Hi. I am programmer, and have partly developed a 3D game with a team of other 3 people, using our own BSP engine, my job being collision detection and response, direct input, and the menu system. I want to further my studies, so I am looking for a college/school/university with any kind of degree Phd/Masters/Undergraduate that could teach me how to build graphics/physics engines, advanced graphic effects such as bump mapping, shadows, shaders, and possibly other areas of game programming like AI, scripting, sound, music, etc. Does anyone know of a certified degree?

You should search these forums for "school" or "college." You''ll get a ton of results as this question has been asked numerous times and you''ll find tons of info there.

In any case, www.digipen.edu is a good place to start.

Hey,

I recently went to the Full Sail: Real World Education (www.fullsail.edu) behind the scenes tour and was amazed. However, their "game design" degree was more emphasized on the programming aspect of game development and less on the design. So I choose to look somewhere else and found UAT (www.uat.edu or www.gamedegree.com) and they specialize in the artsy side of the development (as well as the technical side) and was pleased. But after emailing LaMothe he said that nothing can substitute a four-year university and suggested getting a major in computer science and a minor in 3D animation.

Hope that helps.

I would stay away from schools such as Fullsail and Digipen that claim to give you a "game programming" degree. The biggest problem I have with these schools is that they will not make you very marketable. You will end up with a very narrow skillset. Let''s say you get a job in the game industry and then decide a few years down the road you would rather do something else (you may start a family and need the security of a higher paying job in the business sector, hey these things happen ). You may have a much harder time getting a job than you would have if you had gotten a CS degree from a recognized university. Why limit yourself when you can get a much broader education for a lot less money? Go for a BS in computer science. Many universities offer elective courses in game programming and design, you just have to look through the course catalog. Of course no degree can guarantee you a job, but I think you will have a much better experience and give yourself more options if you go the traditional CS route. Good luck no matter what path you choose.

DigiPen offers a Bachelor of Science. It is not a "game degree."

If two years down the road you want to change to another field in computer science, your degree won''t matter much. By that time they''ll care more about your two years of experience and what sort of programming you did for those two years then a degree that you got at some school. Degrees are only good (and needed) to get your foot in the door (entry level), after that it''s all about experience.

That said, you can never go wrong getting a degree at a university. It''ll also be easier in many cases (take a look at the insane graduation requirements for a BS at DigiPen if you don''t believe me)

I''ve talked to a bunch of game developers and while they really don''t have an opinion on FullSail/Digipen for the most part. What I''ve noticed is it just comes down to your demo reel. Show them what you can do with your skills, a piece of paper doesn''t matter too much right now.

I will say the the Computer Science programs most schools offer are laughable at best and their are tons of CS majors out there with no jobs because the market is just flooded.

Also, DigiPen and FullSail''s employment rates after graduation are both well above 75% so they have to be doing something right.