Computer and video game companies, directly and indirectly, employ more than 120,000 people in 34 states. The average salary for direct employees is $75,000. UW-Stout's Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Game Design & Development is an award-winning program that offers students gain core skills in art and design, including drawing, 3D modeling, and animation. As a game artist, you will create the visual elements necessary for games including concept art, characters, level design, and animations. Game developers work in entertainment, training, advertising, simulation, and education.
Career-Defining Curriculum
To be successful in the industry, you must be skilled and able to work with your counterparts and apply those skills to creating games. UW-Stout offers Game Design and Development programs focusing on both art and computer science skills to serve the industry. Students will develop deeper skills in either discipline before joining together in the three capstone advanced project courses. These courses simulate industry by creating games using a team environment.
Program Overview
Program Highlights
- Collaborate with computer science students
- Courses covering 2D and 3D models, animation, and visual effects for video games, television, and movies
- Three labs with industry-standard hardware and software
- AAA development kits, Intuos Cintiq Displays, HD and 3D projectors, and virtual reality headsets
Awards & Recognition
UW-Stout's B.F.A. Game Design & Development program is among the very best in the nation, according to multiple ranking authorities.
- Best Game Design Program in Wisconsin (Animation Career Review, 2025)
- Top 5 Undergraduate Game Design Programs in the Midwest (Princeton Review, 2025)
- Top 10 Top Game Design Schools in the Midwest (Animation Career Review, 2025)
- National Co-Champion (E3 College Game Competition)
- Student Showcase Award (International Digital Media & Arts Association Conference)
96% of Graduates Are Employed or Continuing Education Within 6 Months
Use the Request Information form to receive a program summary and learn more about the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Game Design and Development.
Request Information
UW-Stout's School of Art & Design is accredited by the National Association for Schools of Art and Design.
"There is a wealth of information and tutorials online, but nothing can compare to a tangible, real-time studio environment. The art and design professors at UW-Stout are dedicated, passionate and kind; working with them is an irreplaceable experience."
~ Emily DillhuntB.F.A Game Design & Development
Industry-Experienced Faculty Instruction
Forget TA-taught classes and 200-person lectures. At UW-Stout, building close relationships with our industry-experienced and academically accomplished game design faculty will play a key role in your polytechnic education and your career. Learn more about your future instructors!
Do More in Our Industry-Standard Labs
Professional Internship Placements in Game Design & Development
Take your education into industry and earn while you learn through UW-Stout’s award-winning Cooperative Education & Internship Program (CEIP) and other placements. Unlike traditional internships, our professional paid and pro bono credit-earning experiences connect you with leaders in your field, including boutique game houses, design studios, and education institutions, to ensure you’re set up for success long before you graduate. More than a third of Stout students accept positions after graduation with their internship employer.
Recent Internship Employers
- 20 Credits Studio
- At Your Angle
- Leerburg Enterprises
- Pennisula School of Art
- Pixel Farm Digital
- Resilience, Inc.
- SeaChange Print Innovations
- Stacy Read
- Stellius
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
Select Internship Position Titles
- 2D Artist
- 3D Animator
- 3D Environment Modeler
- Arts Administration Intern
- Computer Graphics Intern
- Designer
- Game Designer
- Modeling Intern
- Texture Artist
Portfolio of Student Work
Related Signature Events
New First-Year Students
Students admitted as Pre-Bachelor of Fine Arts (Pre-BFA) students will join an exciting community of first-year art and design students with classes and events geared towards preparing you for a successful application to the intended BFA program.
As a student accepted into one of the six BFA programs, please be aware of the following:
- You will be required to submit a portfolio in the spring semester of your freshman year to apply for acceptance into the intended BFA program. Portfolios will be evaluated by School of Art and Design faculty. Through your first-year experience, you will be given the tools and skills required to prepare and submit the portfolio, and the necessary support to navigate the application process.
Transfer Students
- All transfer students will be admitted as a Pre-Bachelor of Fine Arts (Pre-BFA) student. Upon acceptance information will be provided on how to submit a portfolio and essay to be reviewed by a committee of School of Art & Design faculty, who will determine direct admissions into the BFA major of your choice.
- Priority Deadlines:
- Spring Admission: October 1 at 9 a.m. CST
- Fall Admission: March 1 at 9 a.m. CST
- Submissions may be made after the priority date; however, there is no guarantee when it will be reviewed for a decision nor what art-specific coursework you may be able to get into after the review is completed and whether or not registration for the next semester has begun. There is a $10 application fee assessed at the time you electronically submit your portfolio.
Transfer students are considered for both fall and spring. This includes portfolio and essay submission by the priority deadline. Students applying for one of the BFA programs will remain admitted as a "Pre-BFA" student if you:
- do not submit a portfolio/essay
or - apply after the BFA program has closed
or - are not approved for the BFA program after submission of a portfolio/essay.
You may then apply for a change of major in subsequent semesters, depending upon available openings in the program. If needed, BFA Foundations courses will be available to "Pre-BFA" students pending seat availability.
Award-Winning Student Games
In 2013, $21.53 billion was spent on video games, hardware, and accessories. Game software and content accounted for approximately $15.4 billion of that total. Computer and video game companies directly and indirectly employ more than 120,000 people in 34 states. The average salary for direct employees is $90,000.
The game entertainment industry is the typical choice for careers, but game development skills are also used for serious purposes, such as military training, education, personal medical assistance and business simulations.
Artists create two- and three-dimensional models, animation and visual effects for video games, television, movies, and other media. Employment of multimedia artists and animators is expected to grow by 6 percent through 2022. The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development predicts an 11.1 percent increase in the number of multimedia artists and animators from 2010-2020.
The video game industry is an emerging industry in Wisconsin. Raven Software, of Middleton, is largest and most established (1990). Other Wisconsin companies include Human Head Studios (Madison), Guild Software (Milwaukee), Filament Games (Madison), Learning Games Network (Madison), PerBlue (Madison), ZyMo Entertainment (Green Bay), and Digital Iris (Milwaukee).
Job Titles | Employers |
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Advisory Committee Members
| Dave | Beck | Professor | UW-Stout |
| Mitch | Clayton | Professional in the Field | |
| Aaron | French | Professional in the Field | Ryan Companies |
| Karlee | Hansen | Professional in the Field | |
| Sam | Herder | Professional in the Field | Periscope |
| Mark | Jarman | Professional in the Field | PGAV Destinations |
| Karl | Koehle | Assistant Professor | UW-Stout |
| Kim | Loken | Associate Professor; Program Director | UW-Stout |
| Zinn | Mae | Student | UW-Stout |
| Benetti | Mary | Professional in the Field | Field Day Learning Games (UW-Madison) |
| Brian | Pelletier | Professional in the Field | Roundhouse Studios |
| Sarah | Spiers | Professional in the Field | |
| Andrew | Williams | Professor | UW-Stout |
