Game Design and Development College Scholarships
Take Your Hobby to the Next Level
Game design and development is exploding in the computer technology sector and schools are in heavy competition to launch the latest programs and attract top talent. If you're interested in game design and development you've entered an era of plentiful programs.
Game designers and developers come to the field from their interests as teens. Many students already have years of hobby game design to their credit and have a deep passion for the technology of interactive design. Professionals typically work in studios that produce their own brand of game and interactive software. Jobs are ultra-competitive and graduates with demonstrated talent are quickly snatched up by notable studios.
Scholarships
Emagination Game Design is a program created to give high school "gamers" the chance to take part in an intensive summer program of game design. Youth designers may even get the chance to show off their creations to professional game developers. Of interest to college bound gamers is Emagination's Rick Goodman Scholarship Program. Talented and motivated students interested in seriously pursuing game design may apply for scholarships that cover tuition.
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has launched one of the most avant-garde Game Design and Development programs among U.S. colleges. RIT has caught onto the momentum among advanced gamers and realized that many students and hobbyists were already creating their own indie games. Their creation of the Masters of Science in Game Design and Development has sent ripples through the technical college community. The program will offer scholarships to academically talented as well as those fluent in game design.
The summer seminar program on video game design hosted by University of Southern California (USC) gives student game designers the opportunity to gain access to the latest information pertinent to the video game industry. Students may apply for the USC Interactive Entertainment Summer Camp Scholarship by writing as essay on their interests in game design. Applications should be accompanied by recommendations from faculty and teachers.
Women gamers have been seriously underrepresented in the field, so in response to growing interest by women Southern Methodist University (SMU) has launched a new scholarship program in game design for women: Game Industry Scholarship for Women in partnership with WomenGamer.com. Applicants must not only demonstrate a talent for game design, but the award recipients must compete in an essay contest by articulating the contributions they hope to make to the gaming industry. The scholarship offers recipients up to the full cost for tuition and is funded by corporate sponsors.
The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) offers annual scholarships for students attending the Game Developers Conference. Qualified applicants must be full-time students in a game design program and a student member of the IGDA.
The University of Advancing Technology offers the following scholarships:
- Advancing Technology Awards go to students with an all around contribution to their field of study and to the campus community at large. Up to $750.
- George Throp Memorial Scholarship recognizes incoming students with outstanding academics and extracurricular involvement. Awards may be $1500 and are renewable.
- The Women in Technology Scholarship is designed to build gender equity into the technology industry, especially in the emerging field of game design and development. Women may qualify for up to $1000 each academic year.
- Karrlin Field Memorial Scholarships are awarded to women pursuing game design and development and express similar characteristics to Karrlin Field, a former student in the major who died from cystic fibrosis. Up to $2000 annually.
Microsoft is giving women game developers the leg up with scholarships to attend major annual gaming conferences, such as the Serious Games Summit. Female students enrolled in game design and development programs may apply for the fee waivers.
