University of Utah

Game Arts Track:
Students in this track will focus on the tools and techniques required to understand and use the components of design, drawing, 2D and 3D asset creation, animation, and storyboarding for games, as well as portfolio development in preparation for entering the interactive entertainment industry. Typically, students who are admitted into this track will have a strong background in digital or fine art.

Game Engineering Track:
Students in this track focus on the technical aspects of video game development including game engines, graphics, artificial intelligence, and novel input devices. Typically, students who are admitted into this track will have an undergraduate degree in computer science or similar, and some game development.

Game Production Track:
Students can focus on a variety of areas in this track (project management, design, business development/marketing or any combination thereof), but the typical producer is focused on facilitating game creation. Successful applicants to the Production Track can come from a wide variety of backgrounds, but usually have some experience in game development.

Technical Art Track:
Students in the Technical Art track focus on 3D modeling, rigging, and motion capture, as well as extend their proficiency in various types of game programming. Successful applicants to this track typically have a significant experience with programming or with 3D modeling.

Degrees Offered

The MEAE program is designed as a cohort model where students remain together throughout the entire two years of the program (fall and spring semesters only). Students apply to one of four possible tracks (Game Arts, Game Engineering, Game Production, or Technical Art) and will take a series of courses focused on their specialty. In addition, they will also take a series of classes with students from other tracks including game design, rapid prototyping, pre-production, and final projects. Each track also has a concentrated set of electives to choose from.

Faculty

Our EAE faculty come from a diverse interdisciplinary backgrounds. We have faculty members with expertise in multiple academic fields in addition to extensive experience in the video game industry.

Utah Resident Tuition per semester: $10, 089.88

Non Utah Resident Tuition per semester: $18,928.78

Financial Aid

The Entertainment Arts & Engineering Program established a new Student Assistantship Program in 2017 for applicants to the Masters of Entertainment Arts and Engineering program. Assistantships will be guaranteed for the duration of the degree program (four semesters) to our top program applicants each year. Students selected for one of these positions will receive a partial tuition waiver through the University of Utah's Graduate School Tuition Benefit Program, as well as a stipend paid out through paychecks on a bi-monthly basis.

The University of Utah is set on the eastern edge of Salt Lake City. Campus is just minutes away from a vibrant downtown – the epicenter of SLC's restaurants, theaters, pubs, and civic events – and burgeoning neighborhoods, like the coffee-and movie-art-house hub, 9th and 9th district.

Salt Lake City is the capital of Utah, is home to about 190,000 residents, and covers 84,900 square miles, making it the 11th largest state in the U.S. There are 21 national parks and monuments in the state, including Zion National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Arches National Park and the Golden Spike National Historic Site. Salt Lake is about a 6 hour drive from Las Vegas; 5 hours from Yellowstone National Park; and 6 hours from the Grand Canyon.

The city is home to a large international airport (the westernomost hub of Delta Airlines), and is easily accessed by multiple freeways. The University of Utah sits at the base of the Wasatch Mountain range, which – together with the rest of the Utah mountains – are on average the tallest in the United States, enjoying an average snowfall of 500 inches per year.

Facilities

EAE is centrally located on the beautiful University of Utah campus in a newly redesigned space. We are constantly improving our students learning spaces by providing access to a motion capture lab, classrooms equipped with Cintiq tablets at each work station, a 3D scan lab and more. The University of Utah campus has many additional resources to offer through student groups and clubs, recreation, community engagement and housing.

Students

Students enrolled in the Master of Entertainment Arts and Engineering degree program (MEAE) are typically interested in careers in interactive entertainment, and our curriculum is built with this goal in mind. Not only do we offer students a world-class education from a leading research university, but we also offer the opportunity to develop and enhance a professional game portfolio through our "studio simulation" projects courses.