As a form of entertainment, video games have taken over the world. From early pioneers like Pacman and Tetris to modern labels like Minecraft and Halo, games have become exponentially more complex. Today, there are more types of games you can imagine, and they can be enjoyed both on platforms made specifically for gaming, as well as on regular computers and smartphones.
Gaming is also a multibillion-dollar industry. Companies like Nintendo and EA are always on the lookout for talented graduates with game development expertise.
Video game development involves many areas of expertise, including programming, graphic design, and bug testing. As a developer, you’ll need to be both meticulous and creative. If you want to get into this field, here are seven universities that will equip you with the skills you need. In this article, we will be looking at the best schools for game development in the world!
What Degree Do You Need to Be a Game Developer?
To become a game developer, you need to at least have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related program. Game development requires a deep understanding of coding, especially programming languages like C, C++, and C#. By the time they get their degree, Computer Science and Software Engineering graduates will have acquired the necessary skills to become game developers, provided that they don’t solely rely on the curriculum of their university and put in the work themselves. If you are interested in finding some courses that are available to students from your countries in renowned universities worldwide, check out these Computer Science Courses, you can browse through our Open Courses Page to find out about all the courses that are available right now.
Top Game Development Schools
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Throughout its history, MIT has been one of the world’s premier institutions for science and technology as well as for game development. As an aspiring game developer, you can customize your degree program by getting in touch with the MIT Game Lab, which is run by the Department of Comparative Media Studies.
As making video games incorporates many areas of expertise, the Game Lab lets you take courses in computer science, media studies, psychology, and business. You will be awarded either an undergraduate or graduate degree in comparative media studies while gaining expertise in multiple fields.
While you can’t get a PhD in comparative media studies, MIT’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science offers doctoral studies for those who want to go into academia.
2. Stanford University
Studying in an excellent game development school in the world, Stanford University gives you both the technical knowledge you need to develop games and a supportive environment to help you bring them to the world. The College of Engineering offers computer science courses at the undergraduate, graduate, and PhD levels.
Besides its regular computer science programs, Stanford also has several free video lectures specifically about game design. This is a great place to start if you’d like to explore the field without having to commit.
What separates Stanford from other universities is that, besides teaching you the nuts and bolts of developing a game, it gives you the chance to take principles from video games and apply them to other areas of life. The Game Design Thinking (GDT) Research Group is dedicated to researching how concepts that emerged from gaming can impact healthcare, education, and many other fields.
3. Carnegie Mellon University
While Carnegie Mellon University offers computer science programs at all levels of education, its flagship program for game development is its Master of Entertainment Technology, which is offered through the Entertainment Technology Center. This program is unique to Carnegie Mellon. It emphasizes a collaborative approach to game development and encourages individual innovation.
At the undergraduate level, students can pair their computer science degree with courses or even a full minor degree from Integrated Design, Arts, and Technology (IDeATe). Options include game design, intelligent environments, and media design.
4. National University of Singapore
Given that Asia is at the forefront of video game development and consumption, it’s no surprise to find one of its best universities on this list. The National University of Singapore is known for its excellence in computer science and is considered as a leading school for game development in the world, thus should be strongly considered if you’re looking for a career in game development.
NUS Computing offers a wide range of undergraduate programs, but the most relevant one if you want to work with video games is the Bachelor of Computing in Computer Science since it lets you take a whole module in game development. You can even pair it with a Minor in Interactive Media Development.
Since graduate and doctoral programs are research-heavy, you can do a general master’s or PhD in computer science at NUS and focus your work on game development.
5. ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich’s Department of Computer Science is one of the best of its kind both in Europe and around the world. It offers programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and PhD levels that give students the tools they need to design games.
While ETH Zurich does not have a dedicated game development specialization, its Game Technology Center offers courses, supports projects by students, and regularly hosts talks by industry leaders. It also has ties to the Zurich University of the Arts, which offers a fully-fledged game design program. It should be noted that this program is taught in German.
6. University of California, Los Angeles
What’s special about UCLA is that you can get into an excellent game development school across the globe with a variety of majors as your starting point. Although the university is home to a world-class computer science department, the University of California, Los Angeles Game Lab supports game design projects by students from different backgrounds and areas of expertise. It’s a place that allows you to explore video games both as a science and an art.
UCLA’s location is also ideal. When it comes to the entertainment industry, of which gaming is part, it’s hard to think of a better place to study than Los Angeles.
7. New York University
While New York University offers computer science programs through the Tandon School of Engineering and the College of Arts and Science, it is one of the few universities that offers dedicated programs in game design. As a student at the Tisch School of the Arts, you can get both a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts and Master’s in Fine Arts in Game Design.
If you’re looking to work in academia, you can get a PhD in computer science and make game design the focus of your research. NYU offers an incredibly wide range of programs, so you’ll find something for you no matter where your interests lie.
We hope that this article on Best Game Development Schools in the World was helpful. To know more information about studying abroad, check out the Available Programs for International Students!
