Online vs Campus Game Design Degrees: What \"Online\" Really Means

An online game design degree can mean very different things. On one school's page it means every course runs on a learning platform and nothing requires travel. On another it means coursework is online but some courses may still meet at set times or on campus. On a third, the page simply says the degree is "available online" and says nothing more. Before comparing online and campus options, it helps to know which of these you are actually looking at, and which questions to ask when a page is silent.

How we label delivery

Every program in our directory carries a delivery label taken from the school's own wording. We do not upgrade a label because a program sounds flexible; the rules are on our methodology page.

The last label is common, and it is not a warning about the program. It only means you should ask the school directly before you assume you will never need to travel.

Fully online, hybrid and the gray zone

Some programs state the online format plainly. Champlain College describes its online BS in Interactive Game Design as a "100% online" degree. DigiPen's online MS in Game Development lists "100% online" and "five semesters part-time" for 30 credit hours. West Virginia University's catalog says the MA in Game Design curriculum "is fully online and asynchronous."

Read the course lists too, even in a fully online program. WVU's MA includes ART 608 Game Design Residency among the options for a six-hour requirement, so a residency is something you can choose, not something forced on you. That is the kind of detail a delivery label alone will not show you.

Other schools run the same degree in two formats. Lindenwood University offers a BA in Game Design "in blended format," with in-person and online parts, and points students who want a fully remote option to its separate online BA, listed as "100% online."

Then there is the gray zone. Liberty University's online Gaming Design cognate (an IT degree with a named gaming concentration, not a game design degree) is described as "100% online, 8-week courses." The same page also says some courses "may be required to be taken in intensive or alternative formats, which may include scheduled meeting times, travel to campus, or required login sessions." Because of that sentence, we do not treat it as fully online. The lesson: read the small print on the program page, not just the heading.

Internships, residencies and other in-person pieces

"Online coursework" and "no in-person requirement" are not the same claim. Check these items separately:

• Internships. The University of Arizona's online BA in Applied Humanities with a Game Studies emphasis "involves a mandatory internship that can be completed remotely." The University of Advancing Technology's catalog says internship credit "is only required for on-campus, undergraduate students," and that its Hybrid-Online students can complete internship credit as an elective.
• Residencies or intensives. These may be optional (as in WVU's elective) or required. Ask how long they last, where they happen and who pays for travel.
• Proctored exams and capstone defenses. Ask whether they can be done remotely.
• Schedule. Lindenwood describes its online MA as "100% asynchronous." UAT says its online classes run in 7.5-week asynchronous modules taken two at a time. Asynchronous does not always mean no live sessions, so confirm.

Team projects and equipment

Working with a remote team

Game development is usually team work, and online programs say they build that in. Lindenwood's online MA includes Team Studio I. The University of Advancing Technology's catalog says design students "will work with artists and programmers to create complete projects." Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design says online Game Art BFA students "can collaborate on projects through virtual classrooms, group assignments, and online forums." Champlain's online program ends in a capstone course whose outcome is "a playable computer game."

When you contact a program, ask how teams are formed across time zones, which version control and communication tools are used, and whether online students ever work with campus students.

Equipment

An online game degree runs on your own computer. Full Sail University's catalog says applicants to online-only programs "will be required to complete a technology assessment" and need "a reliable high-speed Internet connection." Academy of Art University lists a minimum of 8 GB memory for online students. Requirements vary a lot by program and track; our guide to hardware for online game design students collects what schools actually publish.

Where you live and how you enter

State authorization

An online program is not automatically open to students in every state. Academy of Art University says it "restricts enrollment for applicants in and from areas where online programs are not approved." The University of Silicon Valley lists the states where it is "approved/exempt for distance education" on its BA in Game Design page.

Many schools take part in SARA, an agreement among member states. NC-SARA, the organization that runs it, says a participating college "may offer distance education programs to students in other SARA member states" and must be institutionally accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education whose scope includes distance education. UAT's catalog, for example, says UAT "is an approved SARA institution." Check the school's state authorization page for your state before you apply.

Not every online bachelor's admits first-year students

Some online bachelor's degrees are degree-completion programs. Full Sail's online Interactive Technology BS with a Game Design concentration requires applicants to document "their earned associate's or higher-level degree." Wilmington University describes its completion degree as one "created exclusively for students who have completed an associate degree." Other schools with online bachelor's programs, such as the University of Silicon Valley, publish a first-time student route that asks for high school transcripts. If you are coming straight from high school, confirm that the online version admits first-year students. If you have prior credits, ask how many transfer in.

Choosing between them

A campus program gives you shared labs, in-person critique and teammates down the hall. An online program lets you study without moving and often on your own schedule. Neither format is better by default. Compare the curriculum, the final project and the attendance rules of the specific program.

• Browse online game degrees, split into online bachelor's and online master's programs.
• Put two programs side by side with the compare tool.

Whatever you choose, keep the school's own page open and confirm every attendance, equipment and state detail with admissions before you commit.