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Video game making programs: different school options

Get the low down on studying options for video game making programs.

Mario kid zone and video game making programs by Pop Culture Geek on FlickrVideo game-making programs are an exciting avenue for many students to take. These classes can be taken at the university level online or at a local school, so it's a program that many ages of people can enjoy.

You can learn about video game design online education and pick from the various video game design colleges. Video game classes include education on designing, planning and creating the video games you love to play.

How much will I make?

As a video game designer, you can expect an average wage that is around $28 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is the median level, however, so you could end up making more or less than that amount depending on your education and abilities.

What type of education do I need?

You should look into a variety of educational backgrounds. Graphic design may allow a student to specialize in character creation, box design and more.

A video game design associate degree may take two years and are tailored to the video gaming industry. Video game design courses that lead to a bachelor's degree can take up to five years or more. These programs are intensive and will include more education at a higher level than an associate's degree.

Classes begin soon. Find your video game making program and apply today!

What can I do with my degree?

You can be a video game designer, and you may be able to work with many parts of the design process when you have an education in video game design. You may be working with sounds and voice overs, graphic design or character layouts. You might work with coding or marketing the material to consumers.

What you do with your degree is highly dependent on your studies and what you want to do in the field.

Where can I earn my degree?

You have a lot of options if you want to go into game design or video game development. You can go to a local art school, gaming school or regular college or university that offers classes related to the field.

You may also want to consider online courses due to their easy availability. Since video games can be played and developed on computers, many students are able to commute via the Internet to class, saving a lot of money and time.

To review, you can work on a degree in video game design and development from anywhere if you take online courses, or you can head to a university and take a course there. You can take a short two-to-three year degree or expand your knowledge with a four- or five-year degree.

Whichever you decide, remember that you'll be able to branch off into a section of the field you enjoy, whether it's character development or coding. Video game-making programs are just the beginning of a career that may last you for years to come.

Photo credit: Mario's Kid Zone and video game making programs by Pop Culture Geek via Compfight CC.