I'm at the stage where making I will have to make a decision past high school of what education to further myself in my career.

I've completed high-school but worked immediately after as a Web Developer for 2 years. As the economy twists and turns I got laid off and am going back to school. I've always been into programming and on my own, studied the basics of C++. I find pleasure in the "dull" work of creating code to make a program and have always wanted to become a game programmer since high-school.

As for my college (San Jose City College), they offer Associate degrees in both Arts and Science. At first I was going to pursue the AS degree for CIS Computer Programming, enough to ready me for an entry level programmer job. But, this college does not recommend you to pursue the AS degree to be able to transfer to a UC 4 year, that is what the AA is for. I'm not sure if it's like this for all colleges, but my college set up the AS to give direct education to ready you for a job, while the AA is to prepare you for the four year. Despite a tight-ish budget, I want the 4 year option available.
But for the AA degrees, the only class that I would see the most fitting for a programming future is Computer Science. The prerequisite classes are all math:

San Jose City College - Associate of Arts Degree - Computer Science
Major Requirements: Units
MATH 070 Discrete Mathematics 3
MATH 071 Calculus I with Analytic Geometry* 2
MATH 072 Calculus II with Analytic Geometry 5
MATH 073 Multivariable Calculus 5
MATH 079 Linear Algebra** 3
PHYS 004A General Physics* 2
PHYS 004B General Physics [/quote]

Nothing really directly related to programming or C++ (yes I know math is the basis for programming) compared to the more direct AS degree:

CIS 073 Visual Basic Programming
CIS 041 Introduction to Computer Information Systems
CIS 054 C/++ Programming
CIS 055 Data Structures
CIS 059 Object Orientated Programming
CIS 084 JAVA Programming

CIS 157 Introduction to UNIX
[/quote]

As you see the AS degree hits the programming stuff right in the middle and sets you for entry level status... yet there is little to no chance for transfers. The AA degree is not directly related, yet transferable. Is it worth trying for the AA in Computer Science and is this the correct choice for the programmer who is aiming at a Bachelors?

I am interested in a comfortable programming position... possibly with option to eventually get promoted and work my way up the ladder...
Which degree should I pursue based on what Game Development employers want, and based off the current status of the economy and the availability of positions?

If you are a game programmer and have experience in the field, your opinion would really help alot. If not, a simple vote would help my choices:
A. AS Computer Programmer (No transfers from my college)
B. AA Computer Science
C. AA Computer Science (Then transfer for a 4 year degree)
D. You're doing all wrong! (Other)

Moving to Breaking In. Crue, please read this forum's FAQs. You need a BA, not an AA.

As you see the AS degree hits the programming stuff right in the middle and sets you for entry level status...
[/quote]

Do you want to be an entry level programmer for your whole career? No? Take the math.

Moving to Breaking In. Crue, please read this forum's FAQs. You need a BA, not an AA.

Ah sorry, didn't catch this forum. And wow that FAQ look amazingly helpful. I'm definitely spending time in there.

[color="#1C2837"]Do you want to be an entry level programmer for your whole career? No? Take the math.[/quote]
I know the math is vital for programming, but to reword my question, when do you start taking the programming courses? Wait til the four year?

Thanks for the responses.

I know the math is vital for programming, but to reword my question, when do you start taking the programming courses? Wait til the four year?

Algorithms and data structures should be your two programming courses for your freshman year. I'm not too familiar with the transfer route, but I'd still expect any place that's preparing you for a bachelor's in CS to include these in your first year of study.

The question is, do you want to be the architect, or do you want to be the framer?

If you're only interested in being a framer, then by all means take classes on hammers, saws and power drills, but if you want to be a more-capable, less-expendable worker, then it behooves you to know more than how to swing a hammer.

Languages are just the tools we use to express our solutions to math problems of varying degrees of difficulty. Its really the solution that is valuable, moreso than the implementation. Of course the language comes into play -- knowing how to best impliment your solution in a given language (not just knowing 4-5 different syntaxes). Knowing VB (yuck) and (less so) Java in particular is worth about fuck-all in most game development circles anyways, and does nothing to expose you to a different paradigm than C++ because they're all cut from the same OOP cloth. A better use of your language-learning time would be to experience different language paradigms -- small-talk-style OOP, functional programming in Haskell or Scheme, Data-query languages like T-SQL, scripting languages like javascript, python, ruby or lua, even very esoteric languages like Forth (a stack-language) or lisp (I believe the oldest high-level language, and still powerful and interesting).

If you're going to stick with this particular facility, take the math, and add in these:

CIS 054 C/++ Programming
CIS 055 Data Structures
CIS 059 Object Orientated Programming
CIS 157 Introduction to UNIX