A few days ago I posted a thread asking if it was worth it to go to a private school no ones heard of, for 70k. I would have gotten a BS in game design and software simulation/programming, but I feel that there are other options I can take. After taking some time to look at schools, I found myself at full sail, and saw that they had campus courses, and online courses. It will end up being around the same price, however I do not really want to move yet, so was focusing on the online courses, more specifically, the Bachelor of Science degree in Game Design. Do you think this would be a better alternative to the school I was gonna go to? I think they would have more experience and would look better on a resume as well, what do you think? Also, on campus they offer a game programming bachelors degree which focuses more on programming, while the game design degree focuses on design and development..Would I be able to learn programming on my own(which I have already started), or should I opt for that instead?

A coworker of mine did the Bachelor of Science in Game Design from Full Sail. He apparently did a fair amount of programming in school, so take that what it is worth. Also, some places are indifferent towards Full Sail degrees, some are eager about them, and other snoot their noses at them. I'm saying this because don't assume that a degree from Full Sail will guarantee you anything. What school you want to has really little to do with whether or not you get hired. The fact that you have a degree, hopefully a solid portfolio, and you can do well with hiring exams and interviews is what will get you hired. Networking goes a long, long way as well.

The real question is what exactly are you shooting for career wise? This thread, and your last, didn't really specify.

Hey thanks for the response! My ultimate career goal is to have my own company, so thats why I am leaning more towards the game design side. I know I can learn programming on my own, and I am learning it so I can communicate with the programmers easier in the future, and Id rather focus on the design aspect.

I hope that helps!

If owning your own company is your goal then design isn't the route to take ... business is. Maintaining a game company deals with obtaining capital, negotiating deals, networking, managing resources, and marketing.

I didnt mean I wanted to just own a company, and not have any part in the game. But Id like to be a game designer, work in companies, and when I have enough experience, branch out to do my own thing.

Quote: Original post by Insideac
I didnt mean I wanted to just own a company, and not have any part in the game. But Id like to be a game designer, work in companies, and when I have enough experience, branch out to do my own thing.

You would still be better off getting a business degree. Its not uncommon for people with non CS related degrees to have jobs in the industry. Very few of the super programmers are both head programmer and CEO of their company. There isn't enough time in the day to do both. Even just game design is a fulltime job. Having said that if all you mean by "company" is just to get a LLC and basically work at home doing games then you can be programmer and manager. But if you want to open a physical studio then there is a lot more you have to take care of.