Computer Science vs Game Programming Degree

You'll probably get moved into the Breaking In forum since this concerns a choice which would affect... ding ding ding, your chances on breaking in to the Game industry So give Mr Sloper a few until he notices and moves the thread for you (you probably shouldn't be cross posting).

Personally, I think I would take Computer Science over Game Programming

BA is for wimps get a BS

I don't know much about this but I'd assume that a general computer science degree and a game programming degree would be similar. I've not heard of many places with a specific degree for game programming most places I've looked into have computer science/software engineering and offer the options in upper level to focus in specific areas (such as game development).

MIT and CMU are definitely two extremely good schools for computer science. They are also extremely expensive. From what I've heard from my uncle essentially when getting jobs a degree is just to get you your first job and from there it's all based on experience. I wouldn't depend on a school to teach me what I need to be ahead of everyone else to be honest. In my case I didn't even take SAT subject tests (which prevented me from applying to those high-tier schools) but my knowledge from programming as a hobby has been able to get me a programming internship at CMU before I even started college and which I'm continuing through the school year (from PITT which is right next to CMU).

Moving to -ding ding ding- Breaking In. David, please scroll up and click this forum's FAQ, and read the articles there on what degree to get, what school to go to, etc. (section 3).

Thanks. That FAQ definitely answers all my questions.

BA is better. Today, recruiting will agree. Over-emphasis on certain topics as degraded the subject the topic is under. Nothing as come out of higher ranked schools for last 25 years.

BA is better. Today, recruiting will agree. Over-emphasis on certain topics as degraded the subject the topic is under. Nothing as come out of higher ranked schools for last 25 years.

I think I'll have to disagree specifically for a programmer.

BA "programming" degrees aren't held accountable to any set standards where CS degrees have mostly set accreditation standards for the skillsets their students leave school with. This has a huge impact on the expected performance of new hires. Ideally you'll have a portfolio that will overshine that, but that is not always the case.

There is also a HUGE lack of depth of knowledge for entry level programmers in the industry and as a cause a huge demand for those programmers. There is a surplus of programmers, but a huge deficit of good programmers. Go for the degree that will make you a better general programmer/software engineer and the skills will transition to game development more simply than the other way around.

The BA at my school was under the same accreditation as the BS. Had a few less CS/free electives and no calc 2/some other math in favor of business classes. Never presented any barrier to me on getting interviews or getting a job. I could never see myself being a code monkey at 40 so the additional business classes is boon in to getting in to management. I have more responsibility then people who have been at the job longer and are better programmers then me mostly because of my 'management' background.

It would be a waste to get two bachelor degrees that cover more or less the same thing. Getting a CS degree and then a masters at one of the game schools might be a viable option. But that masters probably won't help you much outside the game industry once you burn out and you would learn a lot more in two years of on the job experience then you ever would in the classroom.

My job won't even look at a resume from a game design school unless an employee can vouch for me. Whether or not its right, there is still a prevalent attitude that game design degrees aren't very good.

The BA at my school was under the same accreditation as the BS. Had a few less CS/free electives and no calc 2/some other math in favor of business classes. Never presented any barrier to me on getting interviews or getting a job. I could never see myself being a code monkey at 40 so the additional business classes is boon in to getting in to management. I have more responsibility then people who have been at the job longer and are better programmers then me mostly because of my 'management' background.

It would be a waste to get two bachelor degrees that cover more or less the same thing. Getting a CS degree and then a masters at one of the game schools might be a viable option. But that masters probably won't help you much outside the game industry once you burn out and you would learn a lot more in two years of on the job experience then you ever would in the classroom.

My job won't even look at a resume from a game design school unless an employee can vouch for me. Whether or not its right, there is still a prevalent attitude that game design degrees aren't very good.

I'd just quit goals of ranked university and get into a game programming school run by professionals.
At least, you'll get hands-on work beginning to end and practical mathematical education -- with excellent demonstrated and practical lessons and theoretical lectures. Then after few years work experience and I am sure they'll get you employed. go back and take some courses at a college. going through job listings on game producer home pages is endless filings after filings.

I'd just quit goals of ranked university and get into a game programming school run by professionals.
At least, you'll get hands-on work beginning to end and practical mathematical education -- with excellent demonstrated and practical lessons and theoretical lectures. Then after few years work experience and I am sure they'll get you employed. go back and take some courses at a college. going through job listings on game producer home pages is endless filings after filings.

