Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Program Ranked in Top 15 Out of 150 Programs in U.S. and Canada

The Rensselaer Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences program has been named among the top 15 out of 150 undergraduate game design programs in the United States and Canada, according to a new survey from the Princeton Review. The Princeton Review developed its “Top Schools for Video Game Design Study" list in partnership with GamePro magazine, one of the most respected brands in the video game industry.

The ranking acknowledges the importance of one of the newest programs at Rensselaer, the nation’s oldest technological university. Ranked among the top 50 universities nationwide, Rensselaer offers more than 145 programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral level. Rensselaer launched GSAS in the fall of 2007, and the program will graduate its first full class in May 2011.

“We are pleased to have the Rensselaer Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences program recognized,” said Prabhat Hajela, administrative dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at Rensselaer. “As a premier technological university, Rensselaer is committed to combining an unparalleled technical education with the creative thought process that fuels games and simulation arts.”

The Rensselaer Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences (GSAS) program offers a comprehensive understanding of interactive digital media, a balance of disciplinary competencies, and the mastery of a self-defined set of interrelated disciplinary challenges.

Within the program, students gain an understanding of games from the broadest range of possible perspectives and play an active role in research and education in disciplines including the visual and aural aspects of new media in the electronic arts, cognition and artificial intelligence in cognitive science, digital graphics and software development in computer science, experimental game design in psychology, and human computer interaction and computer graphics in communication and the arts.

Program Co-Director Lee Sheldon noted that the interactive technology taught and developed in the GSAS program extends far beyond traditional gaming. Students in the GSAS program may pursue “serious games” — games as teaching tools, in scientific research, therapy, and defense, to name just a few of the practical applications of games and simulation arts.

“The world of video games is exploding, broadening its reach in every direction,” said Sheldon, an associate professor of language, literature, and communication. “Gone are the days when first-person shooters costing tens of millions of dollars dominated the marketplace. Thanks to the Nintendo Wii and other casual and social game platforms such as the iPhone and Facebook, we’re seeing a rebirth of the game industry where small teams can create games that attract million of players from 6 to 60. Serious or ‘applied’ games are a huge growth industry for research, education, and the corporate community. Games have permeated every aspect of our lives from the classroom to the grocery store. And Rensselaer is proud to be a leader in educating the game makers of tomorrow.”

Co-director Benjamin Chang said the rapid growth of the program at Rensselaer “reflects the expanding range of possibilities for games as a social space, a communication medium, and an artistic form.

“Rensselaer’s students are at the cutting edge of the field, from mobile and social games to immersive simulations in virtual and augmented reality,” said Chang, an associate professor of arts. “Students studying games are artists, inventors, and entrepreneurs, who will both create the next generation of games and continue to revolutionize our idea of what games can be.”

The future of games, Chang said, “lies in their ability to move people, both figuratively and literally.” As games evolve and mature, he said, they create unique paths to explore new experiences, learn, and simulate change in the real world.

That future will be on view at Rensselaer later this spring as GSAS hosts its annual GameFest showcase and symposium — sponsored by Vicarious Visions, as well as 1st Playable Productions, and Agora Games — May 6-7. The festival features computer games designed by more than 20 student teams — and judged by a professional panel from Vicarious Visions - and offers forums with research and industry leaders.

This year, Rensselaer is proud to host Brian Reynolds, chief game designer at the world’s most successful  game company, Zynga (Farmville, Frontierville, Cityville, Mafia Wars etc.), as keynote speaker of the festival.

GameFest 2011 “Transitions” program will include panel discussions on commercial games, serious games, entrepreneurship, and graduate schools.

Compiled by the Princeton Review, the list, "Top Schools for Video Game Design Study for 2011," salutes 30 institutions in all (15 undergraduate and 15 graduate) for their outstanding game design education programs.   

The list for 2011 names 10 undergraduate and 10 graduate schools in ranked order 1 to 10, and recognizes the schools ranked 10 to 15 in each category with an Honorable Mention.  As one of the top 15 schools, Rensselaer was recognized with an Honorable Mention.

The Princeton Review chose the schools based on a survey of administrators at 150 institutions offering video game design coursework and/or degrees in the United States and Canada.

Conducted during the 2010-11 academic year, the Princeton Review survey included more than 50 questions. Topics ranged from academics, curriculum, and faculty credentials to graduates’ employment and career achievements. School selections were based on a comprehensive analysis of data that analyzed the quality of the curriculum, faculty, facilities, and infrastructure, plus the school's scholarships, financial aid, and career services.

Reported in the April GamePro magazine, the list is also accessible on the websites of the Princeton Review at  www.princetonreview.com/game-design.aspx and GamePro at http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/218324/the-princeton-reviews-top-10-grad-undergrad-game-design-schools/.

Contact: Mary L. Martialay
Phone: (518) 276-2146
E-mail: martim12@rpi.edu