Game & Simulation Programming

No one has any comment. 70 views and not 1 person can say... "Yeah its good" gee people lack comment these days.

Devry has a terrible reputation, whether deserved or not there is a stigma attached to a devry graduate.

There are many other better schools for computer science and/or game development. The only "game school" worth looking at, IMO, is Digipen -- where I went. The curriculum at other "game schools" doesn't even come close to comparing, and in my opinion they are mostly in operation to cash in on the hopes and dreams of misinformed gamers.

There are many other good programs which operate as a specialization of a traditional computer science program -- Such as the Guildhall at SMU. Even a simple computer science degree with no more specialization than electing classes in graphics and other game-related technologies (with no specific game focus) will put you in better position than any game school, save (and many will argue) Digipen.

I would simply never recommend Devry, ITT or the like. There's no use putting yourself through their programs only to have to fight tooth and nail to overcome the stigma that came along with your degree. Look into Digipen and good, University-run CS programs (with a gaming focus or not.)

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No one has any comment. 70 views and not 1 person can say... "Yeah its good" gee people lack comment these days.

A high view-to-reply ratio is typical on this forum (and probably on other similar forums as well). Although it can be frustrating to see your post drop off the front page without any replies, you shouldn't take it personally.

When I read a thread, if I don't know the answer to the question posed, or if I don't otherwise have any useful comments or suggestions to offer, I don't post just to say 'Sorry, can't help you - but I read your post!'. To do so would just clutter up the forums and distract from the replies that are actually useful.

Although I can only speak for myself, I suspect that most other people take the same approach. Maybe no one who read your post has any direct experience with Devry (it's possible).

I'm not on the 'hiring' side of the game industry, so I can't speak authoritatively on this, but my instinct would be that if your skills are strong, having a degree from Devry won't 'hold you back' in terms of getting a job.

The 'if your skills are strong' part is important though. In other words, completing the degree won't be enough by itself - in order to get a job working for a game development company, you will most likely have to be very capable as well.

[Edit: There - you did get some feedback from someone who can comment directly on the Devry program :)]

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Original post by Ravyne Devry has a terrible reputation, whether deserved or not there is a stigma attached to a devry graduate. There are many other better schools for computer science and/or game development. The only "game school" worth looking at, IMO, is Digipen -- where I went. The curriculum at other "game schools" doesn't even come close to comparing, and in my opinion they are mostly in operation to cash in on the hopes and dreams of misinformed gamers. There are many other good programs which operate as a specialization of a traditional computer science program -- Such as the Guildhall at SMU. Even a simple computer science degree with no more specialization than electing classes in graphics and other game-related technologies (with no specific game focus) will put you in better position than any game school, save (and many will argue) Digipen. I would simply never recommend Devry, ITT or the like. There's no use putting yourself through their programs only to have to fight tooth and nail to overcome the stigma that came along with your degree. Look into Digipen and good, University-run CS programs (with a gaming focus or not.)

What stigma is associated with Devry & ITT?

Whats so bad about Devrys Game Development Program... specifically?

Keep in mind that some people will look down on a game development degree. Some of the game development programs are notorious for targeting people whose experience in making games is using a map editor and have incredibly high dropout rates. (Tighten up the graphics on level 3 anyone? http://aggrome.blogspot.com/2005/06/tightening-up-graphics-on-level-three.html ). Is that the kind of environment you want to learn in? Be known for?

A computer science or software engineering degree will gain just as much (if not more) respect than a game development course and has the advantage that should you have trouble finding a job (Or want a breath of fresh air etc) you can go to any company with a computer science degree (And this is not true of a game development degree).

This is also more of a personal reason, but I don't know if you would want to have to go around telling people you have a degree in making games. Call it shallow or whatever (And it is), but computer science is at least respected as a field outside of the game development industry.

This is all my opinion, and it is harsh, so take what you want from it.

Credits from tech schools don't transfer to regular schools and they seem to have the reputation for just being a degree mill.

Assuming from your name you're in the Guard and hence the goverment will be paying for your college. If that is the case then I would look at going to a regular school and getting a CS degree. Then work on game stuff in your spare time. If you got the talent then a degree from DeVry *shouldn't* hold you back. But I'm pretty sure its be said on this forum from people that do hiring that they automatically throw those resumes away.

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Original post by JeanUSARMYGUARD No one has any comment. 70 views and not 1 person can say... "Yeah its good" gee people lack comment these days.

Well it is one of those if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all sort of things. And this question gets asked all the time so you kind of get tired of answering the same question over and over and over. But to answer it one more time It costs more than harvard and is so looked down upon that even your standard issue community college won't accept their classes as actual study.

Having been through Digipen's program, and having compared that curriculum to other "game schools", none of those other schools even appear to come close to offering the amount of computer science, mathematics, hands-on programming, and team-based projects that Digipen does.

To top it off, they don't pull any punches -- If a student doesn't pass muster, they fail, if you get caught cheating, you insta-fail and face academic sanctions -- they don't care how many people fail, only that the people that got through know their stuff. I've seen classes where only 55% of the class were passed, and that didn't include those who had withdrawn already, just those that stuck it out till the end. I can't speak from personal experience about other schools, but that's not the kind of hard-line attitude you would expect out of other schools which are viewed as "degree mills".

I don't mean to say that no one's ever come out of a Digipen program, having somehow managed to slip through and not know what they should, or that nothing and no one of any value has come through those other programs... but what I am saying is that it would be a pity for someone willing to put in the hard work to be truly skilled, and then to have to work to overcome the poor reputation of their degree.

Even in a program as rigorous as Digipen's you still have to put in more work than the minimum in order to stand a change in the game industry. University is largely the same way -- If you were to attend Digipen, you would want to excel in your coursework, as well as working to fill in some of the gaps regarding more traditionally academic subjects. If you were to attend a University CS program, you'd want to excel in your traditional coursework, as well as working on your own to study gaming technologies and develop portfolio projects.

Finally, I guess my real litmus test for any educational endeavor is this... Do they spend a significant amount of money and energy advertising in magazines and commercials? IMO, any program that has the spare energy and dollars to put into advertisements, isn't putting enough energy and dollars into their students. Why do you advertise? To attract customers. How do they advertise? By making it look like fun and games, of course -- some guy leisurely strolls into a gaming lounge and starts talking about "tightening up the graphics on level 3". Do you really want to go to the type of program which views you as a customer, and attempts to dupe you into thinking that no actual work occurs in the game industry?