Columbia College
You probably have never heard of Columbia College located in Chicago, Illinois. That’s ok. But don’t mistake it for the Ivy League version in New York, because first of all, it costs a fraction of what that one costs (tuition is only about $24,000 a year) even though it is private. And, while engineering is a big thing at the other place, if you want to make video games, well, as they say in New York, “fughetaboutit.”
At Columbia, you can major in almost everything related to creating video games. Game Design, Game Development, Game Programming, Mobile Media Programming, Game Art, User Experience, Interaction Design, Music Technology, and even Social Media and Digital Strategy are all fields you can major and minor in at Columbia. There is a Game Lab on campus for you to use as you program and design. It includes both PC and console-gaming system hardware as well as an archived collection. Hi Def AV screens are available and there is a library of many hundred game titles for you to use as reference and resource.
Classes in Game Design will begin your first semester of your first year. You’ll start with a class on development and go from there. All in all you’ll take classes in everything from Digital Image Design to Game Culture, from Large Team Game Project to Advanced Game Scripting and Environments. In the process you will learn how to program, to collaborate, to design, to market, and how to make it work even when it doesn’t. By the time you graduate, you will have created several long term projects that will give you the experience you need to get a job afterwards. You will also do a capstone project which will be marketable as well.
The facilities at Columbia are also absolutely state of the art. In addition to the Game Lab, Columbia also has an Equipment Cage with an extensive collection of video cameras, SLR cameras, mobile devices, tripods, microphones, and much more. The use of the Fabrication Lab is also for you so that you can use things like electronics, physical computing, tactile media, robotics, laser cutter, and other tools of the trade. But don’t stop there. Try out the Motion Capture Studio with 2D and 3D filming and game capture, or the Open Lab for the latest in software development. Exchange ideas in the Lobby where you can also sit back and play foosball, or take in a student’s video on the big screen. Get working in the Project Room where people experiment with their work but also can view other people’s work as well. Collaborate with friends in the Media Production Center, a 35,500 square foot facility with two sound stages, animation studios, film capture, digital video, and fabrication shop, or work in the Sound Studio to record your soundtrack for your video or game.
The Interactive Arts and Media program (which the Gaming fields fall into) is a serious program and students who go into this are serious about what they do. Test scores are not required for admission. But a portfolio is. And they will take your scores if they are good and you want to send them. It’s a serious program for people who really already know what they want to do.
Some of the people there are doing a second BA (they have one in something related to a liberal art). Others are there for graduate school. So it’s a place with people who come and go. Plus because it’s in the city, many people live off campus (Columbia is located in “The Loop” which is kind of central business center of Chicago). But there is housing here. As a former resident of Chicago, I think I would chose to live in the Arc which is in the Old Colony Building, a classic Chicago landmark now converted into dorms. It’s stunning, of course.
Chicago is an incredible city (and yes I would move back tomorrow). It’s full of theater, music, great sports, incredible food, and unlike many cities, you can actually afford to live there. Wicker Park, Bridgeport, and Pilsen are some popular areas that remain more or less affordable for folks who choose not to live on campus.
What can you do at Columbia? Arts and Media are huge of course, but there are also the usual clubs and groups as well: glee clubs, Chinese Student Society, Black Student Union, Franc (French Club), Hillel, Animé, Poetry, Show Choir, etc. But there are also more professional groups there as well like the Audio Engineering Society and the Acoustical Society of America as well as Viva Doc which promotes documentary filmmaking. But then there is also Chicago. Want to go to see some painting? The Art Institute of Chicago is in your neighborhood. Want to hear some music? There are about 30 jazz and blues places to choose from. Heard that that August Wilson play was good? It’s playing at the Goodman Theater, just a 20 minute walk. Want to get the best tacos you ever ate? 23rd and Blue Island, El Taconazo.
Is Columbia College for you? It’s an art school predominantly. It does have a liberal arts college with it, but that’s not why I’d go there. Their most innovative programming is in the Interdisciplinary Arts and Media (although they are also very well known for their Book and Paper Arts program). If you want to make video games, this is an awesome place to do it and their facilities are amazing! But if you want to also get an education in other things, this is not the place to do it.
