Game Art & Design Colleges

[Final Twilight]

Ugh this might sound completely and utterly ridiculous to some of you and some might find this interesting. But I can't seem to find any GOOD colleges that offer Game Art & Design as a degree.

The Art Institute Online - I have read so many bad reviews about this that its not funny and really not worth looking at anymore. They claim to say that they are the #4 top school in the world for this department, but reviews say otherwise. A lot of people say that they teach it without getting you up to par with the Industry standards.
Plus not to mention that taking an Online class doesn't appeal to me. I like the human interaction.

Westwood College - Here in Colorado I have a Westwood College in Denver that offers Game Art & Design. They claim that they get you prepared for the industry and even game companies around the nation. Now here is the bad part about this. Over the news, Westwood College has been one of the colleges that gives you a degree, but pushes you through as fast as they can. They pretty much take your money, get you through, and leave you hanging without a job.
Not to mention I am not comfortable going to a school like this in the first place.

Now those are the two colleges that always come up with this field. I wanted to know if any of you have found any really good colleges around the nation that would offer this field of study?

I have thought about going to Japan to study this in the next couple of years. I did find one place over there that offers a great education for this field, it is the Japan Electronics College.

Japan Electronics College - Other then it being one of the schools in Japan that probably primarily speaks Japanese and no english, I realize that I am probably gonna have to learn it, which is why I said that maybe in a couple years. It seems that they get numerous awards, they even go to TGS. They have such a variety of fields, and programs. It says most of their students who go on to getting a job are employed at Square-Enix, Sega, and Capcom (As far as the gaming industry goes).
I haven't been able to find any reviews, maybe because I am a bit of a lazy ass right now but if you have some input about this college please share. For those who would like to look at this college here is the link: http://www.jec.ac.jp/en/
Or you could go to the japanese website and go through google translate and find out a lot of information about this place. One thing I haven't found was tuition, but it seems I found that most students in Japan, the government pays for the education through scholarships.

Please let me read what you have to say, offer any ideas, or come up with alternatives. I would love to read it as well maybe some other people might.

[Kitmitsu]

Well we advertise Full Sail. I don't know much about it but I had a friend back in 2003 who was attending there. He seemed pretty happy with it. They also do online courses as well.

http://www.fullsail.edu/

[Oreruion]

I'm heading to Qantm College as soon as I can, they're an Australian college but I think they have other branches overseas too. They're SPECIFICALLY a game design/everything else college~
http://www.qantm.com.au/

[JmLopez]

Digipen is a pretty decent school too, located up in Redmond Washington right by Nintendo and Microsoft studios.

I remember reading that they are on good terms with nintendo and other studios and most graduates get a 50,000+ job right out of college.

https://www.digipen.edu/

[Oreruion]

Digipen is a pretty decent school too, located up in Redmond Washington right by Nintendo and Microsoft studios.

I remember reading that they are on good terms with nintendo and other studios and most graduates get a 50,000+ job right out of college.

https://www.digipen.edu/

O.O

Wow.

[Falsate]

I'm attending Westwood College for Game Art and Design. The tuition is 76K o.o.

Ofcourse, I just began so the price will be high for now. They actually teach you some great stuff, but it does seem as if it is just a push. You should note that you'll only get better by learning on your own time.

[Masa-Mune]

I'm attending Westwood College for Game Art and Design. The tuition is 76K o.o.

Ofcourse, I just began so the price will be high for now. They actually teach you some great stuff, but it does seem as if it is just a push. You should note that you'll only get better by learning on your own time.

I agree with that whole heartedly. I can tell you to avoid itt - technical colleges, bc they only offer game design degree programs in certain states (of course not in PA) and to be honest they are a complete ripoff.


Devry university i remember had an awe - inspiring campus in Fort Washington , Pa. But same as itt-tech they only offered the video game design course in certain states. If i wanted to pursue that course while living around here id have to take all of the other courses and programming courses for i think 2- 3 years then go out of state and really get into the good part , with every course pertaining to the video game industry , stuff like character design courses to script writing classes.

