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Game design at Miami is the best in the U.S. per newest ranking

Jobs in video game industry continue to grow

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Miami is offering a new bachelor's degree in games and simulation design.

By Cliff Peale, university communications and marketing

Miami’s game design program is the best in the country, helping to feed one of the economy’s fastest-growing job markets, according to a new ranking from Intelligent.com.

The website ranks Miami as the “Intelligent pick” among 23 top-ranked schools and more than 400 programs that were evaluated. The ranking includes several programs that are only offered online. Miami’s program, part of the Armstrong Institute for Interactive Media Studies, offers some classes online.

This fall, Miami will accept its first full freshman cohort into the new bachelor’s degree program in games and simulation. Chair Glenn Platt said he expects at least 100 students.

The new program is a significant part of AIMS’ growth at Miami. In addition to majors and minors in games and simulation, AIMS offers majors in interactive media studies with a digital or applied concentration, plus minors in interactive media studies and digital innovation. AIMS spans all academic divisions with more than 20 faculty and 1,000 students.

Gaming is a growth industry worldwide. Intelligent.com said demand for jobs in the $135 billion video game industry is growing 4% a year, with game designers earning an average $63,000 annual salary. Platt said potential applications go well beyond video games played by teenagers.

“We want to prepare students for a world where game mechanics are everywhere,” he said, listing supermarket affinity cards and frequent flyer programs as examples. “This is the language of commerce today.”

Gaming on Miami’s campus will continue to grow with plans for an esports café in the Armstrong Student Center. The space will be a drop-in, pay-per-time setup that allows anyone to play online games.

Intelligent.com bills itself as a place for students to learn information that will help them make informed choices.