Pros:
Cons:
You probably have never heard of Columbia College located in Chicago, Illinois. That’s ok. But don’t mistake it for the Ivy League version in New York, because first of all, it costs a fraction of what that one costs (tuition is only about $24,000 a year) even though it is private. And, while engineering is a big thing at the other place, if you want to make video games, well, as they say in New York, “fughetaboutit.”
At Columbia, you can major in almost everything related to creating video games. Game Design, Game Development, Game Programming, Mobile Media Programming, Game Art, User Experience, Interaction Design, Music Technology, and even Social Media and Digital Strategy are all fields you can major and minor in at Columbia. There is a Game Lab on campus for you to use as you program and design. It includes both PC and console-gaming system hardware as well as an archived collection. Hi Def AV screens are available and there is a library of many hundred game titles for you to use as reference and resource.
Classes in Game Design will begin your first semester of your first year. You’ll start with a class on development and go from there. All in all you’ll take classes in everything from Digital Image Design to Game Culture, from Large Team Game Project to Advanced Game Scripting and Environments. In the process you will learn how to program, to collaborate, to design, to market, and how to make it work even when it doesn’t. By the time you graduate, you will have created several long term projects that will give you the experience you need to get a job afterwards. You will also do a capstone project which will be marketable as well.
The facilities at Columbia are also absolutely state of the art. In addition to the Game Lab, Columbia also has an Equipment Cage with an extensive collection of video cameras, SLR cameras, mobile devices, tripods, microphones, and much more. The use of the Fabrication Lab is also for you so that you can use things like electronics, physical computing, tactile media, robotics, laser cutter, and other tools of the trade. But don’t stop there. Try out the Motion Capture Studio with 2D and 3D filming and game capture, or the Open Lab for the latest in software development. Exchange ideas in the Lobby where you can also sit back and play foosball, or take in a student’s video on the big screen. Get working in the Project Room where people experiment with their work but also can view other people’s work as well. Collaborate with friends in the Media Production Center, a 35,500 square foot facility with two sound stages, animation studios, film capture, digital video, and fabrication shop, or work in the Sound Studio to record your soundtrack for your video or game.
The Interactive Arts and Media program (which the Gaming fields fall into) is a serious program and students who go into this are serious about what they do. Test scores are not required for admission. But a portfolio is. And they will take your scores if they are good and you want to send them. It’s a serious program for people who really already know what they want to do.
Some of the people there are doing a second BA (they have one in something related to a liberal art). Others are there for graduate school. So it’s a place with people who come and go. Plus because it’s in the city, many people live off campus (Columbia is located in “The Loop” which is kind of central business center of Chicago). But there is housing here. As a former resident of Chicago, I think I would chose to live in the Arc which is in the Old Colony Building, a classic Chicago landmark now converted into dorms. It’s stunning, of course.
Chicago is an incredible city (and yes I would move back tomorrow). It’s full of theater, music, great sports, incredible food, and unlike many cities, you can actually afford to live there. Wicker Park, Bridgeport, and Pilsen are some popular areas that remain more or less affordable for folks who choose not to live on campus.
What can you do at Columbia? Arts and Media are huge of course, but there are also the usual clubs and groups as well: glee clubs, Chinese Student Society, Black Student Union, Franc (French Club), Hillel, Animé, Poetry, Show Choir, etc. But there are also more professional groups there as well like the Audio Engineering Society and the Acoustical Society of America as well as Viva Doc which promotes documentary filmmaking. But then there is also Chicago. Want to go to see some painting? The Art Institute of Chicago is in your neighborhood. Want to hear some music? There are about 30 jazz and blues places to choose from. Heard that that August Wilson play was good? It’s playing at the Goodman Theater, just a 20 minute walk. Want to get the best tacos you ever ate? 23rd and Blue Island, El Taconazo.
Is Columbia College for you? It’s an art school predominantly. It does have a liberal arts college with it, but that’s not why I’d go there. Their most innovative programming is in the Interdisciplinary Arts and Media (although they are also very well known for their Book and Paper Arts program). If you want to make video games, this is an awesome place to do it and their facilities are amazing! But if you want to also get an education in other things, this is not the place to do it.
Pros:
- Excellent game design program
- Cutting edge facilities
- Professional training
- Amazing location
Cons:
- Not a well rounded education
- Nontraditional student life
- Need to be pretty mature and clear this is what you want
- There’s no babying here