Did you know? As an interactive design and game development student at Savannah College of Art and Design, you can study to become a level designer, game designer, or social media director. Learn more.
What are the top Louisiana game design programs for 2023?
| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana State University | Baton Rouge |
| 2 | Loyola University New Orleans | New Orleans |
| 3 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | Lafayette |
Our 2023 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 (LSU) has a Digital Media Arts & Engineering (DMAET) Program, which has several options for game designers. At the undergraduate level students can enroll in the DMAET or Digital Media Arts & Engineering Minor in Art (DMART). The minor programs are a collaboration between seven campus units at LSU. This includes the School of Art, School of Music, Manship School of Mass Communication, and the Departments of Computer Science, English, and Electrical & Computer Engineering. Both minors complement any art, computer science, or engineering program.
Students in the both interdisciplinary, 21 credit hour programs can choose from a variety of electives to support their goals. Examples include Video Game Design, Video Game Prototyping, Interactive Computer Graphics, Scientific Information Visualization, Creative Coding, Virtual Space and Motion, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), 3D Modeling, Digital Media Programming, Moving Image, Artificial Intelligence (AI), 3D Animation, Applied Interactive Graphics, Digital Arts I-IV, and Interface Design and Technology. Minor students must complete a Capstone Project to graduate.
At the graduate level, LSU’s Division of Computer Science & Engineering has a Master’s in Digital Media Arts & Engineering (MDMAE). Course examples for the program include Interactive Design, Rapid Prototyping & Innovation, Digital Media Production & Project Management, and Advanced Programming & Digital Art. Students in this program will use industry software tools such as Maya, Nuke, Unity, and Houdini, to create works.
Halfway through the LSU 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.
Louisiana State University was founded in 1860 as the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy. The flagship institution of the Louisiana State University System, LSU serves more than 35,000 students enrolled in over 330 programs across 18 colleges, schools, and centers, and LSU Online. Louisiana State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
2. Loyola University New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana
Loyola University New Orleans (Loyno) has several paths to study game design across a number of colleges and departments. Housed in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Math and Computer Science Department, the Loyno Computer Science (CS) BS has a Game Programming Concentration. And in the College of Music and Media’s Department of Design, games students can enroll in the Interactive Design BDes.
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 industries, the Game Programming BS at Loyola University New Orleans prepares student for careers in education, healthcare, and even the Military.
In the Interactive Design BDes, students will explore, video game design, environmental design, app and web design, 3D printing, and object design. After the sophomore year of the program, students can tailor the curriculum to match their goals by choosing courses across programs. Examples of required courses include Interactive Design + Narrative, Professional Design Practice, Motion Design + Narrative, and Ethics and Contracts. Loyno Interactive Design BDes, students will complete a Design Internship and the Design Capstone to graduate.
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.
Established in 1904, Loyola University New Orleans is a private, Jesuit university that serves around 4,550 students enrolled in nearly 150 programs across five colleges and through Loyola Online. Loyno is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
3. University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana
The Ray P. Authement College of Sciences at University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette or UL) houses the School of Computing & Informatics, home to the ABET-accredited Computer Science Program. Within the program is a BS option with a Concentration in Video Game Design and Development.
Course examples for the program include Video Game Design and Development, Programming in Java, Game Engine Algorithms and Architecture, Computer Graphics, Computer Interface Design, Programming in .NET/C#, Human- Scientific Computing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The program also offers coursework in areas such as visual arts and design, and storytelling.
Computer Science BS students at UL Lafayette will complete the Senior Project, which consists of 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), AI, and computer graphics.
Graduates of the Computer Science Program at University of Louisiana at Lafayette are prepared to pursue titles such as Game Designer, Game Programmer, Dame Developer, Software Developer, AI Designer, and Software Engineer.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette was established in 1898 as the Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute. The school serves approximately 18,865 students, making UL Lafayette the second largest university in Louisiana. A member of the University of Louisiana System, University of Louisiana at Lafayette provides more than 300 programs across 14 colleges and schools. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).