Idk i wish i could find a school (like digipen ) wholly dedicated to game design. But then i think to myself i probably wouldn't even be able to get in .Knowing what you are doing is one thing , buts its nothing without confidence in yourself.Which i still lack. (But thats just the stupid defeatist attitude i carry around still oh well maybe someday , or ill just figure out a new career path.)

Being in the video game industry always been a dream of mine since i was a kid. Up there with being in the NBA ,NFl becoming president , fighter jet pilot or wanting to work for square - enix . Mostly pipe dream stuff. (Plus i am not Japanese nor can i speak it fluently(yet). Anyways which i guess depending where you wanna end up in the video game world , matters .Ahem Konami/Capcom) -Sorry for the life story woops.

[Squirrel Emperor]

For art...

Try Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Many well known concept artists have graduated from here. http://www.artcenter.edu/

Or go to the newly opened school that Feng Zhu opened in Singapore. http://www.fzdschool.com/

It doesn't really matter what college you go to. Many great concept artists have fine arts degrees or degrees in something other then art and some don't even have a degree at all. I know a couple that got fine arts degree first for the basics and then go to another school that focuses more on what they want to do exactly. It's all about the portfolio, not the piece of paper in this field. Your teachers will get you up to speed and guide you in the right direction so things make better sense to you, but you have to be able to practice on your own time in order to get really good at it. That said, find a school that puts you in a motivated environment. Cause it's all practice. Just that the hard part is having the drive to sit down and do it.

I also suggest checking out some Gnomon Workshop DVD's. Training dvd's by some of the best professional artists that work in the entertainment industry. They are worth it!
http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com/

As for game design...

I wouldn't worry about that. I hear it's worthless, but getting better. People who major in game design are just bettering their skills as a game designer. Take game design courses on the side or minor in it or something. To actually be a game designer, it's about getting your foot in the door and working your way up the ladder and kissing ass. That in mind, focus on what ever your strong in. Art? Programming? That's what you should go to school for.

[Final Twilight]

Heheh, I do have to say that was a little informative cb9983. I do have to say that I did see that ITT Tech and Devry seemed to have failed miserably in this field compared to Westwood or AI but I don't necessarily think about them anymore >.>

I was looking at Full Sail University down in Florida and found it to be kind of interesting. Looked a little more in depth and then there just like "hey you get to pay for an apartment :)"...yeah...no. I don't know I still haven't gotten enough information about the place yet to make a full scale decision. Like I said it looks interesting and it might be a great place to go, but I am still gonna look at other colleges.

DigiPen looks actually fairly decent. Actually just this summer in July I went up to Washington and finally saw what Microsoft and Nintendo looked like. Just corporate buildings, and cars strategically placed in the middle of the road as Taxi's...I want to know who came up with that idea so I can shoot them. I did see DigiPen and didn't really know what it was so I am glad you reminded me to look it up but I didn't know that it was school for this kind of field 0.0'

Thanks for the information, if anyone has anymore I or others who are looking at this page would love to read it. :D

[Masa-Mune]

Heheh, I do have to say that was a little informative cb9983. I do have to say that I did see that ITT Tech and Devry seemed to have failed miserably in this field compared to Westwood or AI but I don't necessarily think about them anymore >.>

I was looking at Full Sail University down in Florida and found it to be kind of interesting. Looked a little more in depth and then there just like "hey you get to pay for an apartment :)"...yeah...no. I don't know I still haven't gotten enough information about the place yet to make a full scale decision. Like I said it looks interesting and it might be a great place to go, but I am still gonna look at other colleges.

