| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Ohio State University | Columbus |
| 2 | Miami University | Oxford |
| 3 | Columbus College of Art and Design | Columbus |
| 4 | Kent State University | Kent |
| 5 | Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland |
For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
The College of Engineering at The Ohio State University (OSU) houses the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, which conducts research on games and virtual environments. Current research includes developing serious games for the medical and scientific industries; identifying attributes and game design patterns; and enhancing the entertainment factor in all levels of games.
In addition to games and virtual environments research, the Department of Computer Science and Engineering Department provides several paths to study game design. Options include the BS, MS, and PhD in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) and the BS in Computer and Information Science (BS CIS) awarded through the College of Arts and Sciences. Students in all programs may specialize in Computer Graphics and Game Design (CGGD).
Course examples include Computer Game and Animation Techniques; Project-Design, Development, and Documentation of Interactive Systems; Real-Time Rendering; Virtual Reality; Advanced Computer Graphics; and Geometric Modeling. The culminating experience for the CGGD specialization is the Capstone in Game Design and Development or Computer Animation—student’s choice.
The College of Arts and Sciences at OSU houses the Department of Art, which has several additional options to study game design. Students can earn an Art BA; a BFA in Studio Art; or a Studio Art MFA with Thesis and Non-Thesis tracks. All programs allow students to add the Art and Technology emphasis, which includes courses in game art, storyboarding, animation, digital imaging, 3D modeling, and more. Courses take place at the collaborative Advanced Computing Center for Art and Design (ACCAD).
Part of OSU’s College of Arts and Sciences is the Department of Design, which houses a fully-funded, three-year MFA program with tracks in Art and Technology; Digital Animation and Interactive Media (DAIM); and Design Research and Development (DRD). Elective credits allow students in the DAIM and DRD tracks to study games.
The Art and Technology track is an interdisciplinary area that explores experimentation and new forms. Course examples include Special Topics in Art Games; Computer Animation; Sound and Image-Aspects of Art and Technology; New Media Robotics; 3D Modeling; and Digital Imaging. Courses for all tracks take place at the ACCAD.
Across all options, possible elective options include Game Design I-II; Video Games and Society; Games Virtual Modeling; Screenwriting, Art, and Technology; Computational Thinking in Context-Game Development or Image; Computer Vision for Human-Computer Interaction (HCI); Video Game Music; Artificial Intelligence (AI); Philosophy and Videogames; Computer Game Art and Design; Animation; and Esports and Game Studies. The culminating experience for the MFA program is the Thesis Project.
For students in other majors who would also like to study games, the College of Arts and Sciences has a 15 credit hour Game Studies minor. This interdisciplinary program has four focus areas including Technical/Coding; Create/Engagement; Social Analysis; and Critique/Interpretation. Students may select one.
Each area has a specific set of courses as follows: Technical Coding (Computer Game and Animation Techniques, and Capstone Design: Game Design and Development); Create/Engagement (Intermediate Game Design I-II, and Aspects of Art and Technology as it relates to videogame creation); Social Analysis (Human-Computer Interaction, Social Implications of Communication Technology, and Computer Interface and Human Identity); and Critique/Interpretation (Music of Video Games, Philosophy and Videogames, Special Topics in Film (focused on games), and The U.S. Experience-Writing About Videogames).
All Game Studies minors will complete the required core including Introduction to Game Design; Video Games and the Individual; and Video Games Analysis. Students may select the capstone as the culminating experience for the program.
Graduates of the CSE-CGGD, Art and Technology, and Games Studies programs at The Ohio State University are prepared to pursue careers in game design and development, entertainment, the broad technology industry, fine art, and the broad engineering industry among others. OSU alumni have been hired at places such as Pixar, Apple, Epic, Dell, HP, Boeing, Google, Nvidia, Microsoft, Nike, Cisco Systems, Intel, Piperworks Studios, IMG Sports Marketing, Creative Artworks, and Inked Brands.
The Ohio State University was established in 1870 as Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. The school serves approximately 66,900 students across campuses in Columbus (main), Lima, Mansfield, Marion, and Newark, Ohio. The school also houses the Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, Ohio. More than 200 majors, minors, and specializations are provided across 18 colleges and schools. The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) accredits the Ohio State University.
