Cogswell Polytechnical College's Digital Arts Engineering department covers both technical and graphic aspects of video game design. Students learn user interface design, environment building, level design, event and artificial intelligence scripting, user art and image effects, as well as overall game design. Prospective students must submit a portfolio of digital artwork and animation, high school or college transcripts, a recommendation form, and a personal essay along with an application. Student housing is available, as well as scholarships, grants and loans that help meet the costs of tuition.
Cogswell Polytechnical College
1175 Bordeaux Drive
Sunnyvale, CA 94089
800-264-7955
cogswell.edu
The Art Institute of California-Orange County offers a bachelor of science degree in game art and design. Students learn story boarding, character modeling and animation, 3-D scripting, camera techniques, level design, scripting languages, game play, project planning, drawing and 3-D animation. The curriculum is 192 credit hours and also includes three electives, social and behavioral sciences, math, science and the humanities.
Art Institute of California-Orange County
3601 West Sunflower Avenue
Santa Ana, CA 92704
800-557-7216
ai.artschools.com
University of Southern California offers a prestigious bachelor's degree in computer science with a specialty in game design. According to USA Today, USC has the top-ranked program in game design in the entire United States. The college is well-known for its Interactive Entertainment programs and Game Innovation lab, where students can design, play and make prototypes. The lab has ties with major industry developers and promotes creativity, research, play testing, game innovation and experimental genres.
University of Southern California
3601 Watt Wat GFS, Suite 227
Los Angeles, CA
213-740-1741
usc.edu