The Rensselaer Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences (GSAS) program today was named among the top 15 out of 150 undergraduate game design programs in the United States and Canada, according to the “ Top Schools to Study Video Game Design for 2013” report from The Princeton Review, in partnership with PC Gamer magazine.

The new report marks the fourth consecutive appearance of Rensselaer on the list since it was launched by Princeton Review in 2010.The 2013 report is based on a survey The Princeton Review conducted in 2012-13 of 150 programs at institutions in the U.S. and Canada offering video game design coursework and/or degrees, according to The Princeton Review. The Rensselaer program is ranked 11th out of the 150 programs surveyed.

"The Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences program at Rensselaer is first-rate, offering in-depth concentrations that provide of wealth of interdisciplinary experience taught by faculty who are leaders in the field,” said Mary Simoni, dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, which houses the interdisciplinary game design program. “We are honored to have received this recognition."

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. The program was founded in 2007 and graduated its first full class in 2011.

Within the program, students gain an understanding of games from the broadest range of possible perspectives. They play an active role in research and education in disciplines that include 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.

Current students and recent graduates receive regular recognition for their work, including recent honors through the Independent Games Festival Student Showcase, the Unity3D DX11 Challenge, and Global Game Jam 2013.

Student work will be on display at the 10th annual Game Fest, to be held April 26-27, at the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center.

The 50-question survey for this project asked schools to report on a range of topics from academic offerings and faculty credentials to graduates’ employment and professional achievements, according to The Princeton Review. Among criteria The Princeton Review weighed to make its selections: the school curriculum, faculty, facilities, and infrastructure, plus career services, student scholarships, and financial aid.