Frankly I think you are doing yourself a severe disservice by trying to get such a degree.

Firstly, there is no reason to have such a degree for a regular game-programming job.
Secondly, having such a degree prohibits you from getting regular game-programming jobs. People with degrees are old and feel entitled to a larger starting salary, which, combined with their lack of actual work-place experience, makes companies shy away from hiring them.

Point-in-case is my very first job.
I dropped out of high-school but got a GED. Moved to Thailand and got the first game-programming job for which I applied. The owner later told me, when some prestigious University applicants arrived, that the doesn’t usually even consider hiring them because they will ask for too much money without any proof that they know what they are doing.
Anyone can get good grades in school. Only an actual portfolio made alone shows what your actual skills are (though a long list of previous work experiences helps).


Here is the thing.
You said so yourself that getting a job in Italy is not exactly so easy. You are basically forced to look overseas as I did (though I am from America, and chose to work overseas for the sake of a super-fun life). And my company serves as an example in that you are lowering your chances at an entry-level job the higher your education goes. We could have applied at the same company on the same day, but you would be 4 years older, and I would have gotten the job.

It is best to just get into the industry as soon as you can. No one is going to hire you at a higher wage if you have no work-place experience, proved by my current job which actually did hire someone on the same day as myself, except that he spent the last 4 years studying whereas I spent the last 4 years working in the industry. He got the base salary whereas mine is more than double his.


Build a portfolio and get into the industry as fast as you can. Work experience is far more important than educational background. And remember, you are going to take a base salary no matter which way you go. Might as well not be 4 years older when you get it.


L. Spiro

If studying is "your thing", and it seems to be like that from your description. Why don't you get your masters in a more general compsci field. There are lots of projects to do that are not entirely games programming related but will be appreciated when you apply for such a job. e.g computer graphics, artificial intelligence, software engineering, user interfaces, ... etc.
Maybe you can even work for a games company and do you masters thesis as a project for them. I know some guys who did this, maybe it's a possibility.
However, if someday you decide that game development is not the right thing for you (happens often, even if you can't imagine that now) you still have a solid cs background to apply somewhere else.

just my 0,02€.

First, make sure you finish your bachelors degree. It will open many doors.

Second, on the masters degree, that is a preference. It will not open many additional doors at the entry level, but it will open doors later in your career.

Those with a masters degree tend to progress through jobs faster; they tend to progress to mid-level faster, partly because of what they learned and partly because of perceptions. When changing jobs it is an additional bargaining chip for negotiating salary and they tend to earn more. Later in their career it is easier to move between jobs at the middle level -- such as development director or project lead -- when you have a both the experience AND a masters degree than you could with just the experience alone.

Do not pursue a masters degree if that is not your passion. Many people dislike the academic environment and are glad to be rid of it. But if that is your passion then follow it, and enjoy the opportunities it unlocks.

(I went to graduate school as well. I've been in positions where I can compare BS and MS graduates and how they perform for years at their career. I know it was worth it for me, and know several other people who would say it was worth it for them.)

Thanks It's probably what I'll do, however do you know if usually MSc provide education from zero ?

[quote name='cifa' timestamp='1340128232' post='4950651']
Thanks It's probably what I'll do, however do you know if usually MSc provide education from zero ?