Westwood College Online's Game Art and Design Program

When I found Westwood Online I was at the end of my proverbial rope. Jobless and disillusioned with the local college scene, I started to seek vocational training in IT. I knew I would never be truly happy with my job, but at least it would keep the bills paid, and being under such a tight money crunch at the time, I was willing to give up anything just to relieve the pressure. So I started searching for a quick program in which I could get certified. And while doing so, I just happened to stumble across Westwood College Online.

I admit I was skeptical at first. After seeing a few ads for 'game design' programs online and finding many of them to be just a few programming classes with a History of Electronic Media course thrown in for good measure, I wasn't counting on finding anything worthwhile at Westwood. But I signed up to receive information, and within the next two days I was awoken by an admissions representative. That afternoon, I was enrolled in Westwood College Online's Game Art and Design program.

The Program

The Game Art and Design program is a three year accelerated Bachelor's degree. About 70% of the program is curriculum-based, including classes such as Texture Mapping for Games and Game Design Process. About 25% is general education courses that you would get through any four year degree, and the remaining 5% is comprised of business, administration, and management courses.

Because the programs at Westwood are accelerated, the terms are only nine weeks long, with generally a week between terms. This can make for a pretty hectic schedule at times, and if you're not highly motivated I don't recommend it. But the benefit of having such an accelerated schedule as compared to the 12-18 week terms of traditional colleges is that you'll be shaving a year off of your degree program, getting you into a job that much quicker.

The first week of every term is always an introduction week in which students get to know their peers and their instructors. In an online environment, this is done through threaded discussions. Students also get a chance to review the syllabus and start out with some introductory assignments and a discussion topic. For example, the task list for the first week of my Image Editing for Games class involved manipulating a supplied picture, showing the skills we had acquired prior to the class, and getting a feel for the tools. We were also required to post in the discussion, describing our favorite game from a graphical standpoint.

Just like a standard university, midterms occur at the halfway point, usually in week 5 or 6, and finals occur in week 9. This won't always be an exam, and with curriculum courses it tends to be a project.

A Typical Week

Though my schooldays vary depending on the day of the week and the amount of work due, I follow a typical routine that likely applies to many students. I don't attend class within a certain timeframe, but I do tend to conform to my own rituals, and try to finish a certain daily task list before doing anything else. (Admittedly, I've often strayed from that task list in favor of playing a game or doing... anything else besides working, but I've always paid for it at the end of the week.)

When I log into the course home on Monday I go through all of my classes and view the discussion topics for that week. I make my initial response for each class, and then review the weekly assignments. I like to write out a schedule for the week, detailing when I will complete certain assignments. Then, depending on the workload, I tend to start off with a design-related task on Monday. For example, if I have an illustration due at the end of the week, I will start on that first, often using Monday to research the project. Throughout the week I work on and complete the rest of the coursework. If there are weekly quizzes, I tend to do them on Friday, just to stay consistent.

Because I'm quite a horrible procrastinator, I'm often doing work on Sunday, but when I first started at Westwood, I tried to plan my schedule so that my weekends would be free, and it generally worked. It's certainly possible, and it's not as difficult as you might think. It just requires a solid schedule and the dedication to stick to it. But if you don't stick to it, it's good to know you have that flexibility to be able to work on Sunday - up until 12am MST Monday, in fact! Though I don't recommend it. (Regardless of how many times I've done it.)

The Pros

I do believe Westwood is helping prepare me for a career in the industry, and not just through the coursework. I have certainly learned a great deal, including industry practices and process, a large amount of art theory applicable in many different areas, mastery over industry-level software, and much more. But I have also learned things that no textbook could teach. Through taking classes at Westwood, and in particular, taking online classes, I have learned the necessity of time management and proper planning. I have become self-motivated and highly dedicated thanks to a passion for my program, only fueled by enjoyable courses. And this from a lazy student who barely graduated high school.

Another key thing Westwood has given me is experience. I have created many different portfolio pieces, yes, but that could be done outside of school, at any time. Graduating from Westwood will prove to a potential employer that I am capable of finishing what I start, and that I have been trained and come prepared with knowledge of the industry. Aside from that, Westwood has inspired me to take my future into my own hands.

The Cons

I don't believe in painting a one-sided picture of anything, especially something as important as choosing where to attend college. It's not fair to potential students, and it's not fair to the school, as there's no measure by which to improve.

Westwood College is primarily a business school. Does that mean they're bringing in business majors to teach you about game design? Absolutely not. Instructors are appropriate to the industry, meaning if you are taking a Digital Illustration class, you're going to receive instruction from someone who works with Adobe Illustrator in their day to day job. But the design-related programs, especially the game development programs, are relatively new, and as with every new thing, there are always going to be a few stumbling blocks.

Then there's the stigma of the whole "online" school. People seem to think that Westwood's online program is somehow less relevant than its campus programs. They assume that the online program is for people who can't cut it in 'real college', which is always a bit surprising to me, considering the amount of self-discipline it takes to work without someone standing up in front of a classroom, giving you that "I'm disappointed in you" look. But I think there is some internal lack of belief in the online program, and it's certainly not helpful. One instructor mentioned that team projects conducted over the internet were essentially pointless, which doesn't give you much hope when you are meant to complete a massive team project in your senior year.

The only area in which I was truly dissatisfied with Westwood, however, was administration. I had a great admissions contact, and a wonderful student advisor. If not for her, I probably wouldn't even be in school still thanks to a bout of miscommunication between admissions, financial aid, and myself. My information was mishandled, resulting in a major scare in which my loans would have to be paid back starting in December, just four months after my enrollment. Fortunately, again thanks to my advisor (thanks Jenny!) and swift action on my part, the situation was cleared up in a timely manner before much damage was done past the fraying of my nerves.

A lot of bad press circulates about Westwood. I'm not going to be one of those people who attacks those that speak ill of the school and writes them off as being ignorant, because the truth is, it's an individual choice. You need to research any school that has a degree you like, because I can guarantee you that for every accolade and every bit of praise there is going to be negative press and attacks to match it. And both sides are just as inflated. In the end, you have to weigh the pros and cons for yourself.

The Verdict

Westwood is not the place for students who aren't willing to take their education into their own hands and self-motivate through it. It's not the place for someone who isn't willing to dedicate a good deal of time to their schoolwork. It's not for someone who isn't capable of independent research and learning. But then, neither is the game industry.

I can only speak of my own experience, and despite the financial aid and admissions mishaps, my true experience with Westwood - my courses - has been something I wouldn't trade. I enjoy and take value in the things I'm learning, and I know it's up to me to apply it.

If you expect Westwood to secretly keep the training wheels on your bike when you go out for your first ride, then you should look elsewhere. But if you're a self-motivated, dedicated, and independent-minded person who is passionate about getting into the game industry and driven enough to take your future into your own hands, then Westwood is a great way to learn what you'll need to get you where you want to be.