While we're on the topic of things that work great in theory, lets all turn to communism.


Not all professionals are great teachers or vice versa. There is a large difference between someone who has knowledge and someone who is able to pass that knowledge. You could have a professor with an IQ of 200 that's made 50 AAA games and founded multiple game studios, but it doesn't really do a lot for you if you don't actually learn anything from them. This is only one of the problems with your fictional dream school.

[quote name='VJ01' timestamp='1317434563' post='4867830']
I'd just quit goals of ranked university and get into a game programming school run by professionals.
At least, you'll get hands-on work beginning to end and practical mathematical education -- with excellent demonstrated and practical lessons and theoretical lectures. Then after few years work experience and I am sure they'll get you employed. go back and take some courses at a college. going through job listings on game producer home pages is endless filings after filings.

While we're on the topic of things that work great in theory, lets all turn to communism.


Not all professionals are great teachers or vice versa. There is a large difference between someone who has knowledge and someone who is able to pass that knowledge. You could have a professor with an IQ of 200 that's made 50 AAA games and founded multiple game studios, but it doesn't really do a lot for you if you don't actually learn anything from them. This is only one of the problems with your fictional dream school.
[/quote]

Your fictional dream school is in every city. Where a F goes to C-. And a C to a B-. I dunno if there are other grades. Its not easy.

Your fictional dream school is in every city. Where a F goes to C-. And a C to a B-. I dunno if there are other grades. Its not easy.

What?

If you're picking the games course, you're chosing your career for a long time to come. Because if you want to switch into mainstream software engineering, you'll be competing against people with degrees in compsci from unis whose names everyone recognises.

As way2lazy2care up there comments -- developers? No probs. Chuck a brick, you'll hit three. Want a decent one? Hen's teeth. Even if you're good, your problem is trying to be signal that can be heard over that noise. Thirty years from now when people know your name or you've worked for good companies, that won't be an issue. A few years from now when you're just a graduate trying to get a first job, the main thing that will stand out on your CV is your uni and your course.

Even now, and it's been nearly 20 years, I STILL get agents and headhunters saying things like "Oh yeah, the client is really fussy and wants a proper degree from a proper uni... so... oh yes. THAT will do nicely..."

Having a regular compsci from a good name gives you more options. And the last thing you should be doing at your time in life is limiting the options you'll have for the next couple of decades.

If you have the option of being able to go to somewhere like MIT or CM or Stanford then 1) I'm jealous and 2) Take it. Because for the entire of the rest of your life you won't have to explain where you went to uni or why you picked to go there. You can apply for a job anywhere in the world, and you'll satisfy those niggling little "went to the right sort of school" hurdles.

And no games company is going to be turning down MIT CS grads if you apply there.

[quote name='VJ01' timestamp='1317447622' post='4867881']
Your fictional dream school is in every city. Where a F goes to C-. And a C to a B-. I dunno if there are other grades. Its not easy.

What?
[/quote]

What? You don't know, professors are not free from flaws such as cheating. Students may be.

I'd just quit goals of ranked university and get into a game programming school run by professionals. At least, you'll get hands-on work beginning to end and practical mathematical education -- with excellent demonstrated and practical lessons and theoretical lectures. Then after few years work experience and I am sure they'll get you employed. go back and take some courses at a college. going through job listings on game producer home pages is endless filings after filings.

Work experience before getting employed? What does that even mean? If you mean "indie scene" work experience, unless you make another Minecraft the two years on the job training a guy with a CS degree got getting hired right out of college is worth a lot more playing around trying to make you own game.

If you just want to talk about random fantasies, how is a game design degree better then a midlevel state school for a BS in CS (maybe minor in math)? You already have a quarter of the debt from a game school. Unless you go to a MIT nobody actually cares where you went to school at for the most part. All accredited colleges teach more or less the same thing. The same can't be said for a game school as a lot of things are cut for that "hands-on" work. And as Katie said, if you ever want to move out of the game industry (12 hour days with a wife and kid don't last too long) you are going to be competing with regular CS degrees and most likely lacking in some theory fundamentals in favor of all that hands-on work you did.

Thanks. That FAQ definitely answers all my questions.

I think this thread can be closed, then! I'm pleased David got what he needed.