Online Game Design Degrees: Finding an Accredited Design School

If you are interested in a game design career, there are several degree paths to take. You can earn a degree in game design from an accredited technical college, multimedia school, or traditional college. You may also earn a degree in computer science with a game design focus, or a degree in multimedia art with a game design focus. A game design degree program or focus teaches students' game theory, storyboarding, game production, cinematics, 3D modeling, Flash, machinima, motion capture, advanced Flash, game mechanics, game interface design, and game audio.

Just about every technical school or art and design school offers the degree programs listed above. Most traditional colleges and universities have a technology department or art department that offers these programs as well. Fortunately, most traditional schools (whether art, technical, or standard), offer the option to take courses online. Depending in the institution, several formats may be available including traditional (entirely on-campus), online (entirely online), or blended format (both online and on-campus).

When applying for game design degree programs, all you have to do is check to make sure the school is accredited by a recognized agency. Some of the top agencies for online schools, technical schools, and art and design schools include the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), Distance Education Training Council (DETC), Council on Occupational Education (COE), and the Accrediting Commission for Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Other top agencies include the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

Top regional accrediting agencies include the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Visit the U.S. Department of Education at Ed.gov for additional listings.

Accredited game design degree programs should have the same curriculum requirements as some of the nations top schools. To see how your school's curriculum measures up, review the game design curriculum for a top technical school such as Caltech (California Institute of Technology). Compare Caltech's curriculum to the program you have chosen. If the curriculum for the program you have chosen omits major course requirements, and the school has not been accredited by a recognized agency, you should think twice before applying.

To learn more about online game design degrees, including curriculum and program info, visit Design Schools. To learn more about careers trends and salary potential for designers, visit the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics.