Hey everyone,

I recently signed up for this forum because I'm in a pickle and I hope you can help me.

Long story short, I decided that it's about time I follow my gut and start learning game programming. However, I don't want to start with the "wrong" foot and create unnecessary barriers.

Therefore I would like to know which online university is the best one for me to study. It has to be online because I live in Israel.

I'm looking for an university that is accredited, with a decent teaching core and of course with good market acceptance!

From my research, I narrowed it down to these 4:

- Full Sail University

- Academy of Art University

- Liberty University

- Southern New Hampshire University

Are any of these decent? Would you choose one of them or suggest something else?

Thanks a lot!

Ronny

5 hours ago, RonnyEdel said:

Would you choose one of them or suggest something else?

Something else. A computer science degree, accompanied by a portfolio of games you worked on, is preferable to an online game programming degree (accompanied by a portfolio of games you worked on). A decision grid will let you compare some traditional CS programs with the online programs you've already identified. 

17 hours ago, Tom Sloper said:

Something else. A computer science degree, accompanied by a portfolio of games you worked on, is preferable to an online game programming degree (accompanied by a portfolio of games you worked on). A decision grid will let you compare some traditional CS programs with the online programs you've already identified. 

Hey Tom,

Thanks for the reply! However I still have no portfolio at all. I am unexperienced and am starting to learn now. I'm about to start some Unreal online courses on Udemy, but at this very moment I have nothing but the will to get started.

So which university is a good one is now critical! None of the ones I mentioned are good?

Thanks again!

6 hours ago, RonnyEdel said:

However I still have no portfolio at all.

Of course. Degree first. Portfolio second. Job can follow. I was just being careful to say that a degree alone is not enough.

6 hours ago, RonnyEdel said:

which university is a good one

YOU have to decide this. It's YOUR life.

23 hours ago, Tom Sloper said:

A decision grid will let you compare some traditional CS programs with the online programs you've already identified. 

On 12/18/2017 at 4:45 AM, RonnyEdel said:

I'm looking for an university that is accredited, with a decent teaching core and of course with good market acceptance!

U.S.-based schools can be nationally accredited or regionally accredited. Schools like Full Sail (not to pick on that one specifically) are nationally accredited. Regional accreditation is a higher standard. Most regionally-accredited schools will not recognize coursework taken at nationally-accredited schools. Similarly, hiring departments at game companies may score nationally-accredited degrees lower than regionally-accredited degrees. If an accredited degree is important to you, consider the advice above to complete a computer science degree at a more stringently-accredited school in Israel.

However, there are people working in the game industry with no college degrees whatsoever. You could always get lucky and fall into a job regardless of your academic history. As Tom Sloper writes, it's your decision to make.

Ronny, what are your goals?

It may be far easier to go the Israel route - get a degree at the Technion or at another local university, start working at one of the local social casino game developers or a start-up, gain the experience that could open up positions abroad if that's what you are aiming at.

An online university is a big risk, will not likely be recognized in Israel at all, and may be seen as unfavorable in a job interview when you are compared with someone with a local degree, if your portfolio is on equal footing with them.

If you are looking at more game centric programs, there are local programs on that as well, like at Tiltan and Beit Berl.

Getting into AAA, if that's what your ultimate goal is, won't be easy as an Israeli. Limiting yourself to an online university isn't a surefire way to avoid it.