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University of Southern California · Interactive Media & Games Division, School of Cinematic Arts

Game Art

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Art

Bachelor'sBFAGame ArtDedicated degree

Overview

A four-year BFA in the School of Cinematic Arts focused on animation and art for games, with a core in design, coding and production. Admission requires a SlideRoom application with a portfolio of up to 15 pieces.

Official program title
Game Art
Exact award
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Art
Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Degree level
Bachelor's
Discipline
Degree type
Dedicated degree
School and department
Source: games.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Why this program is listed

Dedicated BFA in Game Art in the School of Cinematic Arts.

Source: cinema.usc.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.Classes meet on campus.
Source: games.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Campus attendance
Regular campus attendanceClasses meet on campus (campus and hybrid programs).
Study intensity
Not published
Duration
four-year program
Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Credits
Not verified

Entry routes

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

Students make games at all levels and build skills in art creation for real-time engines; listed areas include technical art, animation, environment art, modeling and art direction.

Art and animation content

  • Art creation for real-time graphics engines with a core in design, coding and production.
    Source: games.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Capstone

  • Advanced Game Projects cross-disciplinary capstone course in USC Games Studios.
    Source: games.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Specializations

  • Areas of specialization such as technical art, animation, environment art, modeling and art direction.
    Source: games.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Hardware and software requirements

Hardware
SCA approved laptop required for Interactive Media & Games (Config A - 3D Performance or Config B - Editing Performance).
Source: cinema.usc.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

Development portfolio of at most 15 pieces, plus a creative portfolio list and technical skill list.

Format: SlideRoom upload

Official portfolio instructions

Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Statement / essay
RequiredCinematic Arts Personal Statement (PDF).
Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Recommendation letters
Required1 letters — One letter of recommendation from an academic source (first-year applicants).
Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Interview
RequiredUndergraduate applicants receive an admission interview/assessment invitation via Kira Talent after the deadline.
Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Writing sample
RequiredProject Question essay on collaborative projects, no more than two pages.
Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Tests

SAT/ACT and English-language test policy: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

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 · for Fall (year not printed), first-year

    The school does not print a year with this date.

    Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
    Year not printed

  • Early action

    November 1 · for Fall (year not printed), first-year

    The school does not print a year with this date.

    Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
    Year not printed

  • Application deadline

    January 10 · for Fall (year not printed), first-year

    The school does not print a year with this date.

    Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
    Year not printed

  • Application deadline

    December 1 · for Fall (year not printed), external transfer

    The school does not print a year with this date.

    Source: cinema.usc.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.
CategoryAmountBasis and year
All students — Undergraduate tuition, 12-18 units for two semestersFrom the school-wide rate table for this level$75,384per academic year · 2026-2027Source: financialaid.usc.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

Program-specific funding: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

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

  • WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) — 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.
  1. cinema.usc.edu/admissions/apply.cfm — Official admissions page, verified October 12, 2026
  2. cinema.usc.edu/admissions/freshman.cfm — Official admissions page, verified October 12, 2026
  3. cinema.usc.edu/admissions/procedures/game/firstyearprocedures.cfm — Official admissions page, verified October 12, 2026
  4. cinema.usc.edu/interactive/index.cfm — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  5. cinema.usc.edu/Laptops/ — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  6. financialaid.usc.edu/undergraduate-financial-aid/cost-of-attendance/ — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 12, 2026
  7. games.usc.edu/degrees — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  8. games.usc.edu/facilities — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  9. DAPIP — WSCUC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-12) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 12, 2026

Something out of date? Suggest an update · Represent this school? Claim the profile

Similar programs at other schools

Same degree level and primary field. Listed for discovery, not ranked.

Full Sail University

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Delivery: Online (on-site requirements not stated)The institution offers the degree online but its pages do not say whether any on-site activity is required.
Campus attendance: Campus attendance not verified
Portfolio: Portfolio policy not published
Duration: 108 weeks (online) · 120 credits
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DePaul University

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Concentration in Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation — Game Art Concentration

Field: Game Art
Administering location: Chicago, IL
Delivery: On campusClasses meet on campus.
Campus attendance: Regular campus attendance
Portfolio: Portfolio required
Duration: Duration not verified
Tuition: Tuition: $48,180 per academic year · All students — Undergraduate, 12-18 credit hours, Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media and other colleges, 2026 admit year · 2026-2027
Next deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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University of Advancing Technology

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Field: Game Art
Administering location: Tempe, AZInstitution location, not a residency requirement
Delivery: Online (on-site requirements not stated)The institution offers the degree online but its pages do not say whether any on-site activity is required.
Campus attendance: Campus attendance not verified
Portfolio: Portfolio policy not published
Duration: Duration not verified · 120 credits
Tuition: Tuition: $10,300 per semester · All students — UAT-Online/Hybrid tuition, per 12-credit semester (2025-2026) · 2025-2026
Next deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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