The Future of Gaming
Pick up the latest skills and next-gen technologies required for success in game design and development. In your choice of three content tracks—Art, Modeling & Animation for 3D Games, Machine Learning/AI with Python, and Game Programming & Design—you’ll learn to develop, program, design, and publish an original animation or game. Through workshops like Careers in the Serious Game Industry; New Game Art Tools and Techniques; Data Science, Classification, and Analytics; and Unreal or Unity?, you’ll get a solid foundation in game design, animation, 3D technologies, sound design, story-based games, mobile app development, and more. You’ll also get real experience in the latest software and tools such as 3D Studio Max, Unity 3D, Swift, and Android Studio and Emulator, among others.
Game Design Experts
The interactive curriculum, workshops, and simulations at the Game & Technology Academy are taught by Mason college faculty who are uniquely qualified to guide you on your journey toward a career in game design. You’ll get valuable insight from these amazing game professionals and college professors:
Dr. Scott Martin, Founder, Mason Computer Game Design Program; Founding Director, Virginia Serious Game Institute
James Casey, Associate Director, VSGI, Assistant Professor of Game Design
Gregory Grimsby, Assistant Professor of Computer Game Design
Eric Piccione, Assistant Professor of Game Design
Sang Nam, Director, Mason Computer Game Design Program.
These game pros will share their history and expertise in both the development and business sides of this dynamic industry.
Flexible Scheduling
Make your dream a reality this summer! You can participate in as many sessions in the summer as you like. Each of the three one-week sessions available offers immersive experiences and a taste of college life.
- Stay on the George Mason Campus for the full seven-day session
- Take part in special evening workshops and presentations
- Attend consecutive two sessions and receive $200 OFF the combined tuition
- Attend all three sessions and receive $400 OFF the combined tuition
- Students who attend more than one session will enjoy a self-guided tour and visit on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and Laundry Relaxation Gaming Challenge(s)
Game Changers
The Game & Technology Academy welcomes hundreds of game technology and design-oriented students every year. Our students work together to help each other master tools and techniques, tweak ideas, and offer suggestions and critiques to create the best work possible. You’ll meet people who have a wide variety of skills, some of which are different from your own—and that makes this program a great chance to learn from each other as well as the professors and experts from Mason!
Your fellow Game & Technology students may be your colleagues in the future, and some will certainly become friends that you’ll keep in touch with long after the program is over.
Virginia Serious Game Institute Visit
There is an entire industry built around the design, production, and distribution of games for various platforms, both in the serious and entertainment sector. At Mason’s Virginia Serious Game Institute (VSGI), professionals from the games industry will share their knowledge with you about the ins and outs of this unique business—from managing teams to creating distribution channels and cycles to overseeing marketing campaigns.
VSGI provides mentorship and intensive business training to serious game startups. (Serious games are those designed for use in training, rather than for entertainment—for example, medical simulations, scientific exploration, etc.) The main focus of VSGI is to “use game technologies to improve the human condition.” VSGI concentrates on game-related applied research and new game company cultivation. The Institute also trains teachers to bring programming and technology into the classroom and hosts science, technology, engineering and math programs for younger students.