<p>I do not have the acceptance rates for these graduate programs.</p>
<p>YoHoYoHo, I have a typically uncommunicative son, but he did attend the CMU summer program in Game Design. Spent 6 weeks working at the ETC. He loved it, worked in a group on a game design, got a nice college recommendation out of it, it solidified his decision to pursue game design as his career. Wrote his college essay on the experience. Several of the other students from the program ended up at RIT also. I don’t have a whole lot of specifics though, sorry. I was interested in seeing how he did on his own on a college campus, getting up in the morning, eating in the cafeteria, etc, and felt a lot better about him going off to college after that.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info, mamabear. My S is uncommunicative as well.
Seattlemom, the reason that I was not considering digipen is because they do not have room and board facilities. Thus an OOS student must stay in a hotel and find transportation to digipen daily. Without rooming advisors or other students, I don’t think that S would make it to class in the AM.</p>
<p>MQD - thanks for sharing the data!!!</p>
<p>Anyone familiar with New England Institute of Technology? I saw it listed in to Top Ranked review put nothing here on CC.</p>
<p>Has anyone visited Becker recently…heading there next weekend. Would love to hear thoughts about it. Thanks!</p>
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<p>I remember working at a large computer company where the company offered tuition reimbursement for employees pursuing master’s degrees (usually evening programs) in technical subjects.</p>
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<p>What is the specific video game major at MIT?
[MIT</a> - Education](<a href=“http://web.mit.edu/education/]MIT”>Education | MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology)</p>
<p>In any case, MIT students might be lured into other fields like investment banking.</p>
<p>But don’t forget the point made several posts ago that a computer science major has similar options in the game industry as a game design major, while a game design major has more limited options in the non-game computer industry. A game job may be someone’s dream job, but it is better to have other options as well if one cannot get a game job, or it does not live up to the dreams.</p>
<p>Got it. I just thought the info was interesting. I also think the MIT folks might be heading into research. MIT Gambit in Singapore.</p>
<p>Not reporting the job data for UG says it all to me. </p>
<p>I am telling DD that an undergraduate Game Design degree is not a ticket to anything. It could be as good as a history degree so … make sure to attend an interdisciplinary program and get exposed to many things. Make sure your game design degree can set you up for a variety of fields that may or may not include CS. I think a Masters is important especially if neither CS or engineering are of interest (but attend a school which offers CS/engineering just in case you change your mind!)</p>
<p>Above data suggests that an undergraduate in gaming is unnecessary. Do your bachelors in whatever interests you and then earn a masters in the field if still a passion. Hopefully in 4 years, the path will be clearer. I suspect we will continue to loose the word “gaming” because of the narrow connotation.</p>
<p>I think the danger is in the narrow gaming programs that do not provide a broader university education. Gaming companies want educated people just like everyone else.</p>
<p>@YoHoYoHo - Didn’t know if you saw this or not - Here is a thread that gives some details about the summer program at RPI from the perspective of a former participant.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/rensselaer-polytechnic-institute/1468290-computer-game-development-academy.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/rensselaer-polytechnic-institute/1468290-computer-game-development-academy.html</a></p>
<p>From PCGamer/Princeton Review rankings 2013</p>
<p>Graduate Game Design programs by rank, % students who had jobs at graduation and number of students funded by research grants.</p>
<ol>
<li>USC - 100% - 20</li>
<li>Utah - 100% - 28</li>
<li>Drexel - 80% - 25</li>
<li>RIT - 100% - 48</li>
<li>U of Central Florida - 89% - 10</li>
<li>Digipen- 75% - 1</li>
<li>MIT - 35% - 6</li>
<li>UCSC - 82% - 38</li>
<li>Savannah - 87% - 0</li>
<li>SMU - 66% - 0</li>
<li>UT Dallas - 15% - 75</li>
<li>NYU - N/A - 10</li>
<li>Georgia Tech - 20% -10</li>
<li>Parsons - 90% - 7</li>
<li>DePaul - 13% - 1</li>
</ol>
<p>I’m coming to the discussion late, but just wanted to share a bit of info. My s1 went to USC majored in Interactive Media in their School of Cinematic Arts. I happy to answer questions if anyone wishes.</p>
