Students earn 4 units of UC college credit and develop a portfolio of original game art, taught by alumni of the internationally renowned UCLA Game Lab.
The UCLA Game Lab High School Summer Institute introduces students to game-making as an artistic practice, providing techniques and tools to develop both analog and digital games. The program emphasizes developing an aesthetic and technical foundation in various aspects of game design, while also encouraging students to express their personal ideas through game-making and projects. Students will engage in four hands-on courses covering game design fundamentals, character creation, world building, and game programming/coding. By the end of the three-week program, students will have created complete games or game assets in each class, which can be included in their college application portfolios. The institute also offers a glimpse into college life at a cutting-edge design department and provides four units of UC college credit.
A typical day involves attending two live classes, one for each course, with optional teacher-assistant led 'study halls' in the evenings for questions and extra practice.
This program is ideal for high school students aged 15-18 with an interest in games and visual arts, who want to explore game development as an artistic practice and gain college credit.
UCLA Campus
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