DigiPen looks actually fairly decent. Actually just this summer in July I went up to Washington and finally saw what Microsoft and Nintendo looked like. Just corporate buildings, and cars strategically placed in the middle of the road as Taxi's...I want to know who came up with that idea so I can shoot them. I did see DigiPen and didn't really know what it was so I am glad you reminded me to look it up but I didn't know that it was school for this kind of field 0.0'

Thanks for the information, if anyone has anymore I or others who are looking at this page would love to read it. :D


honestly yea thats a good idea. But in defense of devry the campus i went to in pa was absolutely amazing , as far as equipment you get to work with there is all brand new and state of the art . I was in school for electronics for 4 years in HS and i was about to get into electronic engineering but never did . But if i ever wanted to get back into that major i would definitely think about going there just bc id love to mess around with all those lovely machines and other cool equipment .

[Falsate]

I would only suggest Gnomon after you get your B.S. Gnomon is really for those who want to refresh their skills and further their learning. A lot of the teachers do have their Fine Arts and they teach pretty well. Sometimes, I feel it's all planned out by the teachers to deceive students...

Speaking of deceived, don't let Full Sails technology fool you. They might have the guns down there, but you have to look past that. Their tuition cost nearly as much as Westwood College and you are enrolled in 21 Month program compared to Westwood's 36 month.

Sure, it might cost you maybe some thousands for gas, transportation, and food; however, that extra 15 months is the difference between you being the average entry level or that person who dreams and actually gets to work at places like Activision, EA, Square Enix, etc,.

[LittleVerdie]

I want to study at Qantum but it's too expensive for me XD

I went to RMIT on their Open Day and their Games Graphics Design program looks alright. But Swinburne is probably a better choice, if you're in the Melbourne/Victoria area, because you have to complete a cadetship to graduate.

[Shanana]

If you have to, instead of looking at game-specific courses, decide which branch of design you'd be most interested in doing. If it's concepts, go for an arts course. If it's modelling, look at digital media creation and design courses. If it's animating, look at animation courses.

They haven't always offered game courses at universities. Do things the old fashioned way, seems to have built up an all right industry so far.

[Falsate]

If you have to, instead of looking at game-specific courses, decide which branch of design you'd be most interested in doing. If it's concepts, go for an arts course. If it's modelling, look at digital media creation and design courses. If it's animating, look at animation courses.

They haven't always offered game courses at universities. Do things the old fashioned way, seems to have built up an all right industry so far.
This method is an efficient way to avoid loans in the end. The problem I find that sticks out the most is actually finding these courses. You'll end up having taken one course and can't find another which expands on the previous course. Dedicated people usually take their own time to experiment with the content they've been taught.

[LittleVerdie]

If you have to, instead of looking at game-specific courses, decide which branch of design you'd be most interested in doing. If it's concepts, go for an arts course. If it's modelling, look at digital media creation and design courses. If it's animating, look at animation courses.

They haven't always offered game courses at universities. Do things the old fashioned way, seems to have built up an all right industry so far.

I get what you mean - I know a general Graphics Design course would be a lot better for me than just limiting myself to gaming "art" and such, seeing as how I know I'll probably be sick of it in ten years time =[

[Masa-Mune]

You know whats weird is my community college offers some kind of video game design program but ive never really looked into it. I was thinking that might be a good way to make an introduction , plus i would get most of it covered by federal aid which i don't have to pay back . Might even get enough for books out of it. Ive spent sometime in a multimedia degree program i only spent a year though might just go for programing first see how that goes idk.

[Final Twilight]

If you have to, instead of looking at game-specific courses, decide which branch of design you'd be most interested in doing. If it's concepts, go for an arts course. If it's modelling, look at digital media creation and design courses. If it's animating, look at animation courses.

They haven't always offered game courses at universities. Do things the old fashioned way, seems to have built up an all right industry so far.

I have thought of that in the past. The best place for that would have to be at the CU Denver campus instead of CU Boulder. I was looking them up for some time trying to find a catalogue but I wasn't necessarily successful (at least for the academic year of 2009-2010). I did find a catalogue that was for last years academic year. I found a huge problem with the courses being offered there. All 12 courses that were offered for the 3D Graphics/Animation were about $4,050/class. Maybe its something I should look at for now but other then that I can't do anything about that other then start looking at financial aid.

