Admission Requirements

Note: Applicants who are interested in taking individual courses and not a full program of study may pursue the Continuing Education program. Applicants to the continuing education program may register for courses based on each semester's course offerings and availability. Course registration will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis. Please review the continuing education section for more information.

Admission to the Programs of Study

Admission requirements vary from one program to the next. The Institute determines eligibility for acceptance into a program. Please view the section that matches your needs:

• Undergraduate Admissions
• Graduate Admissions
  • Personal Statement Sample Outline
• Continuing Education Students
• International Students
• Readmission Information

In general, admission is competitive; those who exceed the minimum admission requirements are more likely to be accepted into the program. Beyond the usual requirements that applicants to DigiPen must meet, a few crucial characteristics can make your academic career with us successful:

• A strong desire to achieve. DigiPen is a challenging school; individuals must be prepared to work long hours on projects and studying for exams. The coursework is meant to transform students into programmers, animators, and engineers in a dynamic and competitive industry.
• An affinity for logical thinking. Programming is a highly logical and organized way of thinking, and some people find themselves better suited for it than others. Programmers look at the world, analyze why and how things happen, and try to figure out how to make it happen in a simulated environment on a computer.
• An understanding of creativity. Programmers need to be able to appreciate artists and the artistic way of thinking and be able to work with artists on an equal level. Since art and programming go hand-in-hand, neither is more important than the other in making quality products.
• Artists will need to learn to work with programmers, who can tend to see in a very linear but not necessarily artistic fashion. Being able to bring your own aesthetic to someone else's design can be challenging; we can help you learn to meet the challenge.
• Thick skin is necessary for both artists and programmers in the console game industry. Learning how to take constructive criticism is very important in this field.
• Respect for yourself and your peers. One of the best personality traits for any professional is to always respect yourself and the people with whom you work. If you treat people the way you want to be treated, you will succeed better than you can imagine.