Ringling College of Art and Design · Game Art

Game Art (BFA)

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Art

Bachelor'sBFAGame ArtDedicated degree

Overview

A 120-credit campus BFA in Game Art in Sarasota with a 48-credit game major covering 3D for games, game design, visual development and programming for artists, ending in a multi-semester game thesis.

Official program title: Game Art (BFA)
Exact award: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Art
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Degree level: Bachelor's
Discipline: Game Art
Degree type: Dedicated degree
School and department: Ringling College of Art and Design — Game Art
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Location: Sarasota, FL

Why this program is listed

Dedicated BFA in Game Art.

Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026

We list dedicated game degrees and officially named game concentrations at institutionally accredited US schools. Eligibility rules

Format, length and attendance

Delivery, campus attendance, schedule and study intensity are separate facts, each shown only as the school states it. Online coursework does not by itself mean there is no residency, exhibition, internship or proctored exam.

Delivery: On campusClasses meet on campus.
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Campus attendance: Regular campus attendanceClasses meet on campus (campus and hybrid programs).
Study intensity: Not published
Duration: Not verified
Credits: Total Credits 120
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Start terms: Fall
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Entry routes

First-year entry. Open to first-time college students (freshman admission).Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Transfer entry. Admits students transferring credits from another college.Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Curriculum

What the school publishes about the program's game design, programming, art and production content. Tools and engines are listed only when the school names them — a program not listed as teaching Unity or Unreal may still use them, but we have not verified it.

After a first-year studio foundation, the major includes Introduction to Visual Development for Game Art, 3D for Games I–IV, Game Design I–III, Programming for Artists, Visual Development for Games I–II, Game Thesis Preproduction and Game Thesis Projects 1A, 1B and II; an internship may replace an open elective.

Game design topics

Game Design I, II and III
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Programming content

GAME 240 Programming for Artists
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Thesis

Game Thesis Preproduction followed by Game Thesis Project 1A, 1B and II
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Tools and engines named by the school

Unreal Engine, Maya, ZBrush, Adobe Suite, Substance suite, Houdini
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Internship

INTE 301 Internship Experience may be taken in place of an open elective
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Hardware and software requirements

Hardware: Game Art students receive a Lenovo multimedia notebook
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Admissions and portfolio

Required, optional and not-required items are shown exactly as the school states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.

Portfolio

Portfolio required

A visual art portfolio is required for all majors; for Game Art, three to five observational drawings from life are required, with optional additional work such as 3D models, game design work, coding or concept art.

Format: Digital submission through the Portfolio portion of the Common Application (SlideRoom)

Official portfolio instructions

Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Minimum GPA: RequiredMinimum 2 — Minimum 2.0 combined GPA from all previously attended institutions
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Statement / essay: RequiredCommon App essay, 250-650 words
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Application fee: Required$70 — Nonrefundable $70 application fee
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Tests

SAT / ACT: OptionalNot required; submission encouraged if taken
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances. How to prepare a game design portfolio

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the intake the school printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

Early decision
November 1 (binding Early Decision) · for Fall (year not printed)
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Year not printed
Application deadline
Rolling admission · for Fall (year not printed)
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Rolling
Scholarship deadline
February 15 (Presidential Scholarship) · for Fall (year not printed)
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Year not printed

Tuition and costs

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.

Category	Amount	Basis and year
All students — Full-time enrollment, per semester (Fall 2026 / Spring 2027)From the school-wide rate table for this level	$27,880	per semester · 2026-2027Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026
All students — Part-time enrollment (less than 12 hours), per credit hourFrom the school-wide rate table for this level	$2,600	per credit · 2026-2027Estimated tuition$312,000 = 120 credits × $2,600 per credit. Excludes mandatory fees, books, travel for any required visits or placements, transfer credit reductions and rate changes. Not the full cost of attendance.Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Other published fees, including equipment and software

Technology fee, Game Art (years 2, 3, 4), per semester: $2,565 per semester
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Technology fee, first year, per semester: $1,530 per semester
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026
First-year fees (matriculation, student activity, health services, technology), 2026-27: $5,710 per academic year
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Understanding tuition and equipment costs

Scholarships, assistantships and funding

Awards published by the school for this program or for students at this level. “Guaranteed” only when the school says every eligible student receives it. Loans must be repaid and are not scholarships. Scholarships guide

Presidential Scholarship Institutional scholarshipCompetitive
Eligibility: One awarded per major; complete application by February 15
How to apply: Considered when all admissions materials are submitted by the deadline
Deadline: February 15 (year not printed)
Source: ringling.edu · verified October 12, 2026

School-wide awards are listed because they apply at this degree level; eligibility conditions apply.

Accreditation and authorization

Institutional accreditation covers the school. Programmatic accreditation is shown only when it is named for this program — it is never transferred from another department or degree.

Institutional accreditation

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 12, 2026

Programmatic accreditation

None verified for this program. Game design degrees do not require one specific specialized accreditation.

International applicants

Not verified for this program.

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last checked October 12, 2026.

DAPIP — SACSCOC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-12) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 12, 2026
ringling.edu/academic-catalog/game-art — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 12, 2026
ringling.edu/academics/campus-resources/technology/ — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
ringling.edu/academics/majors/game-art/ — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
ringling.edu/admissions/apply/admission-requirements/ — Official admissions page, verified October 12, 2026
ringling.edu/admissions/apply/important-dates/ — Official admissions page, verified October 12, 2026
ringling.edu/admissions/apply/transfers/ — Official admissions page, verified October 12, 2026
ringling.edu/admissions/financial-aid-and-tuition/tuition/ — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 12, 2026

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