I do understand what your saying Carbon about the amount of time difference between the colleges. In my opinion, I would have to say that it would probably not be the amount of time given but more of the quality and quantity of the work that was given to you in the amount of time that was allotted. So if Full Sail has a better education for this field then Westwood College, then I would rather sacrifice those 15 months and maybe practice on my own where I know I would be able to see definite improvement through other people and resources.

Squirrel Emperor I definitely see how that works in every job :D

[Falsate]

I have read about FullSail, all too well. Their labs are open 24/7 so students can come in and study where they need to. I'm pretty sure Westwood uses the same technology that Full Sail does, just not as advanced. You're going to end up using the same programs and resources for the Game Art and Design Course.

With that said, I'm fairly sure that you wouldn't be losing out on an extra 15 months for 4,000 more. In a case like this, there really isn't a quantity over quality because education is valuable period. I was looking at Full Sail back when I was in the 10th grade; I was very impressed, but moving all the way to Florida would be a hassle. Don't let anyone's technology fool you for believing they have "quality". Rest assured all colleges do have industry professionals who can teach, but are a bit reserved in what they teach.

[Squirrel Emperor]

I would only suggest Gnomon after you get your B.S. Gnomon is really for those who want to refresh their skills and further their learning. A lot of the teachers do have their Fine Arts and they teach pretty well. Sometimes, I feel it's all planned out by the teachers to deceive students...

Eh... Don't know too much about the school besides the fact that the teachers there all have industry experience and still do stuff in the entertainment industry. Experience is a requirement to teach there. They teach some basic courses from what I've read on their site. The school is located in LA, so the networking should be great.

Plus, they're passionate about what they do. Which is something all teachers should be. You don't want a teacher that isn't.

But I was talking about the DVDs and not the school. They have 2D and 3D training dvds that cover a wide range of topics from beginner to advance stuff. All made by some of the best artists in the industry.

If you want to learn 3DsMax, Maya and ZBrush, they got dvd's that introduce you to the software.

Should also note that Gnomon Workshop isn't the only place that sells training dvds, but they're one of the best sites. Maybe consider investing in some to either get yourself a head start or to brush up on basics and better your skills.

[Falsate]

I live in LA and when I'm in Art Class, the teacher always points out something about Gnomon. I barely heard about it this year too. After hearing much about it, I payed a visit to their site and the content showcased is incredible.

[Final Twilight]

Well no Carbon I was more talking about quality AND quantity, not quality over quantity. What I was saying was more if Full Sail offers the same curriculum with a better quality education and in less time, then I would sacrifice that 15 months that I would be taking at Westwood and practice on my own with other resources such as was what Squirrel Emperor has shown me.

Squirrel Emperor if they have things that would be beneficial for me as a beginner and may help me get a good jump start then I am probably gonna look at it. If they only offer resources for seasoned users of the programs then I may hold off on it and wait till after I finished classes for example after Full Sail.

[Squall_Leonhart]

I had no idea what I was doing in College for a bit then decided I really wanted to work in the Video Game industry on the art side of things and ended up changing my major. Graduated with a BA in Art. Now I'm saving money before trying to get into Gnomon's certificate program. If I don't get in then I'll probably just take courses there, but from what I've seen they are the type of school I'm looking for. From what I've heard a degree doesn't mean anything in the game industry, its all based on your demo reel/portfolio. Gnomon is taught by people that actually work in the industry so they know the workflow and the ins and outs of the business and are going to pass on their actual work experience which is invaluable. I always hated in College how so much of it didn't pertain to anything I was actually going to use in real world situations. I want hands-on teaching/training and I've heard this is what Gnomon does. Its also connected with Sony, so they can help you get a foot in the door.

[Falsate]

Well no Carbon I was more talking about quality AND quantity, not quality over quantity. What I was saying was more if Full Sail offers the same curriculum with a better quality education and in less time, then I would sacrifice that 15 months that I would be taking at Westwood and practice on my own with other resources such as was what Squirrel Emperor has shown me.

