Graduate School?

Richard Kain

I'm currently looking into graduate schools, to get my Master's Degree. I'm looking for suggestions. The degree I will be looking to acquire will most likely be a Master's in Fine Arts, or a Master's of Fine Arts in Computing. I thought about pursuing a Computer Science degree, but the prerequisites are a tad steep. (two full years of Math courses) Which schools are known for having solid programs in this area? Which ones have the best out-placement and internship programs to help get graduates into their respective industries? What schools would it be best to avoid?

I have a Bachelor's Degree in Graphic Design. But my college had no courses in 3D modeling or animation. All of my experience in this field is self-taught. I would really love to get further training in this area. And going back to school for a Master's degree struck me as a good way to do it. (and possibly help my career in the process)

Joao Sapiro

continue self taught wont spend a dime

arshlevon

hey johny, most cases you dont spend a dime on grad school anyway, you actually get paid for it. i did, you have to be a TA usually. grad school is for self exploration and research. i had a great time and i reccomend it for anyone. just read up on all the schools you can, there is tons of info out there.

i went to tulane, not really an art school, but it was in a very arty city, new orleans, and i chose it based on location. its pretty hard to get into grad school, yes they are very picky casue it costs them money for you to be there. your still going to be dirt poor tho.

Paul Jaquays

Richard ... if you are considering entering the game industry, Southern Methodist University's Guildhall at SMU program offers a Masters of Interactive Technology. The art track of the program (there are also tracks for level design and programming) focuses on art as it relates to game development. SMU has a 96% placement of graduates into the game industry. Internships are a mandatory part of the program. Many graduates have multiple job offers prior to graduation. Learn more about the program at http://guildhall.smu.edu. SMU's master's program have GPA requirements, and your BA degree must be from a regionally accredited college or university.

sonic

Computer science is the last thing you want to study in. Many programmers don't even do computer science, that field is more for people who want to study algorithms, driver design, OS design, etc. Consider what Paul said, as Dallas and the surrounding area is a great place to go to school especially if you are a liberal .

Paul Jaquays

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Consider what Paul said, as Dallas and the surrounding area is a great place to go to school especially if you are a liberal .

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If you choose to go to Guildhall, you'll be waaaay too busy to have time to even remember if you're a liberal or a conservative.

[MILES]

"Computer science is the last thing you want to study in."

I disagree. There is a growing need for Technical Artists in many areas of the entertainment industry, games included. If you are an artist grounded in traditional skills and familiar with any mainstream 3D application and are skilled in the area of computer science, then you easily have the foundation necissary to set you on the road to becoming a Technial Artist. Computer science background is becoming highly valuable even among artists and should not be downplayed.

sonic

I have to disagree with you. Computer science is very complicated and I think would be overkill for a technical artist. Maybe a minor in CS would be good, but you don't need Calculus 1, Calculus 2, Calculus 3, Linear Algebra 2, Algoritms, etc for a technical artist position. Take it from me, a student currently majoring in Computer Science, it's a pain in the ass

oXYnary

Before we recommend anything. What is your eventual goal? Grad school should be more than just gaining skills, it should be about exploring and broadening your horizons beyond just a checklist for a career.

snemmy

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...it should be about exploring and broadening your horizons...

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hah! someone should tell the proffessor i have for figure drawing and painting this... 'it's wrong. do it right.'
and since im a grad student i should be godlike in my abilities right now... even though i did NO art for 2 years prior to coming here.

[MILES]

<--- BS in CS and halfway through graduate studies in CS.
I guess we just agree to disagree then.

Richard, you might also consider the Texas A&M Viz program. It is a masters in visualization science. They have a really solid and intensive program from what I understand. But if you dont have a computer science background, you might have to pick up some prerequisite courses.
http://www-viz.tamu.edu/

Richard Kain

That's a good suggestion. I've actually already been looking into A&M. The prerequisites are a bit of a hang-up, though. My degree is in Graphic Design. I have very little technical training. I only took through College Algebra. I would have to take two years of math before I would even qualify to apply to A&M's visualization program. And we're talking about very difficult, intensive math. I wasn't especially talented at Calculus in high school, I have serious reservations about Linear Algebra.

Pedro Amorim

Linear Algebra is pretty simple if you have the right teacher. I know i had that on my second year at college and i found it pretty cool actually beacause the teacher explained everything nice and simple motivating us that way.