McGill University is an international university in Montreal, Quebec, and is mostly known for being a science, engineering, and liberal arts school. It's also a large research university, which leads to many possibilities for students and professors. Although the university itself is approaching its 200th anniversary, its computer science department is quite young -- no different than at most universities, especially in the growing field of computer games.
My own experience lies with the computer science program and computer science research. That said, McGill is a top-rate university that can provide an education worthy of any career. For programming students, however, and especially for game development students, there are a few things to note about McGill's program.
Programming students can select from a handful of concentrations, but the educational emphasis is still rooted in theoretical computer science rather than practical software engineering. Students who already have a strong background in programming may think that some of the introductory courses are simplistic, but they do form a strong foundation for the later ones. As mentioned, McGill is new to the gaming world, but the school is getting stronger at it every day. A new game-specific degree is in the works for 2008: computer science with an option in computer games.
International students who want to pursue a bachelor's of science degree may need to complete an extra year of science first (making a four-year degree); of course, any advanced placement, or AP, science courses could offset this extra study.
There are two courses in particular that are specifically focused entirely on games, and I would highly recommend them to students who have an interest in games: Comp 361 Systems Development Project and Comp 521 Modern Computer Games. The first, taught by Jörg Kienzle, has students program a turn-based multiplayer network game over the course of the semester in a small group. It definitely gives you a taste of what game development is all about and provides your resume with solid experience and an end product for your portfolio to boot. The second course, Modern Computer Games, is taught by Clark Verbrugge and teaches students about all aspects of computer games, including the differences that exist between the professional game industry and the academic world. In particular, this class provides a good foundation for knowing the challenges and tasks that game development brings. Other note-worthy courses are Comp 322: Intro to C++ and Comp 557: Fundamentals of Computer Graphics.
While McGill's program lacks some more diverse game development curriculum, being a research university, it has professors on hand who are interested in game research. And there are numerous groups at McGill interested in game research and how academia can make a difference. The project I work on for the school is called Mammoth, a massively multiplayer research framework in Java. Projects like this one really allow you to branch out and find your particular area of interest, be it artificial intelligence, graphics, networking, or anything else.
One great thing about McGill is the city of Montreal itself. Montreal is a major hotspot for game development. Large companies, such as Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, A2M, and Eidos, have an established presence in the city, while numerous smaller studios are springing up everywhere. Because so many developers reside in the area, the local IGDA chapter is strong and very much alive. Montreal is also home to an annual and major industry conference, the Montreal International Game Summit. All of these players come together to make Montreal an opportune place to network with game companies and individuals and to get involved.
Being located in Canada, McGill is a lot less expensive than American schools and still provides a top-notch education that will be world-renowned. It's also less expensive than some other Canadian universities. Finding a place to live can sometimes be hard in Montreal, but if you don't mind a commute it's not too expensive; but if you want a five-minute walk to school, be prepared to pay for it. The university offers a wide variety of dorms for first year students, some better than others.
McGill has an amazing atmosphere. Even though it is a large university, I'm always bumping into people I know on campus. It's located in the heart of a big city, yet the campus is beautiful. Of course, students' experiences vary depending on their professors, other faculty, and any administrative loops they have to jump through. One word of advice for navigating that maze is to be sure to double and triple check course requirements before registering, for failing or taking the wrong course is harmful.
Michael A. Hawker is currently finishing a master's degree at McGill University, having completed a BSc there in 2006 in computer science with a minor in philosophy. He was also a recipient of an IGDA Game Developers Conference scholarship and is an active member of the Montreal chapter. He creates games predominantly in Python and this year presented a paper at the International EuroPython Conference. Visit his web site at www.mikeware.com.
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*Disclaimer: This testimonial of McGill University was written without influence from the institution or GameCareerGuide.com staff. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. GameCareerGuide.com does not endorse educational institutions or programs. The factual correctness of this article is the responsibility of the author, and readers are advised to check all official web sites for updated information.
