<p>Hello everyone, I firstly want to thank this website with all of my heart from keeping me out of a VERY bad decision. I am currently looking for a college that offers Video-Game Design and Programming classes online (as I work 5 days a week), and have been getting desperate. I contacted the Art Institutes without doing any research, and paid for the application fee (50$). The guy I was talking to was very smooth with his words, which rose a few red flags for me. I searched around and found three separate threads on this forum that talked about peoples terrible experiences with this school, so I did my own research. Finding out none of my credits would transfer unless I attended at least 25% of my classes on campus was disheartening, and the complete opposite of what the recruiter told me. After he called back and I told him I wanted to explore all of my options, he ended up calling me an "idiot kid who doesn't understand the real world" and hung up.</p>
<p>So now I am here! Looking for some help!</p>
<p>As this site has already helped me out big time, I wanted to give you guys a couple questions to get some suggestions for the best possible school.</p>
<p>A quick preliminary. I am currently 19 years of age, turning 20 in February. My SAT Scores are pretty good, a 2140 in total (I honestly forget the specifics, took the SAT's my Junior year). My highest level math completed is regular Trigonometry with an A (96.2). I have completed all High School English's with a 94 or higher as well. I have taken the Computer Programming basics (with QBASIC) and HTML design lvl 1+2 in my High School and passed with a 98 on all three courses.</p>
<p>I am looking for a college that offers Video-Game Design and Computer Programming (bundled would be nice) online. To really add to this, I am looking for the BEST school, by accreditation and by the look of the papers post-graduate and in the job field. I eventually want to start my own business and plan on going to Bloomsberg University for Entrepreneurship just to get the basics, but at the moment I want my Game-Design degree. </p>
<p>If anyone can help me out, that would be wonderful. I've been looking for a good college for almost a year and a half now after I couldn't take the horrendous teachers at County (they taught for the slower kids), and I very much so want the best school out there for my major with online courses. I just appear to have no luck when it comes to searching for schools :[</p>
<p>By “County” do you mean you are at a community college in New Jersey or some place like that?</p>
<p>Why not just take the courses needed to transfer to one of your in-state public universities for the computer science major? Then transfer there and complete your bachelor’s degree in computer science including electives in artificial intelligence, graphics, art, and physics (mechanics).</p>
<p>The video game subarea is only a small part of the computer software industry; a general computer science degree will allow you to go there, but also allow you to take other computer software jobs, unlike a specialized game design degree. Note that the computer game companies have lots of job openings expecting people with computer science degrees, but few expecting people with game design degrees (check their web sites).</p>
<p>WPI in Worcester, MA and Becker College, also in Worcester, have excellent programs in this area. Check them out.</p>
<p>Awesome replies, thanks guys. @ucbalumnus Yes, I attended County College but it just wasn’t for me. I like a challenge and it felt as though I was learning middle school grade courses while being there. However, I haven’t tried to online courses yet, so I may need to give them a shot first. And that’s fantastic information, thank you. I just need the courses for video-game programming most of all, I know basic C++, but I feel a degree in the field would be much more helpful. The cheap software is also a bonus :D</p>
<p>@hilldweller Thanks for the suggestions, I’ll be checking them out right now!</p>
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<p>Community colleges often have low level courses for students who dropped out of high school early but want to turn themselves around educationally (they need such courses before taking the actual college level courses). Perhaps you just need to take the actual college level courses which are transferable to your state universities for the computer science degree programs, like:</p>
<p>Introductory computer science courses including data structures and computer organization
Discrete math
Calculus 1 and 2 (and perhaps 3)
Linear algebra (and perhaps differential equations)
College level English composition
Introductory electronics
Introductory calculus-based probability and statistics is required at some universities
Calculus-based physics is required at some universities
Breadth courses in arts, humanities, and social studies</p>
<p>If you have already taken college courses, then most universities see you as a transfer student, and most which admit transfer students prefer those coming in at the junior level (i.e. for computer science students, having completed most or all of the above).</p>
<p>That makes sense, though I do not want to transfer over as in all honestly I never finished the courses except the first computer concepts class (perfect score and I only showed up for the tests and submitted the homework online, that’s pretty sad). I took a look at a few more schools, however I can’t find a “good” school further than fullsail with an online computer sciences/programming degree. At this point I am even looking at basic certificates, but I can’t seem to find any reputable source. I just want to find a school with courses on computer programming on top of the basic computer sciences courses (the ones you aforementioned above). This is proving quite difficult.</p>
<p>Why must it be on-line?</p>
<p>Some on-line courses from reputable universities do exist (e.g. <a href=“https://www.edx.org/[/url]”>https://www.edx.org/</a> , <a href=“https://www.coursera.org/[/url]”>https://www.coursera.org/</a> ), although the credential of a degree may not be fully developed yet (but then the degrees at the for-profit on-line schools with smooth-talking sales representatives are held in pretty low regard by employers anyway). But if you just want to learn the material, you may want to look there.</p>
<p>I simply do not have the time to be honest. I am working full time to save for a new car and I’m banking half my paycheck each week for school, as well my location is very rural and even the nearest County College is 30 miles away. It’s too much gas to go twice a week, as well the courses there that I need are split up over all five days of the week in which I work a 10-6 shift :\ I would rather be in-class, though I just can’t at the moment. Online is much easier for myself. Thanks for the link to edx, I’m taking a look at it right now. More colleges need to put courses based around computers online, it would make life much more simple for me -.-</p>
<p>WPI’s Interactive Media and Game Design is NOT an online program.</p>
<p>Becker does not have an online B.S. program in game design, but it does have an online
**certificate **program for “adult learners”. Looking at the courses I don’t see how this would be sufficient to break into the industry when compared to a B.S. program. </p>
<p>[Certificate</a> in Game Design - Becker College](<a href=“http://www.becker.edu/academics/accelerated/degree-offerings/certificate-in-game-design]Certificate”>http://www.becker.edu/academics/accelerated/degree-offerings/certificate-in-game-design)</p>