Squirrel Emperor if they have things that would be beneficial for me as a beginner and may help me get a good jump start then I am probably gonna look at it. If they only offer resources for seasoned users of the programs then I may hold off on it and wait till after I finished classes for example after Full Sail.
I believe that is basically saying Quality over quantity. It should be noted that spending time to learn things on your own is tedious and confusing. Sometimes, you may not even know where to start from especially with programming. So far, you haven't gave a valid reason to miss 15 months because Westwood has just the same quality. It will all vary based on student's experiences and you won't find anyone who has attended both.

There is an asshole load of Game Design and Development eBooks you could easily download. I won't say where exactly, but it has all the books you'd ever need. Dedication is what it takes from there..

Honestly, Full Sail certainly has the stylish looks and technology. If I lived with my relatives in Florida, I would go there. This is mostly about the convienience (Price and Output). You might want to consider the fact that networking plays a crucial role in the Game industry.

[Final Twilight]

I believe that is basically saying Quality over quantity. It should be noted that spending time to learn things on your own is tedious and confusing. Sometimes, you may not even know where to start from especially with programming. So far, you haven't gave a valid reason to miss 15 months because Westwood has just the same quality. It will all vary based on student's experiences and you won't find anyone who has attended both.

There is an asshole load of Game Design and Development eBooks you could easily download. I won't say where exactly, but it has all the books you'd ever need. Dedication is what it takes from there..

Honestly, Full Sail certainly has the stylish looks and technology. If I lived with my relatives in Florida, I would go there. This is mostly about the convienience (Price and Output). You might want to consider the fact that networking plays a crucial role in the Game industry.

No it isn't. Maybe I didn't make myself clear, I don't know what the quality of the education is like and I don't know what the quantity is like at either college. But if it takes 15 more months to get the proper education of someone who went to Full Sail rather then Westwood, then I would gladly sacrifice those 15 months to go onto something more beneficial for me.

So no it isn't Quality over Quantity. Same quality for both colleges (maybe), but takes longer at Westwood then Full Sail to get the same education. Why on earth would I take 15 more months to study something that I could have already learned when I could be going on to new things?

I wouldn't be going to Westwood anyway, seeing as they leave you with no job in the end...I definitely see the others' points when it comes studying a particular field like shuyu and Squirrel Emperor and you Carbon have pointed out, but if Westwood isn't gonna help anyone then I don't see why you would want to go.

I have such a horrible way of phrasing things, maybe I got it this time. I was just merely saying that Quality and Quantity are big to both colleges I realize that, but there are differences between them (colleges I mean).

[Astraia]

...i feel bad. :wtf:

i'd love to curse my country (phillipenis, lol) for not having a school with a game design course. The only art-related courses in my place are Multimedia Arts, and the usual Fine Arts courses.

I'm a fine arts student majoring in Advertising (yes, i knoe, it's so not related to video games) at a university known for its good fine arts curriculum. My course does almost everything, from painting, to advertising, photography and even fashion design....but still, no game related shiz. and judging from my poor anatomy skills, IT'S NOT ENOUGH.

I'll be moving to California in two years, and i'm planning to study again in order to pursue my lifelong dream which is to become a character designer.

Any school will do, as long as it's not too expensive (because i only come from an average family arghhh) and can promise a job placement after graduating. I'm really not familiar with the aforementioned schools since i'm from asia, so gaiz i need your help.....and encouragement. :aldo:

[Falsate]

No it isn't. Maybe I didn't make myself clear, I don't know what the quality of the education is like and I don't know what the quantity is like at either college. But if it takes 15 more months to get the proper education of someone who went to Full Sail rather then Westwood, then I would gladly sacrifice those 15 months to go onto something more beneficial for me.

So no it isn't Quality over Quantity. Same quality for both colleges (maybe), but takes longer at Westwood then Full Sail to get the same education. Why on earth would I take 15 more months to study something that I could have already learned when I could be going on to new things?

