Bradley's Award Winning Game Design Program Scores Exclusive Internship Opportunity for Students

A multinational video game design company has taken note of the nationally-recognized Interactive Media Department at Bradley University and is expanding its exclusive internship program for Bradley students.

Deep Silver Volition and Bradley began a partnership in 2019 designed to give students a real-world experience in the game design industry. The internship program began with five students each year, and this year it expanded to 10. Eight students will be hired as interns and two as temporary employees this summer.

Game Design Instructor David Abzug said he often hears Bradley students are highly qualified and they stand out in a way that others don’t. “Our students blow away their internship supervisors every year, and I think that’s because Bradley’s Game Design program is built from an industry-based perspective," he said. "Some of our instructors have spent extensive time in the game industry. Bradley students have a great understanding of what the industry is like in real life and where it's going. With this understanding of the industry, our students are prepared for real-world experiences.”

The students who were awarded the internships for summer 2022 come from a variety of programs on campus and are at different levels of their education. Among them are two are master's candidates, four seniors, three juniors and one sophomore. The students are studying art, design, programming, computer science animation and user experience (UX).

The Interactive Media Department continues to expand its offerings in the classroom as well. The newest program is a Master of Science in Game Design and Development. This year-long program is a collaboration between the departments of Interactive Media and Computer Science. Students receive an intensive, real-world development experience that culminates in the publishing of their game. Each student cohort is built as a multidisciplinary game team, with students acting as artists, programmers, designers, user experience developers, etc. The program simulates an industry experience and helps students hone their skills in game development.

Departmental Awards and Accolades.

• For the 8th consecutive year, Bradley University is among the top 20 undergraduate game design programs in the world and #1 in Illinois, according to the Princeton Review's 13th annual ranking (2022) of the best schools to study game design.
• Animation Career Review's 2021 ranking put Bradley's program among the Top 15 in the Midwest and in the Top 20 nationally among schools offering a bachelor's in game design.
• Game Design School 2022 Ranking put Bradley among the top again: #10 the Midwest, #3 in Illinois, #18 nationally among schools offering a game design-related bachelor of arts degree and #13 nationally among schools offering a game design-related Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
• Instructor Tim Hutchings wins award for his solo role playing book "Thousand Year Old Vampire."
• 97% of graduates in 2021 have found full time employment or are enrolled in graduate school.

Bradley’s Interactive Media Department also has partnerships with several other companies across the country, including UXisFine, Everi, OSF Jump Simulation Center and Rockstar New England, Inc.