guildhall.smu.eduHome | SMU Guildhall

Student Work Career Services Academic Calendar Faculty Open Positions Admissions Academics People Campus About News + Events Apply Now Student Work Career Services Academic Calendar Faculty Open Positions Admissions Admission Requirements Portfolio Requirements Financial Information Certain Affinity Scholarship Guildhall Preparation A Day In The Life Housing Refer a Game Changer Academics Specializations Research Student Work People Guest Lecturers and Advisors Faculty Staff Alumni Students Campus Our Facilities GameLab Area Studios Visit About FAQ Industry Partnerships Historical Milestones & Notables Career Services Career Fair Guildhall Academy Testimonials Contact Us Portfolio Requirements Art Design Production Programming Financial Information SMU Financial Aid Guildhall Preparation Art Design Production Programming Specializations Art Creation Level Design Production Programming Research Codex: Lost Words of Atlantis Wired for Good: Lifesaving VR Minecraft Research for Cancer The Avatar Project Student Work Independent Projects Team Game Projects Game APK Download Instructions Faculty Faculty Open Positions Staff Staff Open Positions Alumni Alumni Spotlight Alumni Success GameLab GameLab Facilities GameLab Events Steam FAQ Admissions Admissions Admission Requirements Portfolio Requirements Financial Information Certain Affinity Scholarship Guildhall Preparation A Day In The Life Housing Refer a Game Changer Academics Academics Specializations Research Student Work People People Guest Lecturers and Advisors Faculty Staff Alumni Students Campus Campus Our Facilities GameLab Area Studios Visit About About FAQ Industry Partnerships Historical Milestones & Notables Career Services Career Fair Guildhall Academy Testimonials Contact Us News + Events Apply Now CAMPAIGN MODE UNLOCKED: 20 YEARS OF CHANGING THE GAME Our Games Testimonials Our Location Take a Tour Alumni Success PIONEERING GAME DEV EDUCATION Recognized as one of the first and best graduate schools for game design , SMU Guildhall has been at the forefront of training the next generation of game developers for success in a dynamic, evolving industry for 20 years. With a faculty of industry veterans and specializations in all four cornerstones of game development, we have been commended for our multi-disciplinary Team Game Production curriculum , which yields award-winning student games and 1000+ alumni with varied and impressive success stories across the globe. Our research initiatives are leveling up advances in industries including business, psychology, medicine, and beyond. And our network of industry partnerships spanning two decades are ever-strengthening and ever-evolving in and out of the classroom. Learn moreDirectory of student games Student Work: Creating a fun game is serious work Specializations Art Key Focus Areas: Character modeling Virtual sculpting Anatomy Rigging and weighting Animation Environmental modeling Modularity Game engine pipelines Lighting and post-processing Concept art More Design Key Focus Areas: Using a variety of game editors Working with other disciplines Player psychology Player immersion Level layout & player flow Multi-player & single-player design Game aesthetics & architecture Encounter & puzzle design Storytelling & character development Interface design and systems design More Production Key Focus Areas: Game development planning Pitching game concepts Digital game publishing and marketing Executive leadership Economics of the digital gaming industry User research Organizational behavior Product lifecycles Project management Business communication More Programming Key Focus Areas: Game engine design & architecture Data-driven gameplay systems Artificial Intelligence Networked multiplayer systems User input, controls & user interfaces Procedural content generation techniques Advanced 2D & 3D graphics and shaders Game physics techniques Audio techniques Memory management More Art Design Production Programming Key Focus Areas: Character modeling Virtual sculpting Anatomy Rigging and weighting Animation Environmental modeling Modularity Game engine pipelines Lighting and post-processing Concept art More Key Focus Areas: Using a variety of game editors Working with other disciplines Player psychology Player immersion Level layout & player flow Multi-player & single-player design Game aesthetics & architecture Encounter & puzzle design Storytelling & character development Interface design and systems design More Key Focus Areas: Game development planning Pitching game concepts Digital game publishing and marketing Executive leadership Economics of the digital gaming industry User research Organizational behavior Product lifecycles Project management Business communication More Key Focus Areas: Game engine design & architecture Data-driven gameplay systems Artificial Intelligence Networked multiplayer systems User input, controls & user interfaces Procedural content generation techniques Advanced 2D & 3D graphics and shaders Game physics techniques Audio techniques Memory management More Achievements Unlocked: 1000+ ALUMNI AT 350+ STUDIOS "Guildhall had a hands on approach to making games, which I really liked as opposed to studying theoretical concepts. The Guildhall taught me perseverance. It had a huge impact on my life." Charles Egenbacher , Cohort 17 Producer/Technical Project Manager at Epic Games Previous Next Achievements Unlocked: 1000+ ALUMNI AT 350+ STUDIOS "The Guildhall changed my life and my career certainly for the better... By working on real gaming projects and doing real coding, I had the confidence to perform in the ’real world.’" Daniel Rivin , Cohort 3 Lead Software Engineer at Bungie Previous Next Achievements Unlocked: 1000+ ALUMNI AT 350+ STUDIOS "The Guildhall gave me a great foundation that allowed me to be immediately productive as a junior designer... It’s not an exaggeration to say that it completely altered the direction of my life." Drew Murray , Cohort 2 Design Director at The Initiative (Microsoft) Previous Next Achievements Unlocked: 1000+ ALUMNI AT 350+ STUDIOS "SMU Guildhall is the place to be to prove whether you can really be the best in our industry... What I needed was to build up my technical skills for a solid portfolio, and SMU Guildhall provided exactly that." Lincoln Li , Cohort 18 Senior Designer at Electronic Arts Previous Next Achievements Unlocked: 1000+ ALUMNI AT 350+ STUDIOS "The Guildhall has been a crucial step for me in getting to where I am today. It got me prepared enough to get into the game industry." Grace Liu , Cohort 9 Lead Environment Artist at Airship Syndicate Previous Next Achievements Unlocked: 1000+ ALUMNI AT 350+ STUDIOS "The Guildhall provided immense amounts of prep and training. It has had a huge impact on my life." Stephen Chin , Cohort 16 Technical Designer at Crystal Dynamics Previous Next Achievements Unlocked: 1000+ ALUMNI AT 350+ STUDIOS "The impact is immeasurable. I wouldn’t be in the industry today had it not been for the Guildhall. Everything would be different. It was a huge turning point in my life." Sam Arguez , Cohort 2 Shader FX Artist, Bungie Previous Next Achievements Unlocked: 1000+ ALUMNI AT 350+ STUDIOS "The Guildhall helped me learn how to communicate with other disciplines to express my ideas. Collaborative work really translated well from the Guildhall to the industry." Grant Kao , Cohort 14 Game Designer at Gearbox Software Previous Next The Video Game Industry Is Your Sandbox Learn More About Our Industry Partners Careers: Level Up Reach The Next Level We can help you achieve a rewarding career in the video game industry. SMU Guildhall provides a top-ranked education, and our students and alumni are highly sought for art, design, production, and programming positions at game studios and technology companies worldwide. Guildhall Career Services Guildhall Industry Partners News Spring 2024 Guildhall Game Releases Learn More Now Hiring Faculty Learn More 2023...