11. Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York
According to Princeton Review (2013), Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is one of the World’s Top Schools for Game Design. The school’s game design programs rank fourth at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Established in 1829, RIT offers game design programs through the School of Interactive Games & Media (IGM) within the B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences. The School of IGM is one of the eight colleges of RIT.
The School of Interactive Games & Media offers BS degrees in Game Design & Development and New Media Interactive Development. A MS in Game Design & Development is also available, as well as two Academic Minors including Game Design & Development (GAMEDD-MN) and Game Design (GAMED-MN).
The School of Interactive Games & Media (IGM) recently added the Center for Media, Arts, Games, Interaction & Creativity (MAGIC), which is dedicated to the study of digital and creative media. Other IGM highlights include state-of-the-art production facilities, an annual Global Game Jam, and game development weekends.
Head over to the College of Imaging Arts & Sciences (CIAS) where you will find the prestigious School of Film & Animation. Program offerings include a BFA in Animation, a BS in Motion Picture Science, a BFA in Production, and a BFA/MFA in Film & Animation. Related CIAS programs include a BFA in 3D Digital Design and Graphic Design, BFA degrees in Illustration and New Media Design, BS degrees in New Media Interactive Development and Media Arts & Technology.
Rochester Institute of Technology also offers MFA degrees in Visual Communications Design, and Advanced Certificate in Web Development (formerly Interactive Multimedia Development). Many students enroll in the College of Computing and Information Sciences’ BS in Computer Science and take a variety of electives in the area of game design and development. Others complete the undergraduate Game Design and Development program before enrolling in the MS in Computer Science.
12. Becker College, Worcester, Massachusetts
Established in 1784 and home to around 2,081 students, Becker College is listed among the Best Undergraduate Schools for Video Game Design by Princeton Review. The school, which made the coveted list three years in a row, is the only college in the State of Massachusetts to accomplish this. The top program for aspiring game designers, and Becker’s number one major is the Bachelor of Arts degree in Interactive Media Design. Also called “Interactive Entertainment,” the program ranks “among the most innovative and best in the nation” according to Princeton Review.
The Interactive Media Design program offers two concentrations—Game Design and Game Development and Programming. The Game Design concentration offers a variety of animation courses and it prepares students for a career as game-play tester, conceptual artist, texture artist, 3D modeler, graphical user interface designer, and more. The Game Development and Programming concentration prepares students to work in the game industry as a game-play tester, game scripter, game coder, interactivity developer, and many other positions.
Becker College has another treat for the Game Designer population here. Founded in 2011, Massachusetts Digital Games Institute (MassDIGI), is the first video games institute to be established in the State of Massachusetts. The Institute was created to “help to foster the growth and continued collaboration among the local gaming community” and “to support entrepreneurship and strengthen the talent pipeline between higher education and the game industry.” MassDIGI accomplishes this through a variety of initiatives, services, and more.
The MassDIGI-created Summer Innovation Program (SIP) allows student teams to create and launch an original video game in seven short weeks, while MassDIGI’s Virtual Production Lab (VPL) offers a “complete development environment” that houses the latest game development technology for Console, PC, Social Gaming, and Mobile technologies. Becker College also offers a BA in Graphic Design.
13. Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Established in 1865, Cornell University the land-grant institution of New York State. This private, Ivy League institution ranks number 15 in the nation among National Universities by U.S. News & World Report and number 26 in Research Universities by Forbes. The school, which is home to 14,000 undergraduate students and 7,000+ graduate students, houses 10 schools as well as programs in Washington, D.C. and New York City. The Computing and Information Science Department at Cornell University’s main campus in Ithaca, is home of the Game Design Initiative at Cornell University (GDIAC).
The Initiative is “an interdisciplinary collaboration of students and faculty dedicated to the academic study of game design.” The program is the first game design program established at an Ivy League institution and it consists of a “highly-regarded” Minor program “for technical areas such as software development, technical game design, game analytics, and project management.”
Cornell University has another option for aspiring game designers as well as animators. The Cornell Department of Computer Science offers a competitive BS in Computer Graphics. The program offers study in areas such as Animation, Games, and Film Effects. The Department also offers several advanced degrees including the Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) and the Ph.D. in Computer Science. Students have 11 research areas to choose from. Just a few include Computer Graphics is the number one choice for aspiring game designers and developers.
Several related programs are available through Cornell University Department of Performing Arts, Schwartz Center of Performing Arts. Offerings include a BA in Performing & Media Arts with a Film & Media Production Course Sequence or a Design Sequence. The Film program is often combined with the Game Design Initiative program.
14. Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
Established in 1898, Northeastern University is home to some 21,000 students and more than 205 graduate and undergraduate programs offered through nine schools and colleges. The College of Arts, Media, and Design, Department of Art + Design is home to the school’s large collection of programs for aspiring game designers and animators.
The Department offers BFA degrees in Digital Art and Game Design, Digital Art and Interactive Media, Graphic Design and Game Design, Graphic Design and Interactive Media, Cinema Studies and Digital Art, Digital Art, and Graphic Design. The Department also offers several other viable options. Aspiring game designers may opt for the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Computer Science and Interactive Media or the BS Computer Science and Digital Art. A BS in Interactive Media and Music-Music Technology is also available.
Aspiring animators have a few worthy options as well. In addition to the design programs listed, the Department of Art + Design offers an Art and Design Minor and a BFA in Studio Art. The Minor features animation, drawing, imaging, video, forms, and tools coursework. The Studio Art program is a “joint program of Northeastern University and School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.” Through the program, students may study in the areas of Drawing, Film, Sound, and more. The Department also offers a MFA in Studio Art.
In addition to a large number of offerings for artists of all kinds, the 73-acre Northeastern campus is located in the heart of Boston. This ideal setting offers easy access to art, entertainment, and a variety of game design companies such Owlchemy Labs, Seven45 Studios, Zapdot, and Subaltern Games. Northeastern also has graduate campuses in Charlotte, North Carolina, launched in October 2011, and Seattle, Washington, which opened in January 2013.
15. Emerson College, Boston, Massachusetts
Located in the heart of Boston’s Theater District, Emerson College was founded in 1880 as an “independent, nondenominational college focused on communication and the arts in a liberal arts context.” The school, which sits on a 10-acre campus, ranks 13 in the 2013 edition of U.S. News & World Reports Best Colleges, Regional Universities (North). Home to nearly 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students, Emerson houses 10 academic departments offering more than 30 academic programs. Among these programs are several top programs for aspiring game designers and animators.
The Department of Visual & Media Arts offers both BA and BFA degrees in Animation & Motion Media, Interactive Media, Film, Experimental Media Production, Post-Production, Sound Design/Audio, Producing, Screenwriting, and Directing. A MFA in Media Art is also on the menu. All Emerson students have the opportunity to enroll in Emerson College, Los Angeles. This location features a residential study and internship program that offers easy access to major studios.
Emerson also has a semester abroad program that operates from a restored 14th-century medieval castle—Kasteel Well. This national historical monument is located in southeastern Holland near the German border, and roughly two hours from Düsseldorf, Amsterdam, and Brussels. Kasteel is around five hours from Paris, Milan, and Madrid, where students will participate in mandatory academic excursions, which will “expose students to the rich, artistic, historical, and cultural heritage of these European cities.”
16. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts
Established in 1865, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is a private, research institute that is home to one of the “earliest and top-ranked academic programs” in the game development field. According to Princeton Review, the school’s game development program is one of the top eight game design programs in the U.S. and Canada. The school, which sits on an 80-acre hilltop campus, just 35 miles from Boston, also ranks number 64 among all national doctoral universities by U.S. News & World Report, and it is home to the nation’s number one part-time MBA program, according to BusinessWeek.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is home to more than 5,500 graduate and undergraduate students, enrolled in more than 50 degree programs in the areas of science, engineering, technology, management, social sciences, and the humanities and arts. WPI programs lead to the BA, BS, MS, ME, MBA, and PhD degrees. The Division of Arts and Sciences, which awards degrees at levels, is home to the top-ranked BS, MS, and Minor in Interactive Media & Game Development (IMGD).
The Division’s Interactive Media & Game Development programs highlight content creation, design, programming, project management, and testing. Students will “create games, interactive fiction, virtual environments, art installations, collaborative performances—or invent entirely new forms of media.” Graduates will be prepared to enter the game design and development industry in positions such as game designer, animator, creative director, programmer, game artist, audio engineer, producer, quality assurance (QA) tester, and more.
17. University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth (UMass Dartmouth) began as two textile schools back in 1895. The two schools, New Bedford Textile School and the Bradford Durfee Textile School in Fall River became Southeastern Massachusetts Technological Institute (SMTI) in 1962 and Southeastern Massachusetts University (SMU) in 1969. In 1991, SMU became the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth when the University of Massachusetts combined its Amherst, Boston, and Worcester campuses with SMU and the University of Lowell.
