From pulse-pounding video game soundtracks to complex live concert sound systems, audio engineering transforms raw acoustics into immersive, emotional experiences. Our audio programming undergraduate degree goes deep on the cutting‑edge sonic technologies bringing new levels of realism and sensory depth to the expanding world of interactive digital media.
You’ll start your four‑year journey in the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Digital Audio with a focus on math and foundational programming languages like C and C++. Soon after, courses in music theory and musicianship take to the stage, with a spotlight on sound design, production, and digital audio workstations. Your proficiency in audio programming will grow alongside your semester- and year‑long team projects where you’ll create original video games with sophisticated interactive audio. With multiple game projects completed by the time you graduate, you’ll enter the game and tech industries with a diverse portfolio and deep background in sound production, tools programming, and more — thoroughly equipped to jumpstart your digital audio career.
I’m always excited to see what students come up with in their final project courses. I’ve seen a lot of cool and unique audio projects that they take into the workforce and make a name for themselves.”
Andrea Ellinger
Program Director
A Byte-Sized Program Breakdown
Study Programming and Music
Designed to help you make great games and cool tech with a focus on audio engineering, even if you are new to computer science.
Collaborate Across Disciplines
Built around yearly game projects where your technical role on each team powers the audio systems behind your game.
Learn From Seasoned Pros
Engage with experienced faculty from across the game industry and build connections with local companies like Microsoft, Meta, and more.
Excel in Your Career Path
Focuses on game development to prepare you for your chosen career in game audio programming, software development, and more.
Invest in Your Future Career
Guides you into 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 DigiPen’s Career and Alumni Relations department.
- Networking Mixers
- Industry Company Days
- Reverse Career Fairs
- Internship Support
- Course Audits for Alumni
A sample of entry-level game programming jobs and tech roles our graduates have landed that kicked off their profession.
- Audio Programmer
- Software Engineer
- Technical Sound Designer
- Engine and Tools Programmer
- Computer Audio Engineer
Our graduates shape the next generation of games and tech at major influential companies, close-knit indie studios, and their own passionate ventures.
- Meta
- Epic Games
- Microsoft
- Blizzard Entertainment
- Embody
- ZeniMax Online Studios
One of the things I really liked about the [BS in Computer Science and Digital Audio] program is it was firmly planted both in programming and content creation. I’ve got as many sound design projects under my belt as I do video game projects from my time there.
Michael Pitaniello
Degree Program Alum
What DigiPen taught me is to be headstrong and break something enough times that I understand it completely and make it work.
Kaan Palaz
Degree Program Alum
I think it’s something really important that we offer here at DigiPen, that our instructors are teaching these ideas not as an academic science we learned 30 years ago, but as people who are actually engaged and invested in what’s happening right now.
Lawrence Schwedler
Associate Professor
Visualizing soundfield representation with these DigiPen projects got me comfortable enough with the math and implementation that I had the opportunity to take on its implementation for Unreal Engine.
Max Hayes
Degree Program Alum
My experiences from DigiPen directly helped me do a good job on this code test and get a job at Larian.
Matt Rosen
Degree Program Alum
Student Teams
Skills aren’t formed through books and lectures alone.
It’s a yearly endeavor — students form teams and collaborate to create an original video 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.
Tools
Bridge the gap between the technical and the creative. Build tools like audio filters to implement your ideas and aid your designers.
Engine
Build the framework that powers audio throughout your entire project. Your custom engine contributions will enable flexibility in technical and creative decisions.
Audio
Establish your project’s sonic profile. Pair your audio programming with a sound designer’s direction to convey atmosphere, emotions, and more in your game.
Look over this list of programming languages and software you’ll use for project development throughout the program.
- C, C++, C#
- Git
- Visual Studio
- Python
- Wwise
- 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 
Anatomy of a Student Team
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