What questions to ask when considering a video game design program
When looking for a video game design program, there are some essential questions that you need to ask the schools you are considering to weed out the good programs from the bad. While it would be great if all programs were created equally and gave you the best chance to land a job, that unfortunately isn't going to always be the case. So what sort of questions should you be asking the schools to find your best options? Let's take a look at some of those questions...
What is the employment rate in the video game industry after students have graduated from the program?
Let's face it. If you spend X amount of dollars on a game related school program, you better have the best chance possible landing a job IN the video game industry. It's your right to know the employment rates for any program you are interested in. Make sure you get the numbers for the field you are entering in, and not just employment in general. You're not entering into a program to work at Gamestop after you graduate. No disrespect at all to anyone who works there, but you don't need a degree to sell video games and consoles at retail.
What connections does the school have to the video game industry?
A big part of having a better opportunity of landing a job in any field is to have connections. A good game related program will have a relationship of some kind to a video game studio or publisher. These studios are looking for fresh new talent, and the good schools are taking advantage of that and getting connections for their students. This also makes other video game companies take notice of that particular school. If a studio is hooked up with a school, other developers will realize that there is a stream of talent coming out from that program.
 Where have some of their recent grads ended up?
Another good question to ask is where some of the graduates have ended up working. You want to choose a program where some of their students who finished the program are employed at good video game studios. Full Sail University is good with providing this information for example. It's important to see graduates making it and doing well for themselves in the industry.
What is the average class size?
When you are putting your money towards one of these programs, you want to make sure you don't get lost in the crowd if you need assistance or have questions. Whether it's online or on campus, make sure you can get the attention you need from the teacher. Video game design isn't an easy, simple process. You will have questions, so look for a class size where you can find out what you need to know without feeling rushed from the teacher.
What experience do the instructors have in the video game industry?
A good video game related program will have teachers that have experience in the video game industry or other related fields. Someone with experience will have a better understanding of the workflow of a studio and be more comfortable with the whole game design process.
What sort of assistance will you have finding game design related work after you graduate?
While it's pretty standard for most schools to have people dedicated to finding you related work in the field, make sure they have that in place. Someone at the schools should be looking for openings and lining students up, letting them know when game related jobs are available. This is where a school having connections to studios can be really important.
It's your right to know...
You might think that asking these kinds of questions is too much, but you have a right to know and really should know. The schools you inquire about should be able to answer most if not all of these questions. If they can't give you the answers you need to make you feel comfortable about enrolling in their game related program, you should keep looking. Anyone offering a strong, solid program will probably even go out of their way to provide some of this information without you needing to ask for it. Remember that you are interviewing them and not the other way around. YOU are the one spending the money, so get the information you need to make you comfortable, or walk away.
Make sure to also check out:
Video Game Design Schools
Video Game Art Degrees
Computer Animation Degrees
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