GRAND RAPIDS – Ferris State University’s Digital Animation and Game Design ranks among
the top programs of its kind, according to a report of the top undergraduate schools
to study video game design released by the Princeton Review.
The Princeton Review, one of the nation’s best-known education services companies, ranked Ferris’ DAGD program on the “Honorable Mentions” list. The fourth annual report was released on Tuesday, March 13.
“Once again it is an honor to be saluted as a top game program in the U.S. and Canada,” said David Baker, coordinator of the DAGD program at Ferris. “The faculty and administration of Ferris have worked hard to create a quality program that graduates successful professionals in the game design and animation field.
“Our focused efforts are being recognized by a significant independent authority,” he added. “The Princeton Review’s in-depth survey requires significant thought and honest response. Our own program-review process has provided us with candid data that showed that our graduates are working, our faculty is outstanding and our curriculum is sound.”
DAGD started at Ferris in 2004 through collaborative efforts led by Don Green, vice president for Extended and International Operations, and Marty Lier, a faculty member.
The report, “Top Schools to Study Video Game Design for 2013,” is based on a survey The Princeton Review conducted in 2012-13 of 150 programs at institutions in the U.S. and Canada offering video game design coursework and/or degrees.
“We have room to grow and are working to not only be a significant choice, but a top choice for students worldwide,” Baker said. “As our graduates find themselves in more responsible positions within global companies, we are collaborating with our alumni as advisors and potential employers for our next generation of students.”
Overall, the report salutes 50 game design programs (30 undergraduate and 20 graduate programs) at 35 institutions.
The Princeton Review’s 50-question survey for this project asked schools to report on a range of topics from academic offerings and faculty credentials to graduates’ employment and professional achievements. Among criteria The Princeton Review weighed to make its selections: the school curriculum, faculty, facilities and infrastructure, plus career services, student scholarships and financial aid.
The Princeton Review’s full report on this project includes profiles of the schools with application information and links to the school sites.
The Princeton Review’s “Top 15 Undergraduate Schools to Study Video Game Design for 2013” are:
- University of Utah (Salt Lake City, Utah)
- University of Southern California (Los Angeles)
- DigiPen Institute of Technology (Redmond, Wa.)
- Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, N.Y.)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Mass.)
- Drexel University (Philadelphia, Pa.)
- Shawnee State University (Portsmouth, Ohio)
- Savannah College of Art and Design (Savannah, Ga.)
- The Art Institute of Vancouver (Vancouver, British Columbia)
- Michigan State University (East Lansing)
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, N.Y.)
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Worcester, Mass.)
- Becker College (Worcester, MA)
- New England Institute of Technology (East Greenwich, R.I.)
- North Carolina State University (Raleigh, N.C.)
Honorable Mentions – Undergraduate Schools (alpha order):
- Bradley University (Peoria, Ill.)
- Champlain College (Burlington, Vt.)
- DePaul University (Chicago, Ill.)
- Ferris State University (Grand Rapids)
- Full Sail University (Winter Park, Fla.)
- Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Ga.)
- Miami University (Oxford, Ohio)
- New York University / NYU-POLY (New York, N.Y.)
- Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.)
- Oklahoma Christian University (Edmond, Ok.)
- Quinnipiac University (Hamden, Conn.)
- University of California, Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, Ca.)
- The University of Texas at Dallas (Richardson, Texas)
- University of Wisconsin – Stout (Menomonie, Wis.)
- Vancouver Film School (Vancouver, British Columbia)