In a world where technology is a part of every day life, degree programs have to constantly innovate to keep up with an evolving society. The first gaming degree program, the Guildhall at Southern Methodist University, does just that.
“When you teach a chemistry class, not much has changed in 100 years,” said Gary Brubaker, director of the Guildhall. “When we teach a class, it changes every year.”
Brubaker, an alum of George Lucas’ LucasArts, ATARI and Stormfront Studios, has helped create many of today’s most popular video games. The program at SMU hopes to create more just like Brubaker, but not through traditional methods. Classes enter in the fall and spring, and only contain between 30-45 new students each semester. From the start, participants work with teams containing artists, designers and programmers to create a real world environment, similar to what they would encounter when entering the development field after graduation.
“You need to learn how to play in a symphony, not just play solo,” said Brubaker.
Alumni of the program are being snatched up by big-name companies, including Samsung, who recently worked with a Guildhall graduate to develop their virtual reality technology.
To learn more about the Guildhall, read the latest issue of NTX Magazine – North Texas: A Knowledge Destination here.
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