Postgraduate Games Courses

[TGI Jesus]

Hi all,

I'm looking to do a Postgraduate Games Course starting 2009 - focusing on the art and animation side - and was just wondering if anyone has any experience or recommendations.

I have a 2.1 in BDes (Hons) Design for Digital Media, from The Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, but it was a very general multimedia course that was more of a structure for giving me time and deadlines to learn about creating animation and 3D content myself, which was fine, but hasn't really set me up well for getting a job in the games industry. Although I could spent (and have already spent) a fair bit of time developing my skills and a portfolio (www.rossmain.com) in my own time, it's still not as good as it needs to be and I really feel like I need the push a good post-graduate course could give me, especially one with good industry links. I like the look of MA Animation for Computer Games at Sheffield Hallam for precisely those reasons and the fact you gain production experience working on projects in conjunction with the equivalent programming course, but it's the only one I've found so far that really stands out to me.

Any advice would be more than welcome. Thanks in advance.

[Retroid]

I'm taking Computer Games Modelling and Animation at Derby and it's a tough course but the new course leader was the lead artist on Motorstorm and plenty of other stuff, very cynicle and gives you a realistic view on the industry which is you're not going get a job unless you're reliable or the next art jesus.

[Asura]

I hate to say it, but I would advise you don't do it. I'd advise you buy some textbooks, get a part-time job and spend a year learning how to do it yourself. Qualifications don't matter; I have a first class degree in this subject area and I have gotten nowhere, despite years of work.

If you're wanting to see it through, and I mean really, then go ahead - but if you're not already a good artist in traditional media, such as drawing or painting, I really would think very carefully about what you intend to achieve.

[Liamness]

I've read that experience working with mods and small projects is much more likely to get you a job than a degree like this. Oh, and some experience with the kinds of tools you'll be using. If you have a good portfolio of work, and you've participating in the making something that actually works as a game, then you are definitely a more appealing candidate. Either way you go, I think you'd have to expect a great deal of on the job learning. Please note that I don't actually know anything about the industry, so disregard this if you want.

[Ran]

I think most have said it and most others will. But if your degree/post grad degree is games industry based DONT expect your qualification to mean diddly squat - If its a good course though you should learn the skills you'll need but be sure to focus on creating a kick ass portfolio.

The quality of your work is paramount. Nobody gives a fuck how good your grades are.

I did MA Digital Games at JMU in Liverpool. Like I said the qualification was meaningless but I got a job eventually through someone who i'd met on the course and learned a fair bit of useful stuff during the course.

[divine visitor]

I think it'd be a good idea to think more specifially about what you want to do in the game industry, because it's now at a point where jobs are very specialised - a 3D artist will highly unlikely be doing any kind of animation beyond stuff like making a door open or something, as part of an environment he/she's built. The bar is high, so the more you focus on the area you're most passionate about, the better your chances will be.

I'd also suggest looking for a course that teaches the raw skills, be it 3D art or animation, rather than any video games course.