The College of Creative Arts at Miami University (Miami U) houses the Department of Emerging Technology in Business and Design (ETBD), which provides access to more than 50 games courses; an honors program with special course selections and the opportunity to work and collaborate with the same cohort for four years; and the ETBD internship program. Participation in the program is mandatory.
Students have access to more than 20 local game studios. Examples include Green Door Games, Max Gaming Technologies, SGM Games, Few Remain, Ganbaru Games, Funky Visions, Wraith Games, MouseMouse Media, Multivarious Games, and Aertherbyte Studios, Inc.
The ETBD Department also provides access to state-of-the-art production facilities and labs such as the Huge Immersive Virtual Environment (HIVE); John Smale Interactive Visualization Lab and Center; and the Esports Lounge and Arena.
Within the department is an Emerging Technology in Business and Design BA, and a Games and Simulation program with BS and minor options. The ETBD BA has Digital and Applied concentrations. Consisting of 63 credit hours, both concentrations allow students to study games through required courses. Students in the Digital concentration will also have opportunities enhance their game studies through electives.
Course examples for the Digital concentration include Introduction to Game Design; Intermediate Interaction Design; Introduction to Game Programming; Art and Digital Tools; and Introduction to Game Studies. Elective examples include Software Construction; Electronic Music; Software Engineering; and Visual Fundamentals-Design and Composition
The Applied concentration consists of courses such as Intermediate Interaction Design and Development; Introduction to Game Programming; Art and Digital Tools; Advanced Interaction Design and Development; Collaborative Laboratory; and Introduction to ETBD.
The Emerging Technology in Business and Design BA program culminates with the Senior Degree Project and Emerging Technology Practicum for the Digital concentration. Students in the Applied concentration may choose the practicum or project as the culminating experience for the program.
The Games and Simulation BS has concentrations in Game Art, Game Development, and Game Studies. Students in all concentrations will complete a total of 124 credit hours including 76 in the Games and Simulation major. Course examples include Introduction to Game Design; Intermediate Interaction Design and Development; Game Usability and Human Factors; Game Engine Scripting; Foundations in Digital 3-D Modeling and Animation; Writing for Games; Indie Game Development I-II; and Advanced Game Design.
Concentration areas are 21 credit hours, with a specific set of required courses for each. For example, Game Art students will take courses such as Observational Drawing and 3D Shading and Texturing. Game Development students will take courses such as Game Design and Implementation; Object-Oriented Programming; and Advanced Graphics and Game Engine Design. Game Studies students will take courses such as Rhetoric of Games; Research Methods in Games; and Games and Learning.
Optional electives allow students to develop advanced skills in game and software design. Course examples include Software Construction; Virtual Reality; Digital Experience Bootcamp; Artificial Intelligence; Software Engineering for User Interface and User Experience Design; and Algorithms.
The Games and Simulation BS program culminates with the 12 credit hour Capstone, consisting of Game Prototyping, Pipeline and Production (three credits); Game Preproduction (three credits); and Game Production (six credit hours). Upon completion of the Capstone, students will have an industry-ready game.
The cross-disciplinary Games and Simulation minor consists of 19 total credit hours, with collaborative courses between ETBD and the Art and Computer Science Departments. Electives allow students to explore particular areas of interest in games such as programming and writing for games. Required courses include Introduction to Game Studies; Introduction to Game Design; and Introduction to Game Careers.
Other course examples include Indie Game Development I-II; Digital 3D Modeling and Animation; Games and Learning; 3D Digital Sculpting; Writing for Games; and Introduction to Game Programming. The program culminates with a final project.
Graduates of the Game Design programs at Miami University often continue on to graduate school or pursue advanced roles in game design and development, film and animation, game mechanics and technology, visualization and simulations, digital marketing, and UX design, among others.
Miami U Game Design alumni have been hired at places such as Rockstar Games, Nintendo, Amazon Games, LucasArts, Activision Blizzard, Microsoft Studios, Google, ZeniMax Media, Gearbox Software, Zynga, Games+Learning+Society (GLS) Conference, Proctor & Gamble (P&G), and Oblong Industries.
