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
All incoming first-year students admitted to a Pre-Bachelor of Fine Arts (Pre-BFA) program will begin their journey in the School of Art & Design’s First-Year Experience (FYX)—a common foundation designed to help you build the skills and portfolio needed to apply to your intended BFA major.
What is a Pre-BFA?
When you’re accepted to UW-Stout, you’re automatically placed into the Pre-BFA version of the program you chose on your application. During your first year, you’ll complete FYX courses that help you prepare for a successful portfolio review.
Two Pathways to a BFA Major
Starting with incoming first-year students for fall 2026, you have two potential pathways into your BFA major:
- Pathway 1: Submit a Portfolio Before Enrolling in Your First-Year Coursework.
Before the start of school, you may submit an independent portfolio for review. If successful, you will be approved for direct-entry into your BFA major and will not be required to apply for the major later. You will still complete the School of Art & Design’s First-Year Experience (FYX) regardless of that outcome. If your portfolio review is unsuccessful, or if you choose not to pursue this pathway, you will still enroll as a “Pre-BFA” in your chosen BFA major. Deadlines and requirements are below. Ready to apply or have questions? Email artdesign@uwstout.edu. - Pathway 2: Submit a Portfolio During or After Your First-Year Coursework.
You enroll as a “Pre-BFA” student and develop a portfolio from the School of Art & Design’s FYX to apply for formal acceptance into your BFA major. After enrolling at UW-Stout, you have two opportunities to apply for acceptance.
What do I need to get accepted into my BFA program?
Pathway 1: After Admission to Stout, Submit the Following by Feb. 1 (Priority Deadline) or April 1 (Regular Decision).
- Your portfolio is the most important part of your application. It is evaluated on artistic and conceptual content, design, composition, technical skill, and creative potential. Your portfolio should contain 12 examples of your best and most recent work that showcases your technical skills and idea development. Select works that demonstrate the depth and breadth of your creative experiences and interests. Your portfolio may include works in a variety of media, including two-dimensional work, photography, three-dimensional work, design, architectural renderings, interactive media, websites, video and animation. Portfolio samples may come from formal assignments or outside of an art class.
- Submit an essay, saved as one PDF, that includes responses of 150 words or less for each of the three prompts below. Incorporate terms and concepts learned to discuss your work.
- Please tell us about your pre-college background, including your experience with making art or design, your educational experience, and influences.
- Tell us about a single project this year that has been included in the portfolio. Why did you include it? What skills did you learn from this project (technical, critical, creative/process)? Which of your strengths do you think it highlights?
- Give us a vision for your future self: What areas will you improve on? What opportunities have been revealed with your learning at Stout? Describe your career objectives.
- A $10 application fee is assessed at the time you electronically submit your portfolio.
Pathway 2: Commonly submitted at the end of the second semester.
- 2.0 or higher UW-Stout cumulative GPA and a grade of C or better for all art, art history, and design courses.
- A personal essay of 300-500 words about how your Foundations work represents your preparedness for your intended major
- Your FYX portfolio
Transfer Students
- All transfer students will be admitted as a Pre-Bachelor of Fine Arts (Pre-BFA) student. Upon acceptance to UW-Stout, 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.
- There is a $10 application fee assessed at the time you electronically submit your portfolio.
Transfer students are considered on a rolling basis throughout the year. 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
| First Name | Last Name | Title | Organization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
