Best Game Design & Development Schools in the World
Game design and development is a broad field that combines the knowledge of computer science/programming, creative writing, and graphic design. It involves using creativity and design to develop a game for entertainment or educational purposes.
The gaming sector is an in-demand and evolving industry that is constantly looking for the best developers. Although one’s love for game design programs may be inborn, finding the best schools to turn this into knowledge is important.
This article will enlighten you about some of the top game design schools in the world.
Massachusetts Institute of Tech (MIT)
Established in 1861, MIT has a modern campus that extends across 168 acres alongside the Charles River.
Even though MIT does not have a dedicated school for game design, its Game Lab helps students who are interested in this field create their own program. By their nature, games require an interdisciplinary approach. However, approaches can vary depending on what the student wants.
For example, students interested in gaming designs, history, and educational aspects can focus on designing games through the comparative Media Studies department.
University of Southern California
Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, USC is a private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the oldest private research school in California and has a campus size of about 226 acres.
USC offers a four-year program in distinct areas of game development. At the undergraduate level, they offer both a Bachelor of Arts in Interactive Media & Gaming and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with an emphasis on Games. Those at the postgraduate level offer a Master of Fine Arts in Interactive Media & Gaming and an MSc in Computer Science that emphasizes Gaming.
University of Washington – Seattle
The University of Washington (UW) is a public research school in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1861 and is one of the oldest institutes on the West Coast. It has a 703-acre main campus located in the city’s University District.
The Allen School is one of the topmost game design colleges in the United States. Its prime labs engage in research spanning the fields of game science, system vision and augmented reality. The labs include the Animation Research Labs, the Reality Lab, the Graphics and Imaging Lab (GRAIL), and the Center for Game Science.
University of Tokyo
Established in 1977, the University of Tokyo is a student favorite. UTokyo, as it’s also known, was the pioneer Japanese university. As a top-rated university, UTokyo has bachelors degree programs in virtually all disciplines at both undergrad and postgraduate levels.
The Virtual Reality Education and Research Center of UTokyo was created to establish an international initiative in VR research and systems that utilize VR.
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Tech is one of the United States’ top-rated schools. With over 35,000 students spread across its main campus and branches in France and China, it’s quite easy to see why it’s also one of the largest.
GIT has a Bachelor of Science in Computational Media for aspiring game designers. This program covers several topics to make you an outstanding developer, including wellness, essential skills, humanities, science, math & tech, computational media, media tech, etc.
University College London
Founded in 1826 in the heart of London, UCL is London’s leading multidisciplinary university, with more than 13,000 staff and 42,000 students from 150 different countries. It is currently ranked 8th Worldwide (QS University Rankings 2023) and 2nd in the UK for research power (2021 Research Excellence Framework).
Their Digital design course is taught under the MA Digital Media: Production program. By applying theory-based game design concepts, such as loops and procedural rhetoric, students can explore various aspects of digital video-games production, including coding, UI design, animation controllers, and asset production.
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1827. U of T has three campuses – St. George, Mississauga, and Scarborough – located in and around Toronto. They form one of the best universities in Canada.
The University of Toronto has a Focus in Game Design (Major) program. This course combines several disciplines within computer science, including software engineering, graphic designers tools, artificial intelligence, and human interaction. It also incorporates economics, psychology, music, and creative writing elements.
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a top university in the UK. It is also a member of the Russell Group association, Universitas 21, the Association of Commonwealth academies, and the European University Association.
They offer a Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) program. The course is mainly research-oriented and intended for all interested training students, regardless of whether they have a science background or not. They would typically be trained under one or a combination of cybersecurity, human-computer interaction, and AI. They are also taught to code.
Nanyang Technological University
Young and research-intensive, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has 33,000 undergrads and postgraduate students in engineering, business, science, humanities, arts, and social sciences. Inaugurated on July 1, 1991, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) started as a teaching hub and has transformed into a research-intensive global school.
The CAVR (Center for Augmented and Virtual Reality) facilitates the Games Design Course at the School of Computer Science and Engineering (SCSE). The students in the course form teams, and each team will complete a prototype within two months as their Game Assignment Project.
Federal Institute of Tech Lausanne
The École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is a public research school located in Lausanne, Switzerland. It specializes in natural sciences and engineering. Research work at its GameLab spans the relationship between flicks and video games and the methodology to properly archive it, among many others.
Conclusion
The top game design colleges and academies offer various degrees in design and related fields to prepare students for careers in the game industry. The above article discussed the most prominent ten of those academies on the planet.
Author’s Biography
This article was written by Adam Johnson, a professional game developer and a writer from PapersOwl. He’s worked on several video game designs in many capacities, including as a senior developer and team supervisor. These days, he works part-time as a freelance technical writer dedicated to keeping folks informed about new developments in the gaming industry.