Founded on February 2, 1809, Miami University is one of the oldest public universities in the U.S. Also an original Public Ivy, the school serves approximately 18,620 students across campuses in Oxford (main), Hamilton, Middletown, and West Chester, Ohio. The school also has an overseas location—the John E. Dolibois European campus in Differdange, Luxembourg—that welcomes around 220 students annually.
Miami University Ohio provides 200 majors and minors in more than 120 areas of study, along with over 70 master’s and doctoral degree programs. Miami U’s regional campuses also provide a variety of associate degree programs. All other programs are housed across seven academic colleges and schools. Miami University Ohio is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD) is one of approximately 328 schools accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The school also requires all undergraduates to complete the First-Year Experience (FYE). During this introductory year, students will collaborate with peers on projects and take courses such as Systems of Drawing; 2D Creative Spaces; 3D Making with Care; and Drawing for Entertainment Design. Upon completion of the FYE CCAD students will advance into their major course of study.
For students seeking a game design degree, CCAD houses a Game Art and Design BFA. Program benefits include participation in community game forums; courses and projects led by expert faculty members; participation in game jams; the CCAD Internship Program; visiting artists; participation in student-led organizations such as the Game Development Guild, the Tabletop/Role Play Game Club, and the Battle Game Alliance; and participation in regional events such as the annual tabletop gaming convention—Origins Game Fair, and GDEX (gaming expo).
Students in the program also have access to state-of-the-art labs, equipment, and facilities such as the Cloyd Family Animation Center's Stop Motion Lab; play-testing areas; sound rooms and editing suites; tetherless VR and AR kits; Makey Makey and Arduino alternative controller kits; and Mac and PC computer labs outfitted with the latest industry-standard software.
Course examples for the program include Introduction to Game Art and Design; Game Theory and Design; Tabletop Rules at Play; Level Design for Games; Programming for Play; Game Art Production; Digital Playscapes; History of Games; and Pipeline to Product Fundamentals.
for the CCAD Game Art and Design BFA program culminates with the Game Pipeline Capstone I and Game Projects Capstone II courses. Graduates are prepared to pursue positions in all areas of game design and development. Program alumni have been hired at places such as Electronic Arts (EA), Insomniac Games, Riot Games, Multivarious Games, Google, Nike, McGraw-Hill Education, BioWare, GuessworkVR, AfroDuck Studios, Mindstream Interactive, Super77, Legio Vox Studios, and GameU.
Columbus Art School was established in 1879 by five women who had been prohibited from taking art classes alongside men. When it opened, the school had just six students. Serving more than 1,000 students, Columbus Art School is now known as Columbus College of Art and Design. Students at this private, nonprofit art and design college have access to BFAs in nine programs, 19 minors, and one graduate program across more than 10 departments.
Columbus College of Art and Design is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The school is also affiliated with the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD).
The College of Applied and Technical Studies (CATS) at Kent State University (Kent State or KSU) provides more than 30 undergraduate programs, six minors, and 20 certificate programs. This includes an Animation Game Design BS (AGD BS) and a Game Design minor. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), the AGD BS allows students to concentrate in Game Design or Animation at the Kent, Stark, or Tuscarawas campus.
The Game Design concentration consists of 18 focused credits, with 24 in the major. Students will learn to create games for entertainment, simulations, education, and training using industry software and technologies for 3D models, digital sculpting, 2D graphics, and traditional animation. Students will also learn to create digital media works such as virtual reality environments and cartoons.
Major course examples include Gaming and Culture; Modeling and Texturing I; Animation Theory; Fundamentals of Mixed Reality; Two Dimensional Graphics; and Digital Sculpting. Concentration requirements include Environmental Game Design; Modeling for Architecture; Interactive Game Design; Competitive Gaming; Multimedia and Game Design; and Games for Education.
Electives allow students to explore additional areas of interest within animation and games. Music Production I-II; Computer Science-Object Oriented Problem Solving; Animation Production and Visual Effects; Photography; Audio Recording; The Art of Acting; and Story for Picture are just a few elective examples.
All AGD BS students have the option to complete the Internship in Animation and Game Design or Individual Investigation in Animation and Game Design (three credits). The culminating experience for the program is the Senior Capstone Project or the Technical and Applied Studies Capstone—student’s choice.
