Game Design School Programs in Virginia

Video game designers create the narrative, visual, and auditory elements of video games; they also program the software that brings games to life. In Virginia, programs are available in game design, computer engineering, computer science, graphic arts, and animation. Some programs are available as a concentration within a larger program.

Students interested in earning an education in game design may choose from bachelor's degree and graduate certificate programs, or opt to earn a minor in the field. Curriculum includes lab training on a range of computer programs that enable game design. Many programs include an internship, senior project, and/or portfolio development.

In the state of Virginia, there are six public and private non-profit institutions that offer relevant programs. Some of the game design and development schools/programs in Virginia listed below offer exclusive majors focusing on game design, whereas some of the institutions offer majors in computer science or animation that include a focus on game design. These video game design colleges in Virginia are profiled briefly below, followed with an informational chart outlining the school type and setting and tuition for the 2019-2020 academic year.

George Mason University

George Mason University in Fairfax is a four-year public institution with state-of-the-art facilities, competitions and programs designed to encourage the development of game design professionals. Among these is the Serious Games Institute, an industrial/educational partnership that fosters digital media clustering and training, research and business creation. GMU is one of the few colleges that offer video game design as a major. The bachelor's program in computer game design includes coursework in film and video music, computer programming, computer game platform analysis, and story design. This program culminates in a senior project and an internship. This program ranked #24 on collegechoice.com's 25 Best Bachelors in Game Design from November 2020.

Students may also elect to minor in game design, a program that provides a core foundation of skills in sound and music for games, animation and game development. Graduate students eligible for the master's program in computer science can also pursue a 12-credit graduate certificate in computer games technology.

Liberty University

Liberty University in Lynchburg is the largest institution of higher learning in Virginia. Established by the late Jerry Falwell, Sr., it is also one of the largest church-affiliated universities in the world. Students can learn skills related to game design by earning a B.S. in Studio and Digital Arts with a concentration in graphic design, which requires coursework in such topics as 2-D and 3-D graphics and animation, digital imaging and illustration and interactive multimedia. This program includes an internship. Liberty University received the second ranking on bestcolleges.com's Best Video Game Design Programs of 2020.

Lynchburg College

Lynchburg College is located in Lynchburg and offers small classes that combine traditional classroom education with experimental learning styles. Of the Virginia schools with game design programs, this institution's focus currently exists as part of the bachelor's degree program in computer science. In addition to classes covering such topics as programming languages, computer architecture and data structures, students may take an elective in game programming that introduces such concepts as 3-D graphics, special effects, geometric transformations and graphics engines. A computer science minor is also available.

Old Dominion University

As one of the publicly funded Virginia game design and development schools, Old Dominion offers two degree programs that would benefit students seeking a career as a game designer. The school is located in Norfolk. The Department of Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Engineering offers a B.S. program in modeling and simulation engineering, which provides instruction in technologies and methods that can be applied to gaming, including a course in game development. The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers a bachelor's degree program in computer engineering, with a concentration in modeling and simulation, medical imaging computer graphics and visualization. This track also includes a course in game development, along with courses in digital image processing and computer graphics.

Regent University

Located in Virginia Beach, Regent University is a Christian-affiliated, four-year university that offers a bachelor's program in animation. In addition to studying faith and learning, students take classes that support the school's educational goals in topics related to animation, including modeling and construction, conceptualization, digital cinematography, texturing, animation and postproduction. Specific classes include scriptwriting and storytelling, 2-D and 3-D animation, storyboarding, digital art and the animation business. An animation minor is also available.

Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University is a four-year public university in Richmond with graduate programs that U.S. News and World Report ranked 160th in National Universities in 2021. This institution offers a BFA in Fine Arts in Communication Arts that provides training in skills related to game design. Course topics include concept development, digital illustration, sequencing, computer graphics, 3D animation, and electronic animation. The curriculum also includes a course on game design, theory and practice. Seniors complete a major portfolio project and internship opportunities are available.