<p>As for UG, every graduating senior from his class was hired, most before graduation. Many, like my son, with multiple job offers. From what we know specifically, salaries ranged from 45K to 6 figures. This depended in large part to the games the kids designed/produced while in school. With a core group of creative cohorts, many game jams, projects, industry internships, mentorships, and career showcases, the program was instrumental in the feeding frenzy of hiring. As an example, at the end of each semester, the major holds an event where seniors (and some others) showcase their in-progress games. At the fall semester show, a hiring exec from one company said they don’t wait for the spring showcase because no one is left to hire. </p>
<p>I agree with a lot of what has been posted about the hours, wages, and insecurity of working in a highly desired entertainment industry creative field. There is a high quantity of dues paying, luck, and flexibility needed to thrive. However, it is easier than ever for individuals to design and program their own iOS games, indie apps, and get some attention. This seems necessary beyond anything a student may do in college to make it in the interactive industry right now. </p>
<p>If a student is a CS type, loves coding, then majoring in CompSci is just right for them. However, if she/he is more interested in the creative end, I would second the opinion that the student get comfortable coding, too. Being able to develop a quick prototype in Unity or HTML5 is a great skill.</p>
<p>Madbean, I was hoping that you would show up!! :^D
Studentforever, thanks for the link about RPI. I hadn’t read it before.</p>
<p>Great … Thank you madbean!</p>
<p>Oldeng said this in a post for RPI</p>
<p>"I would be very reluctant to go into debt for the amounts you are talking about for any degree from any university. CS is particularly vulnerable because it is so easy to outsource the work overseas or get more H1-B engineers to do the work here…</p>
<p>…Because of the larger starting salaries for the video game majors, that major does better on the startin salary/annual tuition ratio test."</p>
<p>A CS major can work in a video game company – take a look at the job listings at video game companies and note that when degrees are expected, CS degrees are listed a lot more often than video game degrees. A video game major will have a harder time than a CS major finding work in a non-video-game computer company.</p>
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<p>That’s a pretty illogical statement. If CS work can be outsourced, so can most aspects of game design. At least with a CS degree, you have a much broader selection of job options.</p>
<p>And who says that video game majors receive larger starting salaries? The problem that I’ve been reading is rather that far too many students want to become video game designers, thereby putting a glut of candidates on the market relative to the spots available.</p>
<p>My S2 was very close to entering college as a video game design student. Through “gentle” urging from my wife and I, he decided to enter as a CS major. He is finishing up his 2nd year, and has not looked back. Through his CS classes, he has been exposed to many different things that have caught his interest. He has a terrific paid intern position set up this summer for a software company.</p>
<p>I agree with many of the posters…I think it will be much easier with a CS degree to go into different areas, rather than being pigeon-holed as a design major. Time will tell for him…</p>
<p>Great story! Keeping your options open is always good when looking at a field such as gaming that is changing so rapidly. Right now, gaming is heading to more of a social science discipline and who knows where the jobs will be. I doubt in the future that most game design majors will actually work for traditional game companies. </p>
<p>So who else is/will be hiring game design/interactive media majors if not gaming companies?</p>
<p>Every business will be hiring game designers. Google “gamification”. This month’s issue of Kiplinger’s had an interesting column about the gamification of the personal finance industry: [Making</a> Finances Fun](<a href=“Dropbox - Error - Simplify your life”>Dropbox - Error - Simplify your life). I’ve encouraged my son to look for gaming-related opportunities for a summer internship. So far tho he’s sticking with the traditional game developers, but experience is experience.</p>
<p>I’m not sure where people are getting their information but it is incredibly inaccurate. Game design right now is falling into a terrible position, most expect an industry crash as so many companies are closing or doing layoffs due to low sales, poor business practices, and cheap employees on contract.</p>
<p>Game design is rare to succeed in the degree department, but it is not a good profession at this time, especially with many forced to tasks low pay indie companies and places like EA having so much hatred it won worst company of America two times.</p>
<p>Game design and gamification are on different trajectories</p>