Overview
Game design is the process of designing the contents and rules of a video or computer game. These game design schools provide you with the knowledge and skills to design interesting games on computers play stations and mobile phones. Game designers are the people who ultimately bring life to the games.
Game designing schools offer undergraduate as well as graduate courses. The duration of these degrees vary from one year to four years, depending on the school you wish to study at and the program that you choose. The curriculum of the course includes video game design, prototyping, level design, visual development, game art, effects animation, character design, 3D modeling, prop modeling, computer animation, and advanced C++ programming for games.
Benefits
The major benefit of a game designing degree is that it provides an excellent professional and creative portfolio to showcase your talents. Game designing is for not only entertainment but also educational, cultural enrichment, and social interaction purposes. This vast field has plenty of opportunities that you can explore. Instead of working for an employer, you can opt to become a freelancer and work at your own studio.
An entry level designer receives an average salary of $43,000 per annum. With a few years of experience, game designers can expect an average salary of $70,000 annually.
Costs
Costs of pursuing a degree in game designing may vary from schools to school. For an associate degree, you may have to shell out $8,220 per annum. BFA in game design program costs around $4,600 per semester. The other fees include registration fee, book fee, housing, and extendable supplies.
Schools
Academy of Art, Devry University, Collins College, and ITT Technical College are some of the schools that provide bachelor's degree in game design.
Testing & Preparation
Students willing to pursue game designing course must be above 18 years of age and must have completed equivalent secondary or high school with a "C" average or better. Upper secondary and/or post secondary records must be submitted for admission. Students must be creative, innovative, and interested in video and computer games if they wish to study this program.
Financial Aid
Financial assistance is available in form of loans, grants, and scholarships. Grants and scholarships are preferred when compared to loans because they do not have to be returned. Collins College and Academy of Art offer financial assistance to deserving students. You can also apply to the Federal Student Aid for grants. Salli Mae offers student loans for those who wish to pursue higher education.
