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, Game Design & Programming

Game Art & Design Bachelor of Science

The Art Institute of Pittsburgh can help you prepare for it.

Program Overview

In the Game Art & Design program, you’ll learn the art and design skills needed to get into the gaming field. You’ll use your talents to create applications used within the business, education, training, and entertainment industries. Graduates are prepared to seek entry-level employment in positions such as modeler, storyboard artist, animation artist, 3-D illustrator, digital artist, FX artist, video postproduction artist, broadcast graphics designer, and game designer.
Course Catalog
Game Art & Design

Program Description

The Game Art & Design program concentrates on the artistic side of game development, preparing students to become artists and designers employed in the game and entertainment software industries. Students begin the program by developing manual and computer-based artistic skills, building drawing and aesthetic skills, and learning the basics of 3D modeling and animation. They develop an appreciation for the structure and narrative potential of games through game development, scriptwriting, and digital storytelling courses.

Intermediate skills courses introduce character and object animation and design, lighting, audio, and other topics as students continue to build their skills in illustration, modeling, and animation. In advanced courses, students gain a deeper understanding of the game production process, learning about project management, interface, and level design, and apply their skills to produce their own games and game levels.

All students produce a professional-quality portfolio of their work, demonstrating their drawing and design abilities and documenting their accomplishments throughout the program. This portfolio becomes a showcase to present their abilities to prospective employers. All courses in the Game Art & Design program are also available online. Graduates of the Game Art & Design program are well-prepared to enter the competitive multi-billion dollar game industry job market. Entry-level positions include: 2D conceptual artist, storyboard artist, 3D character builder, 3D object modeler, interactivity designer, background artist, and game play tester.

Faculty members are experienced professionals and educators who bring their knowledge of the field and practical experience into the classroom. The Art Institute of Pittsburgh is known in the gaming industry, and game developers frequently visit the school to give guest lectures and to conduct workshops and portfolio reviews.

The mission of the Game Art & Design Bachelor of Science degree program is to prepare students to work effectively both individually and in a team creating compelling, effective, and aesthetic game art and design content to be presented and interacted with on multiple platforms.
Game Art & Design

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Tuition Data

Tuition Data for this program at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh

Below is the institution tuition cost for this program for a full-time student completing the entire program in normal time. All tuition and fees are subject to change.

Books & Digital Resources $2750
Program Fees $6430.88
Room & Board $50550
Tuition $87660


The financial aid office uses an estimate of direct and indirect costs to determine how much financial aid a student may be eligible for. Direct costs include tuition, fees, some books and supplies, and institutional housing. Indirect costs include estimates of other living expenses, transportation and personal expenses. Housing costs may be considered direct or indirect. Examples of the costs of attendance estimates used can be found by clicking here.

*optional where available

Gainful Employment Information for this program

Institution

This institution is composed of several locations.

  • The Art Institute of Pittsburgh
  • The Art Institute of Pittsburgh — Online Division, Online Student Support Center
More Info This Location

Program Costs

Q: How much will this program cost me?

A: Below is the campus location tuition cost for this program for a full-time student completing the entire program in normal time. All tuition and fees are subject to change

Books & Digital Resources $2860
Program Fees $9090
Room & Board $50550
Tuition $86130

Tuition - Institution

Tuition includes the cost of the courses needed to meet the graduation requirements for all programs within the same area of study. As required by the Department of Education (ED), the programs are organized according to their CIP (Classification of Instructional Program) category, which is defined by the ED, and their degree level (Associates, Bachelors, etc.); for example, all Bachelor level programs in graphic design are considered to be in the same CIP category.

The tuition calculation shown is the average of all programs in the same CIP category, degree level, and program length within a 10% variance of each other offered by any of the Art Institute campuses.

For example, if a graphic design program (Bachelor's level) is offered at two different Art institute campuses (one offers the program with $24,000 tuition and the other offers a slightly modified program with $26,000 tuition), the average tuition shown will be $25,000. The tuition for your program, then, may be higher or lower than the average tuition shown, depending on the program and campus you select.

Tuition is generally adjusted once a year; this tuition calculation is effective January 2013. Tuition costs can vary by campus, program, and degree level. Students who transfer credits from other institutions or successfully test out of courses will see a corresponding reduction in their tuition costs. Tuition does not include any course-related fees such as supplies or laboratory fees.

Room and Board - Institution

A number of Art Institute campuses offer school-sponsored housing to their students. The room charges include the cost of the living area for the student, the utilities, and resident activities; the housing costs will vary depending on the building chosen by the student as well as the type of room selected (single vs. double occupancy, shared vs. private bath, etc.). If the school provides shuttle service between the housing and the campus, it is included in this charge. An estimate for the cost of board (food) is included in "Board" for those locations that offer "Room".

There are a limited number of campuses which may offer a separate meal plan to their resident students; your admissions representative can provide you with that information.

