What Will I Learn in a Video Game Design Degree Program?

For many, a career in video game design sounds like a pipe dream. Yet it can become a reality with a degree in video game design, hard work and a great portfolio. Through a video game design degree program, students will learn how to tackle both the creative elements of game design and those that involve programming and technology. To accomplish this, students will take courses in drawing, graphic design, animation, character art, texture art, level design, programming, finance and marketing. Because video games require so many types of skills to create, most students will choose a specialization and hone in on one aspect of game design they like best, whether related to business, technology or art.

BA in Game Production	BA in Game Design	Game Design Cert.

What Can I Do With a Video Game Design Degree?

From game testing to computer design, there is a wide range of general and specialized careers available to video game design students. Those who want to work directly on games may find themselves designing characters, backgrounds, textures or story lines for video games of all kinds. Those who prefer to stick to business may work with game marketing, testing, project management and public relations. And if technology is your thing, there are plenty of jobs to be had working with the latest computers and programming to build innovative and entertaining games. How graduates of a video game degree program use their education is pretty open and most will find ample career options.

What Is the Career Outlook for Video Game Design Degree Students?

Video game sales have gone through the roof in recent years, and even as the economy as a whole has slowed, game sales haven't. As games become more and more a part of everyday life and entertainment for millions of people around the world, more qualified graduates will be needed to design and build them and the market for job opportunities looks to be holding steady. What graduates can expect to make with a video game design degree will depend on the type of career they choose to pursue. Game programmers make on average $85,000 a year, animators and designers $69,000 and producers $82,000. Of course, starting salaries could be considerably lower or higher depending on your level of education and where you live.