School of Game Development

Attend the video game design school run by video game design professionals. As a School of Game Development student, you’ll experience the entire game production cycle—from creating concept art and UI & UX for games to coding for artificial intelligence (non-player character behavior) and virtual reality gaming experiences. Develop specialized skills that prepare you for cutting-edge careers in one of the most vibrant, multifaceted, and expansive industries ever.

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Game Development Degrees

At Academy of Art University’s game design school, you will receive a well-rounded education in the arts and sciences, with courses that cover techniques in game design, game programming, concept art, 3D modeling, animation, and more.

Game Development

AA BFA MA MFA

Game Programming

Tour of a Top Game Development School

Join concept artist Michael Buffington on a virtual POV tour of Academy of Art’s School of Game Development—one of the top game design schools in the nation. Meet the instructors, check out student work, explore our impressive eSports gaming room, and more.

Learn Online

Our revolutionary online courses provide the same rigorous education that we offer on campus with greater flexibility. Our online programs are purpose-built to deliver art and design courses. Study on your own time, at your own pace. Combine online and on-site classes. Find Out More

Developing Game Makers

Students in the Game Development Program prepare for a career in the video game industry through both traditional classroom environments and production-based collaborative classes. Our game design school offers four degree focuses: Concept Art, 3D Art, Game Design and Game Programming. By having these key major components of a Game Production pipeline, we have our senior level students come together in their final year to simulate an industry environment of collaborative game production.

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Your dream is within reach. Follow your heart and get started on the career of your dreams.

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Facilities & Technology

The latest in software and equipment is essential to preparing you to enter the game development workforce, which is why we keep up with current advancements in game development technology and industry practices. Whatever the pros are doing and whatever the pros are using is what you will find in our game design school.

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Virtual and Augmented Reality

At the Academy, we use technologies like the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive, and the Microsoft Hololens to push our understanding of what altered reality gaming experiences mean to players now, and where the medium will take us in the future.

Faculty

Our instructors don’t just teach you about the gaming industry, they are the gaming industry.

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David "Rez" Graham

David Goodwine

Filip Krstevski

Jamin Shoulet

Steven Goodale

Student Work

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Juan Angel

Game Development

Ayhan Aydogan

Game Development

Ricardo Caria

Game Development

Corey Hill

Game Development

Jin Whan Kim

Game Development

Marius Millar

Game Development

Li Sun

Game Development

Pei Zhang

Game Development

Alumni Success

Taylor Holmes

Ben Nadler

Duy Nguyen

Eric Simard

Kelsey Martin

Featured Alumni

Kelsey Martin

BFA Game Development

Concept Artist,

Telltale Games

I knew what I wanted to do pretty early. The big plus from the school was that because I learned a little bit about all aspects of game art in my first year, I ended up being qualified for a job I didn’t even aim for, which ended up being a really nice foot in the door.

KELSEY'S STORY

Industry Partnership

Blizzard Entertainment

Blizzard Entertainment partners with the game design school at Academy of Art University to provide lectures and student portfolio reviews. Many of our students have entered and won the annual Blizzard Student Art Contest, earning mentoring, internships and employment with Blizzard.

Careers in Game Development

As one of the top art and design schools in the country, Academy of Art University game development graduates have a range of opportunities to choose from. Our facilities, faculty, and hands-on learning approach are designed to provide you with the tools you need to succeed in this exciting industry. VIEW ALL CAREERS

Your career starts here.

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Or call 415-274-2222 to request more information about this program.

3D Character Artist

Bring characters to life as a 3D character modeler. You’ll build complex character models, organic meshes, and work across teams to rig, light, texture, and animate your creations.

Animation VFX

Animation and Visual Effects gives a game it’s personality. The most well-designed and crafted character doesn’t come to life until someone makes them move and give them some personality. Visual Effects, such as fire, laser blasts, and warp gates, grab the player and transport them to another world altogether.

Environment Concept Artist

Combine a playful imagination with a high degree of artistic skill. Concept and flush out all aspects of environmental design, from small props to full culture kits.

Game/Level Designer

Balance gameplay elements to keep games engaging. You will also improve systems, contribute to features, and participate in testing to create immersive worlds and evoke emotions.

Gameplay Programmer