As required by the ED, room charges are averaged across all Art Institute campuses that offer housing and dining programs and are included here; your room charges may be higher or lower than the average room cost shown, depending on the campus you select.

Books and Digital Resources - Institution

All Art Institute campuses are in the process of converting from traditional textbooks to electronic media. A digital resource fee is charged for every course. This fee provides students' access to an Electronic Library and online versions of textbook(s) and, in some cases, other electronic media which is integrated into the course. The fee is $50 per course, so a program consisting of 40 courses would have a fee of $2,000 (40 x $50). This fee includes all applicable taxes.

As required by the ED, the books and digital fee charges are averaged across all Art Institute campuses; your charges may be higher or lower than the fee shown, depending on the campus and program selected.

Program Fees - Institution

Every program has a unique fee structure based on the length of the program and degree type. Please refer to the school catalogue or the program Enrollment Agreement for more detailed information.

Below are examples of "Program Fees":

Program Fees

Amount / Frequency

Description

Application Fee

$50 / One Time

All Programs

Enrollment Fee

$100 / One Time

All Programs

Digital Resource Fee

$50 / Course

All Programs

Laboratory Fee

$50 - $315 / Term

For Required Programs Only

Technology Fee

$175 -$375 / Term

New England Location Only

Supply Costs Fee

$10 - $175 / Month

For Required Programs Only

Starting Kit Fee

$200 - $4,125 /One time

For Required Programs Only

Parking Fee

$10 - $90 / Month

Optional

STRF Assessment Fee (Student Tuition Recovery Fund)

Students have an assessment fee of $2.50 per $1,000 of Tuition

California Schools Only

 

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Median Debt

Q: What are my financing options to pay for the program?

A: In addition to any grant and scholarship aid for which they are eligible, 89% of graduates used loans to finance their education. The median debt for program graduates:

  • Federal Loans: $34093
  • Private Educational Loans: $0
  • Institutional Financing plan: $0

Reporting Period:

As required by the U.S. Department of Education (ED), median debt is calculated using data from students who graduated from this program – as defined by CIP (Classification of Instruction Program) – at this institution or location and at this degree level between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012.


Median Debt Calculation:

Median debt is determined by first calculating the aggregate debt of all students grouped by a combination of program as defined by CIP, institution or location, and degree level. This debt includes Title IV loans, private loans and institutional loans. As required by ED, it includes debt from all enrollments attributable to that student’s social security number, not just the current enrollment.

Once each student’s debt is calculated, the students are arranged by the amount of their debt, from smallest to largest; note that students with $0 debt are included in the list. Finally, the middle student from the list is selected and their debt is considered the median debt. For example, if there are five students in the program and their total debt is $1,000, $3,000, $6,000, $9,000, and $12,000, the median debt for the program would be the third on the list (since there are an odd number of students, the third value is the “middle” value) – $6,000.

Per ED, we do not disclose debt when the number of students who graduated from a program (as defined by CIP) at an institution or location and at specific degree level during the reporting period is less than ten.

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Success

Q: How long will it take me to complete this program?

A: The program could take as little as 36 months to complete. 72% of graduates from this program finished in this time.

As required by the U.S. Department of Education, this number represents the percentage of those who completed the program on-time and graduated between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012.

Positive Influences to On Time Completion Rates: Students who transfer into the program with prior approved credits and who take and pass courses as outlined in the enrollment agreement.

Negative Influences to On Time Completion Rates: Students who do not enroll in each term for the number of credits required to complete the program on time, students who fail or withdraw from courses, students who must take remedial courses and students who chose to not attend full-time.

We do not imply your results will be the same as these former graduates.

Per ED, we do not disclose completion information when the number of students who graduated from a program (as defined by CIP) at an institution or location and at specific degree level during the reporting period is less than ten. We also do not report completion information when there are no graduates during the reporting period.

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Q: What percentage of students find employment in their field or a related field?

A: According to EDMC calculations, the job placement rate for students who graduate from this program is 75%.

This rate is calculated for internal quality control.

Reporting Period: The Placement Rate is based on internal data available for students graduating between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011 who have obtained employment six months after graduation within their field or a related field.

EDMC Campus Placement Rate:

Number of employed grads
Divided by/
Number of eligible grads (total grads – waivers 1)

1 Certain graduates are excluded from cohort such as those who are continuing their education and those that have waived employment assistance due to death, stay at home parent, primary caregiver to immediate family member, medical condition, incarceration, those serving in the armed forces and their spouses, those of non-immigrant status and graduates who work in unrelated established careers.

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Q: What are the job opportunities for graduates of this program?

A: For more information on job opportunities in this field of study, see the following links on career paths that may be open to you after studying in this field: The job opportunities links are for general information purposes. The program you have selected could have different outcomes. Please check with your admissions registrar for detailed information. (CIP #50.0411)