The Game Design minor requires a minimum 21 credits. Course examples Environmental Game Design; Modeling and Texturing I-II; Competitive Gaming; Multimedia and Game Design; and Games for Education. Graduates of the AGD BS and Game Design minor are prepared to pursue roles in all areas of games for entertainment, animation and film, education, digital advertising, architecture, simulation, consulting, research, and education.
Program alumni have been hired at companies and studios such as Epic Games, DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Disney, ABC, R/GA New York, DNC Media, Ideastream Public Media, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Kent State University has an additional option for game designers seeking a program that focuses heavily on computer science. Housed in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Computer Science (CS) is the Computer Science BS. This ABET-accredited program has a Game Programming concentration that requires 19 credit hours of study.
Courses include Introduction to Game Programming; Computer Graphics; Game Engine Concepts; and Game Development Practicum. For the remaining credits, students may select courses from upper-division electives. Examples Software Engineering; Computer Science-Programming Patterns; Human-Robot Interaction; Human Computer Interaction (HCI); Internet of Things; and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The culminating experience for the KSU Computer Science BS with Game Programming is the Computer Science Capstone. Graduates of the Kent State University Computer Science BS program with are prepared to pursue careers in areas such as game programming, software development, game development, game design and production, software engineering, serious games, and the broader technology industry.
Graduates have been hired at places such as Epic Games, Google, Riot Games, Amazon, Electronic Arts (EA), Ubisoft, and Activision Blizzard.
Kent State University was established in 1910 as a teacher-training school. Today, the school serves more than 41,000 students across eight campuses, 14 colleges, 22 departments, 16 schools, one division, and Kent State Online. Programs include more than 300 options leading to an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degree. Kent State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
The School of Engineering at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU or Case) is home to the Department of Computer and Data Science (CDS). Within the department is a unique Computer Gaming minor with an introductory course co-taught with Cleveland Institute of Art’s (CIA) Game Design Department. During the course, students will complete programming assignments that explore Unity 3D game engine development and basic game design. Students will work in teams of four to create and publish a game prototype on CWRU’s itch.io.
Students from CIA and Case will also join together in teams of 10 (for an entire semester) to publish an original game itch.io. The School of Engineering holds an Arcade Day at the end of the semester, where invited guest judges will evaluate student games.
All Computer Gaming students have access to Think[box]—a seven-story, 50,000 square feet innovation center and makerspace; the Kevin Kranzusch Gaming, Simulation and Visualization Lab, outfitted with 20 Alienware PCs with Nvidia 1080GTX GPUs; an iOS and Android mobile App development room; the Oculus Rift and HoloLens development room; and a conference room. Students may also join the Case Esports Club, which is open to casual and competitive gamers, and complete a paid work experience through the Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program at Case School of Engineering.
While the Computer Gaming minor at Case is open to all students, it is popular among individuals in the Computer Science (CS) BA, BS, BA/MS, BS/MS and PhD programs. The Case School of Engineering CS program was established in 1987. Required courses for the BA are part of the CDS department. However, the College of Arts and Sciences at Case awards the CS BA.
Course examples for the minor and CS programs include Computer Game Design and Implementation; Play Anything-Theorizing Video Games; Advanced Algorithms; Programming, Human Cognition in Evolution and Development; Modeling and Simulation; Computer Vision; and Machine learning. The culminating experience is the Advanced Game Development Project.
Graduates of the CS programs with a Computer Gaming minor are prepared to pursue roles across the broader technology industry, game design and development, interactive simulations and training, digital advertising, visualization, animation and film, architecture, and more. Program alumni have been hired at major companies and studios such as Epic Games, Blizzard Entertainment, Riot Games, Boeing, NASA, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, IBM, Apple, Merck & Co., Intel, General Electric (GE), Cisco Systems, Oracle, Take-Two Interactive, Procter & Gamble (P&G), Motorola, Verizon, Eaton Corporation, Moen, and HP.
Established in 1826, Case Western Reserve University is an independent research university that serves approximately 12,475 students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. The school provides over 100 undergraduate programs, 160 graduate and professional options, and 145+ dual-degree programs across nine colleges and schools. Case Western Reserve University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and it is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU).