Today, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is home to more than 9,000 students enrolled in 176 academic programs. The main campus, which sits on 710 acres, is home to the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA). The College offers a variety of graduate, undergraduate, and certificate programs for aspiring artists of all kinds, including aspiring animators and game artists. Offerings include a BFA in Visual Design with Digital Media, Graphic Design, and Illustration options.
The College of Visual and Performing Arts also offers a BFA and MFA in Fine Arts, and a MFA in Visual Design. Certificates in Fine Arts and Web Interaction and Design are also on the menu as well as minors in Drawing and Fine Arts. Because many game design companies also look for programming skills, some game design students opt for a Computer Science degree or Minor. The College of Engineering at UMass Dartmouth offers a BS in Computer Science, a BS/MS in Computer Science, which takes five years to complete, and a Computer Science Minor.
18. Corcoran College of Art + Design, Washington, DC
William Wilson Corcoran, founder of the Corcoran Gallery of Art (1869), set out to establish the Corcoran College of Art + Design (CCAD) in 1878. The school, which is one of the oldest art and design schools in the country, is the only college of art and design in Washington, D.C., and one of the few art schools in the country “fully-integrated with a world-class museum.” The Corcoran collection includes more than 17,000 works and objects.
Corcoran College of Art + Design has campuses in Downtown Washington D.C. and Georgetown and it is home to just over 600 students from the U.S. and 29 other countries. The school offers Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Master of Arts (MA), and Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degree programs. Undergraduate offerings include Associate of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Digital Media Design, Fine Art, and Graphic Design.
The Digital Media Design BFA focuses on “interactive design, motion graphics, animation, 3D modeling, character design, and digital filmmaking,” making it a top choice for aspiring animators and game artists. Graphic Design students study areas such as interactive design, web design, environmental design, and design for mobile devices, and Fine Arts students may choose a concentration such as Digital Media or Painting and Drawing.
19. The College of New Jersey, Ewing, New Jersey
Founded in 1855 as the New Jersey State Normal School, The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) is home to one of the nation’s top 50 undergraduate game design programs, ranked by Princeton Review and Gamepro Magazine. The College of New Jersey is also one of the 75 “Most Competitive” schools in the nation, according to Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges, and the number one public institution in the northern region of the country by U.S. News & World Report.
The school, which sits on a 289-acre campus, is home to 6,135 students, enrolled in more than 50 programs, throughout seven schools. The BA in Interactive Multimedia program (IMM) is offered through the School of the Arts & Communication. This top-ranked program consists of three major areas of interest including Interactive Computing, Digital Media, and Professional Writing. IMM students study everything from animation, game design and architecture, digital imaging to motion graphics, interactive storytelling, and video game programming. Students also learn to write stories and scripts for video games, animations, and movies.
In addition to a diverse curriculum, IMM offers a variety internship opportunities in the town of Ewing. NJ and the surrounding areas of Trenton (just five miles from Ewing), Princeton (10 miles), Philadelphia (35 miles), and New York (63 miles). The School of the Arts & Communication also offers an Interactive Multimedia Minor and a BFA and minors in Graphic Design and Digital Arts.
The School of Engineering has two additional options for game developers—the BS and a minor in Computer Engineering. The BS program curriculum features a number of creative design and computer graphics courses as well as independent study. The program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
20. Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, Boston, Massachusetts
The Lesley School was established in 1909 as a training school for aspiring kindergarten teachers. The school became Lesley College in 1945, and Lesley University in 2000. The Art Institute of Boston (AIB) was founded in 1912 and became a part of Lesley University in 1998. AIB at Lesley University is home to around 1,377 students, enrolled in a more than 15 BFA, MFA, Certificate, and Dual Degree programs.
The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University offers a BFA and a Certificate in Animation as well as a BFA in Design, Fine Arts, and Illustration. Dual Degree programs include BFAs in Design/Illustration, Design/Fine Arts, and Fine Arts/Illustration. AIB at Lesley also offers a low-residency MFA in Visual Arts.
Animation students have access to AIBs popular Animation Studio, which “has distinct spaces for its own animation computer stations, and for its down-shoot animation stations.” The Studio also has “an open studio space for drawing, screenings, and various stop-motion or live-shoot projects.” All students have access to AIB’s Computer Studios which offer state-of-the-art equipment for “learning and for producing comprehensive digital works.”
