CSC News
Game Design Program at NC State Ranks in Top 50 Again
The Game Design Program at NC State has been recognized as one of the “Top 50 Undergraduate Schools to Study Game Design for 2017” on The Princeton Review’s annual list which salutes the best schools in the U.S. and Canada. NC State ranked 7th on the list of public universities, and 38th overall.The Princeton Review selected the schools based on a survey it conducted in 2016 of 150 institutions in the U.S., Canada and abroad offering video game design coursework and/or degrees.
The company’s 40-question survey asked schools to report on everything from their academic offerings and faculty credentials to their graduates’ starting salaries and employment experience. Among criteria The Princeton Review weighed to make it’s selections: the school’s academics, facilities, career services, and technology.
Dr. Arnav Jhala, associate professor of computer science and co-director of the Digital Games Research Initiative said, “We are very happy to have our program recognized on this year’s top 50 list. NC State’s unique program includes courses taught in the top engineering and design colleges. Students in our gaming concentration have a solid foundation in the computer science curriculum, but their electives are focused on specific courses directly related to game design and development like computer graphics, artificial intelligence, and human-computer interaction. We are fortunate to have relationships with leading games companies like Epic Games, Red Storm Entertainment, Lockheed-Martin's Virtual Worlds Lab, Virtual Heroes, and others. Students also have access to award winning library facilities including game rooms, new hardware, and an excellent collection of games. Graduates are trained as excellent software developers and designers, and land jobs at large international companies like Epic Games, dynamic North Carolina game studios like Spark Plug Games, or start-ups they found themselves, like Mighty Rabbit Studios.”
“Game design is an exciting field and programs are springing up in colleges all over the world,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s Editor in Chief. “As we continue to help students find the best program for their needs and interests, we strongly recommend NC State and each of the other schools that made our 2017 ranking lists. These schools have outstanding faculties and great facilities which will give students the skills and experience they need to pursue a career in this dynamic and burgeoning field.”
The Princeton Review's full report on this project also features a companion list of "Top 25 Graduate Schools to Study Game Design for 2017." It includes profiles of the schools with application information and links to the school sites.
For the fifth consecutive year, The Princeton Review teamed up with PC Gamer, a monthly magazine published by Future plc as its reporting partner on this project. PC Gamer has a feature on the list in its May issue available on newsstands March 28. The feature has information on some of the schools' unique programs, class offerings, prominent professors, and alumni.
The Princeton Review developed its “Top Schools To Study Game Design" project in 2009 with assistance from a national advisory board that helped design the survey instrument and methodology. Board members included administrators and faculty from respected game design programs, and professionals from some of the top gaming companies.
For more information on the NC State Computer Science Department’s undergraduate concentration in game development, click here.
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