sit back at home and just play online games. They also want to bring their fantasies and artistic imagery to life by creating and designing their own online games. This is why game design courses have been booming across many prestigious colleges and universities. In fact, many independent companies and institutions teach the best-in-class game art courses. One such example is MAGES which is an extraordinary game design school with plenty of game art courses to offer.
Online Gaming –
There have been plenty of games developed by many companies that allow children of all ages to choose a game according to their age and interest. Most of these online games are free. But have you ever wondered who develops these games and how these games reach the audience?
Children these days have vivid imaginations. They want to play the game they dream about. For example, if they dream about a warzone-like situation, they want to play arcade games. If they have an interest in logical sequencing and vocabulary building, they can play word games and puzzles. There are many such examples. Children nowadays are more addicted to Computer science, engineering, and Information technology, due to which they can also build their own games.
Many game design courses are offered by eminent game design schools that allow students not just to develop a game of their choice but provide them with all the necessary tools and technologies to utilize their imagination to the fullest.
Let us look at the top 10 game design schools.
Top 10 Game Design Schools –
MAGES Institute
MAGES Institute is a premier game design school offering students a variety of game art courses, game design courses, and more in the creative technology field. Having won multiple Rookies Awards (Game of the Year Runner Up 2021, Top 6 in Mobile Game Production, Rookies Certified School). Taught by industry professionals, Programs offered by MAGES Institute include are designed for a rich and meaningful career in their respective fields –
Diploma in Game Art
Diploma in Game Design and Technology
Diploma in Concept Art
Apart from these, they offer several short courses which are condensed and held part-time for hobbyists and enthusiasts to upskill.
The University of Southern California
USC is another good name, especially focussing on video game design. They offer four-degree programs which focus on different arenas of gaming. Two of these degrees are undergraduate, and the rest two are post-graduate programs. With this, they offer the overall package of a game design course.
The University of Utah
The University of Utah offers a unique combination of game design courses. Firstly, there is the Minor in games which teaches how games are made, followed by a Bachelor of Science in Games which teaches programming and design production of the game. Thirdly, a Masters of Entertainment Arts and Engineering offers 4 options – Game Arts, Game Engineering, Game Production, and Technical Art. After completing these three stages, the final stage is a dual MBA/MEAE Degree and a complete game art course package.
DigiPen Institute of Technology
With overall 30 years of teaching game development courses, the DigiPen Institute offers a BS in Computer Science and Game Design course that is especially for those students who love coding, storytelling, and gaming.
Rochester Institute of Technology
RIT offers various game art courses to almost 85% of students yearly. The special feature of RIT is its Cooperative Education Program. Video game college students are actually placed in full-time jobs in their field of study, where they can learn from other designers currently in the industry and really get a feel for what being a designer is like. This ensures the strengthening of a student’s resume and an exclusive experience of learning gaming and coding with experts.
Savannah College of Art and Design
Well known among industry circles, Savannah College is another great option. This college has unique and special facilities for students, like an AR/VR lab where students can access all the cutting-edge technologies to learn coding and game development. Also, the students of SCAD are involved in several gaming competitions, improving their overall learning and coding experience.
Drexel University
This university is more inclined towards making students learn hands-on gaming experience rather than rote memorization of theory. Secondly, they offer a six-month coop. This ensures that you have half a year’s worth of experience working in the field before you get your degree, making you much more likely to get hired either at the company you were already at or elsewhere.
Grand Canyon University
One of this university’s best features is it offers competitive and affordable education at a nominal cost. In fact, they haven’t increased their tuition fee since 2009, despite getting hundreds of students enrolled in various game art courses every year. Also, the faculty here is extremely experienced and learned.
Liberty University
The best feature of this college is that it has flexible class timing, ensuring maximum student participation. It is also one of the largest online universities in the USA.
Michigan State University
This university is also considered among the world’s top 10 game design schools, and it is populated densely by students from all over the world who are interested in coding and gaming. This college offers several game art courses which are quite affordable and knowledgeable. Also, with their hands-on practice policy, they offer the best placements to their students. The faculty support and the technological toolkit they provide make the students the best at what they do.