Princeton Review points to teamwork, professor credentials, high starting salary.
It’s better than reaching the top of the leader board in "Modern Warfare": The University of Utah’s undergraduate video game design program was named the best in the country Tuesday.
"This is exciting, this is really exciting," said Mark Van Langeveld, director of the engineering track of the Entertainment Arts and Engineering program. "Locally, I do believe that people don’t understand what we’ve created here."
The undergraduate program beat out the 150 other institutions in the rankings published by The Princeton Review and PC Gamer magazine. The school’s graduate program also marked a large jump, coming in at No. 2.
Evaluators were impressed by the program’s method of building games in teams that pair art-oriented students with those who are computer- or engineering-centric, said David Soto, director of content development at The Princeton Review.
"It’s almost like they’re working at a start-up when they’re in school," Soto said. "They learn how to work in a team, how to interview."
When those students graduate, they make a median income of $72,000 a year for undergraduates and about $97,000 for those with master’s degrees.
"These are compelling figures that are hard to argue with," Soto said.
Graduate student Sterling Pierce said he worked in information technology for eight years before deciding to switch to video games. He chose the U. because it’s both nearby and well-regarded. Set to graduate in May, he’s now in Orlando working at a project management internship with Electronic Arts, maker of huge sports titles such as Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer and NHL games.
"It is a dream come true. Every day, it’s a little surreal to wake up and go into your dream studio and be a part of the dynamics in the environment," Pierce said.
Several video game makers, including EA, have offices in Salt Lake City. Jon Dean, vice president and general manager at EA Salt Lake, said in a statement: "Having the top ranked academic program for game development in the nation a few miles from our studio helps us not only with hiring tomorrow’s brightest game professionals but allows us to continue making incredible games here in Salt Lake."
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