This article originally appeared in Game Developer’s Game Career Guide 2006.
So you’ve decided you want to go to school for games. As difficult as that decision may have been, there’s an even tougher one ahead: What type of school to attend? There are three major types of educational institutions (excluding online universities), each with its own benefits and potential challenges: art schools, game-specific institutions, and traditional universities.
Art School
Dedicated art schools have recently begun to offer game-specific programs that not only allow you to learn how to make art for games, but also to design them. The Academy of Art University, located in San Francisco, is one such institution. Students are taught by industry professionals, and have access to the latest tools, as a number of the more prominent game tools providers have begun to offer student/educational prices.
"The classes are geared toward giving the students a solid background in the technique and theory of game creation from animation, to modeling, to level design, and so on,” says Todd Robinson, game lead for the animation department. “Special attention is paid to team projects so that students understand what it is like to work with other people on a single project.”
The Art Institute International (not to be confused with the Academy of Art) also offers game art and design programs across its 32 North American schools. Barbara L. Roberts, vice president and academic affairs specialist explains how the game art and design program grew out of the Institute’s animation department. “It became apparent several years ago that a new industry was developing, and that The Art Institutes were in position to combine the essential art and technology skills needed for game production.”
Indeed, art schools are well-positioned to instruct on certain aspects of game development, given their long history of 3D software and animation instruction.
Although art schools have a dedicated area of expertise, students aren’t given a free pass out of general education. At the Art Institutes, according to Roberts, “A game art and design student begins with foundation art courses (Fundamentals of Design, Drawing, etc.) and is required throughout the program to take 14 to 16 general education courses, such as English, art history, psychology, and math. The foundation courses are necessary, as drawing and design are integral to the program, and to earn a bachelor’s degree accreditation [each campus specifies] the amount of general education needed.”
Further, students don’t simply launch into game development from the start, but instead are asked to develop some baseline skills and knowledge first. At the Academy of Art University, for example, the curriculum has students study conventional media before approaching anything cutting edge. Robinson pegs this as one of the benefits of attending a dedicated art university. “All of our game students are required to have a good grounding in the traditional fine arts before they move on to digital work. The students also get to learn from professionals with a diverse gaming background.” These instructors are expected to keep up with the latest trends in games, and often still work in the industry.
