| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah |
| 2 | Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta |
| 3 | Kennesaw State University | Kennesaw |
| 4 | Georgia State University | Atlanta |
| 5 | Georgia Southern University | Statesboro |
Our 2022 ranking of the top game design school programs in Georgia. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
The Interactive Design and Game Development Program at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) offers degree programs at all levels for game designers. Housed in the SCAD School of Digital Media, undergraduate options include a BA in Digital Media with Game Development and Interactive Design Tracks, a BFA in Interactive Design and Game Development (IDGD), and Minors in Concept Design for Animation and Games, Game UX, Interactive Design and Game Development, Concept Art for Games, and Mobile and Interactive Design. Options for graduate students include MA and MFA degrees in IDGD. Programs are offered online via SCADnow, and at the Atlanta and Savannah campuses.
The School of Digital Media at SCAD provides opportunities for game design students gain hands-on experience through internships with local and national studios. Students will also work individually and in teams to complete projects in state-of-the art facilities such as the labs and SCAD Digital Media Center. And each quarter, students have the opportunity to interview and present their portfolios to professionals in the industry.
Past visitors have been affiliated with studios such as Electronic Arts (EA), Zynga, and Activision Blizzard. Graduates of the Interactive Design and Game Development Programs at Savannah College of Art and Design are routinely hired by these and other studios such as Epic Games, Sucker Punch Productions, and Firaxis Games, among others.
Savannah College of Art and Design is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). With more than 100 degree programs and 75+ minors and certificate options, SCAD has more degree programs and specializations than any other art and design college in the country. Founded in 1978, Savannah College of Art and Design serves more than 15,000 students across campuses in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, and Lacoste, France.
Georgia Institute of Technology (GeorgiaTech) offers programs for game designers in several colleges and schools. These academic units work together to advance the game community. In addition to the opportunity to select courses across departments, design students have access to the GVU Center Game Studio at GeorgiaTech, the Institute for People and Technology (IPaT), and international campuses in the world’s largest games industry—China.
The College of Computing and the School of Literature, Media, and Communication in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts offer a BS in Computational Media (BSCM), MS and PhD degrees in Digital Media and a Minor in Computing & Media. A BS/MS in Computer Science is also available.
The Computational Media Program at GeorgiaTech launched in 2004 with just one student. Today, the program serves more than 300 students, making it one of the school’s fastest growing programs. The BSCM Program offers focus areas such as Games, Interaction, and Narrative. Sample courses include Game Design as a Cultural Practice, Computer Animation, Principles of Interaction Design, and Constructing the Moving Image.
The Computing & Media Minor requires 19 credit hours of study, with elective course options such as Video Game Design and Programming, Digital Video Special Effects, and Information Visualization. Just a few required courses include Objects and Design, Computer Graphics, and Computer Organization and Programming.
Across all graduate level programs, courses may include Special Topics in Game Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Interactive Fiction, Experimental Media, Principles of Interactive Design, Pro-Seminar, and Project Studio. Graduate students will also complete an 8-10 week, full-time non-credit internship and a Thesis Project.
Graduates of the Digital and Computational Media Programs at Georgia Institute of Technology go on to establish successful careers in interactive design and game simulation, animation, special effects, robotics, and 3D modeling, among others.
Georgia Institute of Technology is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Founded in 1885, the school opened with just 129 students and one degree program—a BS in Mechanical Engineering. Today, GeorgiaTech serves nearly 40,000 students enrolled in more than 180 degree programs and minors in six distinct colleges and 28 schools.
Kennesaw State University (KSU) offers a BS and a Minor in Computer Game Design and Development, an MS in Software Engineering, and Graduate Certificates in Software Foundations, and Software Engineering. Housed in the College of Computing and Software Engineering’s (CCSE) Department of Software Engineering and Game Design and Development (SWEGD), the programs are accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET.
Department highlights include computing internship and co-op education opportunities, research assistantships, guest speakers, participation in Game Jams, and networking events featuring major companies and other entities. KSU has welcomed recent companies such as Microsoft, Infor, and Cox Communications.