I wouldn't be going to Westwood anyway, seeing as they leave you with no job in the end...I definitely see the others' points when it comes studying a particular field like shuyu and Squirrel Emperor and you Carbon have pointed out, but if Westwood isn't gonna help anyone then I don't see why you would want to go.

I have such a horrible way of phrasing things, maybe I got it this time. I was just merely saying that Quality and Quantity are big to both colleges I realize that, but there are differences between them (colleges I mean).

First of all, you don't know what the cirriculum at Westwood College is and you don't have the knowledge (as of yet) to judge whether or not the quality is the same. You contradicted yourself already by stating Westwood College takes 15 more months than Full Sail, which is conveying they either teach at a slower pace or plainly takes longer.

Once more, how do you know if Westwood just allows the time to qo more into depth with their classes? You can look at this in both ways, period. Not just Westwood, but any other college that has a longer program than Full Sail. Yes, it is a mattter of you choosing quality; however, you consistently digress from defining exactly what you mean.

The way I see it is.. It all depends on your demo reel. I already have experience so I doubt there's a thing you vould tell me about a demo reel. One thing for sure is that it takes time. It seems like 21 months to prepare one is a bit fast? :/..

I'd rather spend the extra 15 months to take all the classes provided in the game art and design course than be worried about rushing. You must think Full Sail will automatically teach you how to texture and model like SE. No, that is not how it works. For all I know, 21 months is just about equal to an associates (in terms of length). Not saying that their course is, but it must be accelerated. Meaning they are the ones likely to rush you through the program.

I'm not arguing. Don't take this the wrong way, I'm only trying to reason.

[westwoodscammedme]

No matter where you choose to go to school, you should do plenty of research. Many of the for-profit schools like Westwood College are NOT regionally accredited and if you decide you want to change schools or go on to higher education after graduation, most other schools will NOT accept your credits from Westwood College. Even Westwood admits that. Why won't other schools accept their credits?

Next, you need to take a long hard look at yourself and decide if you think you can (or want to) actually PAY off a $70,000 or more student loan whether you graduate or not. If you get your dream job in video game design, how long will it take you to pay off the loans? What if you don't get that job?

There's a lot of info about Westwood at http://bit.ly/westwood

[Final Twilight]

I definitely agree with you Carbon that its mostly about your demo reel or your presentation. :)
But I did clearly state that I don't know what the curriculum is, and I did input the word "if" into my argument.
So far we have only been talking about these two schools besides other schools as a whole. We have gone more specific you could say. Saying that it would take 15 more months then Full Sail could very well mean that they do rush it. I'll accept that, totally and in fact maybe your right. But lets assume that to be the worst.

Sometimes I like to think that maybe this school would be more for the people who are purely dedicated to this field and maybe they don't mind the pace at which they are given. I am not entirely dedicated to the whole fact of rushing but I am kind of with the fact that if I could be using my time better in those 15 months learning something new and applying what I have learned, then I would rather go to Full Sail.

[Falsate]

Maybe we'll meet one day? :) GDC :O.

For the record, the guy above your post probably sent a harmful link.

[Final Twilight]

Haha! That would be interesting wouldn't it? I don't plan on opening that link but then again I got a mac so maybe I am a little safer...being biased here :P

[Falsate]

xDDD!!

I've read some things about Westwood. I have to say that I am not pleased with class being dismissed rather early than we are suppose to get out. The only time I would allow a "pass" for this would be in General Ed classes. :P

I have only just began so it is hard to actually judge how everything will work. All I can say is to join the clubs! Get noticed and network!! :o

Even though that guy probably won't return, Full Sail is "for profit" as well.

[Final Twilight]

I was also doing a little more research on Westwood and I am not happy with it in the first place. There are many complaints about this school.

I would definitely agree that I would rather get a pass for a gen ed class instead of what I really want to do as a class (if that makes sense). Although, if I am not ready for something like a presentation or homework assignment I wouldn't mind a pass :P

I think every school is always gonne be in it for profit, just need to weed out the ones that are actually worth going to.

[Käthe]

http://www.nuca.ac.uk/