2022

What are the top game design programs in Louisiana for 2021?

Top Louisiana Game Design Schools - 2022 College Rankings
RankingSchoolCity
1Louisiana State UniversityBaton Rouge
2University of Louisiana at LafayetteLafayette
3Loyola University New OrleansNew Orleans

Our 2022 ranking of the top game design school programs in Louisiana. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.

1. Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Louisiana State University

The Master’s in Digital Media Arts & Engineering (MDMAE) at Louisiana State University (LSU) is part of the Division of Computer Science & Engineering in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Course examples for the program include Interactive Design, Rapid Prototyping, and Innovation, Digital Media Production & Management, and Advanced Programming & Digital Art. Halfway through the MDMAE program, students will complete a Digital Media Internship. During the final two semesters, students will work in teams to complete a Capstone Project. The MDMAE at LSU takes 22 months to complete, full-time.

LSU offers several complementary, interdisciplinary minors for students who are enrolled in other degree programs. The Digital Media Arts & Engineering Minor in Art (DMART) has Video Game Design, Interface Design Technology, Programming, Creative Coding, and Applied Interactive Graphics course options. The Digital Media Arts & Engineering Minor in Technology (DMAET). Course offerings are same as those offered in the DMART Program. Both minor programs require a minimum of 15 credit hours of study and successful completion of the Capstone Project.

Louisiana State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Founded in 1860, the school opened as the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy. Today LSU serves nearly 36,000 students and it is in the elite 1% of U.S. universities having land-, sea-, and space-grant designations. Louisiana State University offers more than 330 programs in 15 colleges and schools.

2. University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana
University of Louisiana at Lafayette

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette or UL) houses the Ray P. Authement College of Sciences. Here, within the college’s School of Computing & Informatics is an undergraduate Computer Science (CS) Program that provides a path to study game design. The ABET-accredited BS in CS with a Concentration in Video Game Design and Development features a curriculum designed for success. 

Course examples include Game Engine Algorithms and Architecture, Video Game Design and Development, Programming Languages, Human-Computer Interface Design, Scientific Computing, Computer Graphics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the Senior Project.  The program also offers coursework in areas such as storytelling and visual arts and design.

UL Lafayette BS in CS students will complete the Senior Project, which the design and development of an original game. Students will also have the opportunity to complete an industry internship and work on independent projects under faculty supervision in areas such as human-computer interaction (HCI), computer Graphics, and AI.

Graduates of the CS Program at University of Louisiana at Lafayette have career options such as game designer, programmer or developer, software developer, software engineer, and AI designer, among others.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Established in 1898 as the Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute, UL Lafayette serves more than 19,000 students, making it the second largest university in Louisiana. University of Louisiana at Lafayette offers more than 110 programs in 14 colleges and schools.

3. Loyola University New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana
Loyola University New Orleans

Loyola University New Orleans (Loyno) offers a BS in Computer Science (BS) with Game Programming and a BDes in Interactive Design. Programs are housed in the Math and Computer Science Department in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Department of Design in the College of Music and Media.

The Game Programming BS provides the opportunity for students to work with game companies to gain valuable skills and experience. Course examples for the program include Doing Things with Videogames, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Making Games, Videogames and Literature, Physics, Game as Art, and Media Play. Students will also take courses such as Computer Graphics, Programming Languages, and Data Structures & Algorithms. An internship is part of the program as well as a final project and portfolio.

In addition to careers in the games and entertainment industry, the Game Programming BS at Loyola University New Orleans prepares student for careers in industries such as Healthcare, the Military, Business, and Education.

In the Interactive Design BDes, students will explore, video game design, environmental design, app and web design, 3D printing, and object design, however, after the sophomore year, students can tailor the curriculum to match their goals by choosing courses across programs. Examples of required courses include Motion Design + Narrative, Interactive Design + Narrative, Professional Design Practice, and Ethics and Contracts. Students in this program, will complete the Design Internship and Design Capstone.

Graduates of the Game Programming and Interactive Design Programs at Loyola University New Orleans work in game design, development, and programming, game testing, software programming and design, multimedia and animation, web design, education and machine learning, among others.

Loyola University New Orleans is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Established in 1904 by Jesuit priests, the school opened as Loyola college. Today, Loyno is one of the nation’s 28 Jesuit colleges and universities and it is open to students of all faiths. Loyola University New Orleans serves around 4,550 students enrolled in 110 undergraduate programs and 36 graduate and professional programs across five colleges.

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