NEW ENGLAND INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MAKES THE LIST OF
“TOP UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS TO STUDY VIDEO GAME DESIGN FOR 2013"
BY THE PRINCETON REVIEW
Dr. Thomas F. Wylie, Senior Vice President and Provost at New England Institute of Technology, announced that the college has earned a prestigious position on The Princeton Review's just published-list saluting the best undergraduate schools in the United States and Canada to study video game design for 2013.
Compiled by The Princeton Review, one of America’s best-known education services companies, the 2013 list names 15 undergraduate schools in rank order (1 to 15) and15 undergraduate schools as Honorable Mentions. The Company also reported a companion list of top graduate schools to study video game design for 2013 highlighting 15 graduate schools in rank order and five as Honorable Mentions. The listings are shown below.
The Princeton Review chose the schools based on a survey it conducted in the 2012-13 academic year of 150 programs at institutions offering video game design coursework and/or degrees in the United States and Canada. The Company's 50-question survey asked schools to report on a range of topics from academic offerings and faculty credentials to graduates’ employment and professional achievements. Among the criteria The Princeton Review weighed to make its selections included: the school curriculum, faculty, facilities, and infrastructure, plus career services, student scholarships, and financial aid.
According to Wylie, “We are so pleased to receive this distinction from The Princeton Review. Our gaming faculty works tirelessly with students enrolled in our associate and bachelor degree programs in game design and game development technology. Our hands-on approach to learning coupled with a dynamic curriculum plus exciting gaming events and workshops prepare our students well as they enter this exciting field.”
Said Robert Franek, Princeton Review Senior Vice President/Publisher, “It has long been our mission to help students find and get into the schools best for them. For students aspiring to become game designers, we highly recommend New England Institute of Technology as one of the best institutions to study and to launch a career in this field. We also salute the faculty and staff at New England Institute of Technology and the other schools on our 2013 lists for their exceptional academic and professional contributions to their students and to the industry of game design."
The Princeton Review's full report is accessible at www.princetonreview.com/game-design. It includes profiles of the schools with application information and links to the school sites.
This year, The Princeton Review partnered with PC Gamer, a monthly magazine published by Future US, as its reporting partner on this project. PC Gamer has a feature on the list in its May issue. It is now available at www.pcgamer.com, and will arrive in subscriber mailboxes in mid-March and on newsstands April 2. The feature has information on the schools' degree options, class offerings, prominent professors, and alumni, plus fun facts about the school programs.
The Princeton Review’s "Top 15 Undergraduate Schools To Study Video Game Design For 2013" are:
1. University of Utah (Salt Lake City, UT)
2. University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
3. DigiPen Institute of Technology (Redmond, WA)
4. Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY)
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)
6. Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA)
7. Shawnee State University (Portsmouth, OH)
8. Savannah College of Art and Design (Savannah, GA)
9. The Art Institute of Vancouver (Vancouver, British Columbia / CAN)
10. Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI)
11. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY)
12. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Worcester, MA)
13. Becker College (Worcester, MA)
14. New England Institute of Technology (East Greenwich, RI)
15. North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC)
Associate in Science Degree
The associate degree program in Game Development and Simulation Programming Technology will prepare students for entry-level careers in game programming, simulation programming, and software engineering as well as for entry-level positions in a variety of digital, desktop production environments.
Through a combination of theoretical and hands-on state-of-the-art laboratory experiences, small class sizes led by experienced instructors, the program emphasizes application of knowledge to the design and development of games and simulations in order to prepare students for the exciting field of game development as well as for the simulation industry.
Students will learn how to design games, will be introduced to the game development process, will hone people skills and communications skills through team-based projects and presentations, will master coding languages such as C++, and will learn the use of industry-standard software packages. An important component of the curriculum is building a portfolio that will include the 2D games developed by students. Graduates from this program will be eligible for entry-level positions such as junior game designer, quality assurance engineer, and junior programmer. This program also prepares students to further their education at the bachelor’s level.
Check out these links below:
Video game industry's need spurs schools to offer degree programs.
Program Mission, Goals, and Outcomes
Program Mission:
The mission of the Gaming Development and Simulation Programming Technology Associate’s Degree (GDSP AS) Program is to provide introductory preparation for students to become professional game programmers working in the game development or simulation industry and to prepare students for further education at the bachelor’s level.
Through a combination of theoretical and hands-on state-of-the-art laboratory experiences, and small class sizes led by experienced instructors, the program emphasizes the application of knowledge to the design and development of games and simulations.
Program Goals:
The GDSP AS program will provide the opportunities for students to learn the programming languages used for web, procedural, Object-oriented programming.
The GDSP AS program will provide the opportunities for students to learn design and troubleshooting by flowcharting or pseudo-coding, implementation by coding, analyzing and testing code, debugging, and documentation.
The GDSP AS program will provide the opportunities for students to learn the creation of 2D and 3D multimedia graphics animations and simulations.
The GDSP AS program will provide the opportunities for students to learn game design and publication including interactive game play, game balance, team development, and project management for several game genres.
The GDSP AS program will provide the opportunities for students to learn and understand the main components of a game engine and utilize popular commercial game engines.
The GDSP AS program will provide the opportunities for students to learn how to design and develop database driven structures and game applications.
The GDSP AS program will provide the opportunities for students to install in the student a sense of commitment to the game programming profession’s core values and ethics.
Program Outcomes:
Students will demonstrate web, procedural, and object-oriented programming skills using several programming languages
Students will flowchart, pseudo-code, analyze, code, test, debug, and document their game programs.
Students will develop 2D and 3D multimedia graphics animations and simulations.
Students form a team and will design and publish an interactive game that implements game balance and project management within several game genres.
Students will analyze and utilize industry standard game engine components.
Students will design and develop database driven structures and game applications.
Students will demonstrate professional oral and written communication skills, the ability to function as a member of a team, the ability to act ethically and responsibly, and respect for all people and cultures.
Courses Offered
Associate in Science Degree
GDS 110 Introduction to Game Programming
MWD 112 Digital Graphics
GDS 114 Introduction to Game Development
GDS 121 Intermediate Game Programming
GDS 125 Flash I
GDS 240 Game Design
GDS 131 Advanced Game Programming
GDS 132 Game Arts
GDS 135 Flash II
GDS 241 API Programming
GDS 242 Character Modeling
GDS 252 Algorithms and Data Structures
GDS 243 MOD
GDS 251 Introduction to Associate Capstone Project
GDS 261 Game Architecture
GDS 134 Game Persistence
GDS 263 Associate Capston Project
GDS 265 Portfolio Development
