| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland Institute College of Art | Baltimore |
| 2 | University of Baltimore | Baltimore |
Our 2022 ranking of the top game design school programs in Maryland. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) game design program has BFA and Studio Minor options in Game Design and Interactive Arts. The Dolphin Design Center houses both programs and the Game Center, where students use state-of-the-art facilities and equipment to design games, animations, interactive art, and more. Course examples across programs include Game/Play, Level Design, Advanced 2D and 3D Game Design, Haptics and Optics, Narrative Design, Immersive Experience Lab, The Soundscape, Virtual Reality for Artists, and Immersive/Interactive Studio.
The Game Design and Interactive Arts BFA Programs require 120 credit hours of study. The MICA Minors require 15 credit hours. The Game Design Program includes 21 credit hours of studio electives, and the option to complete an internship or undergraduate teaching assistantship. In Senior Studio I-II, students will complete a professional game. Interactive Arts students will complete the Interactive Arts Thesis, several core studios, and nine hours of degree-enhancing studio electives. Students in all programs may add a Concentration in 3D Animation, Graphic Design, Illustration, or Sound Design.
MICA alumni go on to pursue graduate study, to positions at game design studios, or to launch their own companies. They work at Big Huge Games, Firaxis Games, and Sparkypants and in positions such as Art Director, Game Designer, Mobile App Designer, Interactive Designer, and Exhibit Designer, among others.
Maryland Institute College of Art is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). Founded in 1826, MICA is the nation’s oldest independent, continuously degree-granting college of art and design. The school serves 2,090 students enrolled in art and design programs that lead to a BFA, MA, MFA, or MPS degree.
University of Baltimore (UBalt) is home to the GameLab. Founded in 2014 and Funded by The University of Baltimore Foundation, the Lab is an educational research facility that explores the relationships between games and media, and society. The GameLab, which hosts workshops, art exhibitions, and visiting artists, is a complement to the BS in Simulation and Game Design, and other programs.
Established in 2003 and serving 150 students across two campuses, the BS in Simulation and Game Design is the oldest and largest game design program in the State of Maryland. Offered in the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences, the BS program has two specializations: Coding and Development, and Technical Art. Outside of the specializations, students will study 3D modeling and animation, applied game design theory, design of multiplayer games, computer programming, usability design, and games in education and other fields.
UBalt Game Design BS students may add an additional minor or enroll in the accelerated option that provides the opportunity to take up to nine graduate credits to apply towards the MS in Interaction Design and Information Architecture. The 36 credit hour MS prepares students for leadership positions such as creative director, senior interaction designer, user-experience manager, senior multimedia developer, and user research manager, among others.
Minor examples include Mobile Application and Development, Web Development, Business Management, and Entrepreneurship. The Simulation and Game Design Program concludes with an immersive Capstone Project that allows students to create a professional game or other project.
University of Baltimore BS and MS alumni can be found at companies such as Amazon, Google, Meta, Fastspot, Mindgrub, Instagram, and idFive.
University of Baltimore is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Founded in 1925 as a private night School of Law and College of Business Administration, UBalt joined the University System of Maryland in 1988. Serving 3,710 students from Maryland and across the U.S., UBalt offers more than 70 programs housed in the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Public Affairs, Merrick School of Business, and the School of Law.
