Have you ever wondered how game mechanics actually work? Characters move, bosses attack, and entire levels spring to life, and it’s easy to chalk it up to the “magic” in the code. If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to start programming games, our program takes you behind the scenes to show you what’s really making everything tick.
Translating designs into workable code is critical to video game development — and that’s what the BS in Computer Science and Game Design is all about. Our four-year game development degree program teaches you how to become a game programmer with the mindset of a designer, and it starts with learning the foundations of C, C++, and other lower-level programming languages. Yearly game projects put your growing abilities to the test as you form multidisciplinary teams with students of various specialties. Your understanding of what game programming is will continue to sharpen while you forge your distinct path with a variety of design, mathematics, physics, and computer science courses.
By graduation, you will be skilled in connecting the creative world of design and the practical reality of implementing the code needed to craft great games, making you a critical part of any development team.”
Benjamin Ellinger
Program Director
A Byte-Sized Program Breakdown
Hone Your Hybrid Skillset
Designed for the programmer at heart with a keen sense of design, even if you are new to computer science.
Collaborate Across Disciplines
Built around yearly game projects where your technical role on each team brings game designs to life.
Establish a Strong Foundation
Prepares you to become a game developer with a focus on low-level coding in C/C++ and fundamental courses in design and mathematics.
Excel in Your Career Path
Reflects the daily life of a game developer as you prepare for careers in gameplay programming, technical design, and more.
Invest in Your Future Career
Guides you into relevant industries where regional computer programmers in Washington make an annual mean wage of $159,090.*
*Annual mean wage in Washington state as of May 2024. Source: www.bls.gov
Alumni Highlights
Turn your passion into your career.
No matter how you slice it, DigiPen graduates go far. Through our comprehensive courses and project-focused methodology, our graduates enter the industry ready to start programming games alongside a top-notch network of developers and creatives.
Current students connect with top industry professionals through exclusive events hosted by Career Services.
- Networking Mixers
- Industry Company Days
- Reverse Career Fairs
- Internship Support
- Course Audits for Alumni
A sample of entry-level game developer jobs and professions our graduates have landed.
- Software Engineer
- Technical Designer
- Gameplay Programmer
- Systems Designer
- AI Programmer
Our graduates shape the next generation of games and interactive media at major influential companies, close-knit indie studios, and their own passionate ventures.
- CD PROJEKT RED
- Riot Games
- Meta Platforms
- Naughty Dog
- Supergiant Games
- Turn 10 Studios
The key thing that DigiPen has provided me is the ability to adapt to whatever comes my way at work. In all my years, I have almost never run into something that I did not feel like I could do.
Andy Kibler
Degree Program Alum
I think GAM [game project course] is the most valuable part of DigiPen, period. It’s where the practicality meets theory, where you actually don’t have anyone telling you what to do.
Michael Crouch
Degree Program Alum
DigiPen cultivated this really important idea of making sure to ask for help, but also, another really important thing – trusting your teammates.
Corey Bowen
Degree Program Alum
Student Teams
Skills aren’t formed through books and lectures alone.
It’s a yearly endeavor — students collaborate and form teams to complete an original game from start to finish. Every member of the team brings a unique perspective to the game project, and your newfound expertise from your degree program can secure you a relevant role within your team.
Focus Areas
Gameplay
Awaken the potential of your game’s world. Program game mechanics and user interfaces, like character behavior, interactive dialogue, and more.
Tools
Bridge the gap between the technical and the creative. Build tools like level editors to bolster your ideas and aid your designers.
Academic Journey
Look over this list of programming languages and software you’ll use for video game development throughout the program.
- C, C++, C#
- Git
- Visual Studio
- Python
- SQL - Structured Query Language
- Unity
- Unreal
Our students are passionate, and our game team interviews bring their development stories to the forefront.
Find Out What Makes Us Different
Chat directly with a student ambassador or tune into an online info session — there’s always a way to learn more about DigiPen.
Ask-a-Dragon on Discord 
The DigiPen Difference
Curriculum
Instructors with Industry Insight.
From your first day of class to the day of your commencement, our renowned faculty and network of diverse professors have curated your academic progression to transition you into the workforce with ease and confidence.
Featured Courses
Events Featuring Faculty
Our online events are in cooldown and will respawn soon.
Online Events
A small selection of fundamental courses included within all our computer science degree programs.
- CS 120 High-Level Programming I
- CS 230 Game Implementation Techniques
- MAT 140 Linear Algebra and Geometry
Our instructors come from rich and diverse backgrounds, and these are just some of the companies they’ve made their mark on.
- Nintendo Software Technology
- Xbox Game Studios
- Amazon
- Electronic Arts
- Lucasfilm Games
- Crystal Dynamics
- Activision
- Wizards of the Coast
- Wargaming
- Bungie