College of Engineering & Information Sciences

Game and Simulation Programming Careers Overview

Because of the game and simulation industries' incredible growth, professionals with specific programming skills have an increasing number of career opportunities before them. Your DeVry University education will help you develop these specialized skills and master coding languages such as C++ and C#. Graduate with expertise in artificial intelligence, game engine development, multiplayer game programming, and much more. Pursue a career designing and creating video games, interactive software, or complex simulations used to train those who maintain our national security.

Areas of Opportunity

When you earn your bachelor's degree in Game and Simulation Programming from DeVry University, you'll be prepared for a number of booming career fields. Here are some examples:

  • Game Developer: Decide the mission, theme, and rules of the game, laying out small sections of the game and devising puzzles for players to solve or enemies to defeat.
  • Game Programmer: Control the speed and placement of art and sound. Specialties within this field include engine, artificial intelligence, graphics programmers, and tool programmers.
  • Military Simulation Programmers: Help analyze, design, integrate, and test real-time simulation control systems for aerospace defense and technology training. Turn combat-style games into military simulations and explore the future of weapon technologies and new battle scenarios.
  • Crime Scene Investigation Software Developer: Develop technology that gives investigators the ability to view a crime from every possible angle through interactive reconstruction programs.
  • Corporate Training Software Designer: Create training plans and programs for almost any professional industry from healthcare to technology, providing strategies to ensure that employees are prepared to do their jobs well.

Agencies and Companies

Some of the agencies and companies that offer careers in game and simulation programming include:

  • The Army and other government agencies
  • Defense companies
  • Police forces
  • Flight simulation software manufacturers
  • Computer consulting firms
  • Gaming companies like EA Sports and ESPN
  • Design and entertainment studios
  • Corporate training companies
  • Computing companies like Microsoft
  • Automotive design companies

Career Options

DeVry University graduates in game and simulation programming will be prepared to develop entertainment software for:

  • Console systems
  • Personal computers
  • Handheld digital devices
  • Multiplayer online games
  • Coin-operated arcade games
  • Computer-based casino games

Graduates will also be prepared to create simulations used in:

  • Crime scene reconstruction
  • Education
  • Corporate training
  • Military training
  • Aircraft simulation

For related career paths, see all degree programs offered by the College of Engineering & Information Sciences.

The DeVry University Career Advantage

Whether you are looking to attend a traditional campus or an online university, DeVry University is the place where you can gain the skills, credentials, and respect you need to succeed in the world of game and simulation programming. The proof is in the numbers. For October '07, February '08, and June '08 classes in all DeVry programs and locations combined, 92% of DeVry graduates in the active job market held positions in their chosen field within 6 months of graduation and earned an average salary of $45,000.