Sponsor Spotlight: Game Design and Development at UW-Stout
UW-Stout in Menomonie, WI is home to one of the region’s most successful game development programs. As a continued supporter of M+DEV and game initiatives in the state, we sat down with Program Director Andrew Williams and Diane Christie to find out more!
What are the Game Design and Development offerings at UW-Stout?
We have three degrees related to game development that work together in interdisciplinary teams on large-scale projects. There is the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Design and Development-Art that allows students to focus on game visuals such as concept art, 3D modeling, game animation, technical art, virtual reality and other areas. We have a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a concentration in Game Design and Development that prepares students for game programming through training in software development, advanced mathematics, physics, 3D graphics, and artificial intelligence. Finally, we have a Master of Fine Arts in Design that allows graduate students the chance to dig into special topics such as user experience, play-based narrative and other advanced areas.
Award-Winning Game Sun of the Children
What makes Game Design and Development unique at UW-Stout?
Our students work together in collaborative teams from their freshman year through their senior year. Graduates from our programs have not only the individual hard skills in art or programming, but crucial soft skills of collaboration and leadership. By the time students take the one-year senior capstone sequence, the instructors step back from an instructional role and serve as more of a producer, allowing the teams to operate as their own independent studios. Our MFA students also work with the undergraduate programs and provide key specialized support as well as associate producer responsibilities.
Award-Winning Game Everend
What are you most proud of about Game Design and Development at UW-Stout?
As a regional university our Game Design and Development programs have a strong national presence! Our undergraduate and graduate programs are consistently ranked in the top 25 schools in the nation. We have a strong track record of producing award-winning and recognized games such as Flash Frozen, which took first place at the E3 College Game Competition, and Everend and Sun of the Children which won first and second place, respectively, for best visuals at the Intel University Games Showcase at the Game Developers Conference. We have also exhibited at the Meaningful Play and Chi-Play conferences, and our favorite conference, M+DEV!
What do your students do after they graduate?
Our graduates find employment in a wide variety of job sectors! We have alumni from the art program working at DreamWorks Animation as Technical Directors, Character VFX Artists and Matte Painters, at Naughty Dog as Environment and Prop Modelers, and at Fantasy Flight Games as illustrators for digital and analog games. We also see our art students branch out into other areas such as Architectural Visualization and VR Development for national and international construction companies such as Caterpillar, Gilbane and Ryan Companies. Our computer science graduates have meanwhile found employment at game companies such as Big John Games, Concrete Software, Degica, HB Studios, and King Show Games. At the same time, the computer science curriculum provides preparation for software development jobs beyond the game development industry, with alumni working at companies like Thomson-Reuters, Target Corporation, and many others. We would like to thank the organizers of M+DEV for their tireless work putting this conference together and creating such a great resource for our students and alumni! Also be sure to check out some of our student work at our booth and the exhibition hall at M+DEV! More information about UW-Stout and its game development programs can be found on our website.