The SWEGD Programs explore emerging areas such as massively multiplayer games (MMOG) and online games, human-computer interaction (HCI), modeling, simulation, artificial intelligence (AI), software engineering, 2D and 3D graphics, game theory, and digital media. Students may select a track within any concentration area. Options include Creative Content, Educational-Serious, Computer Science, Media-Production, Simulations-Informatics, and Planning-Management. A Custom Track allows students to choose nine credit hours of upper-level coursework from any area.
Course examples across majors and tracks include Fundamentals of Game Design and Game Design Lab, Computer Graphics and Multimedia, Digital Media and Interaction, Educational and Serious Game Design, Mobile and Casual Game Development, Professional Practices and Ethics, Application Extension and Scripting, 3D Modeling and Animation, Entertainment Media Production, Audio Production and Technology, and Production Pipeline and Asset Management.
For exceptional students, Kennesaw State University SWEGD offers a Double Owl Pathway that provides the opportunity to earn the BS and MS at an accelerated pace.
Graduates of the Kennesaw State University SWEGD Programs work in areas such as entertainment, education, and research. They hold titles such as Software Engineer, Game Designer, Game Developer, Software Designer, and Game Programmer, among others.
Kennesaw State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Founded in 1963 as a junior college, KSU serves nearly 43,000 students enrolled in over 170 degree programs in 11 colleges and KSU Journey Honors College. Kennesaw State University is one of the 50 largest public colleges in the U.S.
The Georgia State University (GSU) College of Arts and Sciences houses the Creative Media Industries Institute (CMII), which offers a BA in Game Design, a BS in Game Development, and a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) with a Concentration in Game Design and Development.
The BA combines the study of art with the development of software platforms for games. The BS covers programming, coding, and software design for students interested in game development or other areas such as animation, app development, and motion graphics. The BIS has two sequences: one designed for students who are interested in game development and the other for individuals interested in coding games.
Students in all GSU CMII programs have access to an advanced motion capture system, workshops, the Innovative Media Club, and the Georgia Game Developers Association; opportunities to collaborate with partners such as the Georgia Film Academy; and participation in the weekly Playtest—an immersive, hourlong gathering that explores game concepts, mechanics, and experiences. Internship opportunities with potential studios such as Turner Studios, Hi-Rez Studios, and KontrolFreek – Atlanta are also part of the program.
Georgia State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Founded in 1913, GSU houses six campuses, 12 colleges and schools, and more than 52,000 students from close to 130 nations and territories. The school offers more than 250 degree programs in 100 fields of study at the Downtown Atlanta Campus alone—the widest variety in the entire state.
Georgia Southern University (GSU) houses the College of Engineering and Computing, home to the Computer Science (CS) Department, which offers BS and MS degrees in Computer Science with a Game Programming Certificate. The nine credit hour certificate includes Animation, Game Programming, Computer Graphics, and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) courses. CS requirements include courses such as Programming, Software Engineering, Operating Systems, and Distributed Web Systems Design. A Computer Science Capstone is also part of the program.
The BS and MS Programs at Georgia Southern University provide experiential learning opportunities such as internships and co-ops, the opportunity to enroll in the accelerated Bachelors to Masters (ABM) after completing 75-95 credit hours in the BS, and the option to complete wither program at the Statesboro or Savannah campuses, or both.
Other features within the CS Department include mentorship opportunities, networking events with alumni and the College of Engineering and Computing Dean Mohammad Davoud, workshops, field trips to computing and engineering firms, paid research jobs at GSU, and participation in clubs such as the Aurora Game Development Club or Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).
Graduates of the Computer Science Programs at Georgia Southern University hold titles such as Video Game Developer, Computer Programmer, Software Developer, Web Developer, Quality Assurance Analyst/Tester, and Network Architect, among others.
Georgia Southern University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Established in 1906, this Top 10 military-friendly school serves nearly 27,000 students making it Georgia’s largest center of higher education south of Atlanta. Georgia Southern University offers approximately 140 different degree programs across three campuses (Statesboro, Savannah, Hinesville, Georgia) and 10 colleges.
