Any game design student should consider some of the great art schools around Canada, especially if they live anywhere in North America. Canada’s many provinces offer many individual art-based schools with excellent game design programs for those looking to join the industry. Alberta has its own list of great choices for prospective students, mostly in and around Calgary, that make for great experiences.
University of Calgary
Taking on the aspects of a general University, the Computer Science Degree with the Concentration in Computer Game Development at UC provides students with a game design program. Unlike art schools, typical Universities take on general classes with a more cemented curriculum, focusing on unique fields to better prepare for more specific job types. Not as many Universities offer a computer science pathway for Game design, so if you’re looking for a longer university experience as opposed to an art or liberal arts school, the University of Calgary may end up being the better education pathway for you.
The Concentration in Computer Game Design comes as secondary to the four-year Computer Science Degree to prepare students for any potential tech career. Students will learn general computer science with a healthy dose of game design. However, the concentration shines with its fantastic capstone that provides guidance and lectures from actual game developers as a unique resource. The capstone requires students to work as a team on an actual game using software on par with the development teams assisting them. The overall major takes classes from physics and math to fine arts, mass comm, and marketing. Any student looking for a well-rounded computer science degree and game development skills should make an application to the University of Calgary.
You can apply here on the application portal if you’re ready to apply. Note that if you aren’t a resident of Alberta, you will need to submit yours out-of-province application, which requires a different process with a unique deadline.
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
The Game Design Concentration under the Digital Media and IT degree program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology makes for another excellent pick for taking on a gaming industry-based career. Time-wise, this degree is a much faster one to two years compared to a four-year university degree program. As an on-campus degree, expect the typical class week system covering general topics and in-depth game design classes.
In NAIT’s Game Design Concentration, students will build a game level with many elements involved, from various 3D models and vehicles to more specific design aspects work. Students learn programs such as Unity, 3D Studio Max, and Adobe art programs, all of which see use by various game developers on a multitude of games. By completing your degree, you should be ready to apply and work your way into the industry at a major company.
Various career opportunities open up with a Digital Media and IT degree. Many students have gone on game art jobs, animation, audio, and general design positions. If you’re struggling to pick out an occupation, you could even sign up for a co-op program to work as a student intern and eventually a full-time designer, going directly from school to a job.
University of Alberta
Functionally, the joint certification between Arts and Science programs, the Computer Game Development pathway at the University of Alberta, stands as a secondary certification to whatever other degree you take. The course requires a set number of classes to take as a way to complement your degree and provide experience towards working in the gaming industry. This program applies to undergraduate students as a side quest to follow while working on a four-year degree.
The required classes for the certification include Music Tech, Game Programming, and Video Game Design in teaching, learning, understanding, and game writing. Within these programs, students will learn the skills to work in various potential careers, from design to production. As a foundation, this can be coupled with your general degree to develop whatever more specific career you want as a student.
While the certificate depends mainly on you managing to sign up to attend those classes, if you’re looking to go to the University of Alberta, the Computer Game Development certification makes for a great pivot to tailor your game design education to what you want as a student.
When ready, you can apply to the University of Alberta here! Ensure you have all the requirements and preparation done with all your fees and potential essays. Remember, Universities may take more effort to get accepted than an art school. Make sure your GPA is at least the average and that you’ve talked to your councilors so that they’ve sent your transcript. Some of the requirements may differ from an Art School as well. For instance, you probably won’t need a portfolio to go with your application.
MacEwan University
While not focused on game design, MacEwan University offers programs under its Computer Science Bachelor of Arts. Through it, students make opportunities to learn and experiment with game design. MacEwan most notably offers a game design club that you can participate in during your free time and a few potential classes to learn some of the major aspects of the career while you take your four-year degree.
If you’re looking to get into the gaming industry, starting with a computer science degree will help start you on a path and give you tons of abilities that could be useful at many jobs, both within and outside of a gaming-based career. The best way into any industry starts with connections you can find anywhere. MacEwan University may be an alternative route if you aim to learn as much as possible about technology and pick up some insights into the career path. The computer labs offered to CS majors may make a great place to work on gaming projects with tech like virtual reality head sets and software.
