On October 24, IGDA Detroit held an education roundtable discussion with four leaders of the gaming academic community in Michigan. The aim was to give attendees a better idea of the scope the various university programs related to gaming had, and how to better get into, and what they can get out of, said programs.
In attendance were Dr. Bruce Maxim from the University of Michigan, Prof. Brian Winn from Michigan State University, Kim Callery from the International Academy of Art & Design Detroit, and Jake Pollak from Schoolcraft College.
Each instructor gave an overview of their programs and how they'd developed, and a roadmap of where they are headed in the future.
After the break, we were joined by Ben Ridgeway, an instructor at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, whose students have been collaborating with Dr. Maxim's students on their game projects. It turns out that CCS students have been providing U-M students with art assets for their projects. We hope that this collaboration will expand in the future, for a greater cooperation between our state's educational institutions!
Takeaways from the evening were notes from the professors's findings in their programs, in that a graduate of Michigan game development programs find a job in the industry 99% of the time, provided they are willing to leave the state to do so. Michigan professors are very much looking to see new game companies in Michigan, to provide their students with more resources for internships and learning opportunities. Also, the serious games aspect of the industry is growing, with our educational bodies working to highlight that as a growing and positive application of their curriculums.
For the full notes of the roundtable, see Rich Elswick's moderator notes on the Discussion forums here.
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