Here is information for someone pursuing an education in game design. This focuses exclusively on the role played by the designer on the game development team. An education in digital art and programming is already established in many educational institutions. An education in game design is still being defined.

San Francisco State University

• Computer Game Design (Special Major)
  Bachelor of Arts
  Example Degree. This is the degree I proposed and had approved at San Francisco State University in Spring 2003. This multi-disciplinary approach may not be for all minds, but one could do worse than the curriculum included. Thank you to each advisor in the departments: mathematics, computer science, design, and cinema, as well as administration.

Personally, I would recommend a traditional education at a university. The fundamentals of computer science, such as analysis of algorithms, and the fundamentals of mathematics are wonderful tools that will not become obsolete in coming years. As another game developer remarked, go to college to get an education, not training. With a life ahead of the student, a university may enrich and deepen an appreciation of not just today's game products, but the conceptual strategies that underlie today's and tomorrow's game products.

But then again, I feel quite at home in the library and classroom of a university. Tom Sloper would also caution against focus on game design, and instead focus on a traditional major.

Here are some other game design options that have appealed to me and became the research for the bachelor's degree that I proposed. This list is not comprehensive. Several additional institutions exist that grant game-related degrees, as well as additional advice.

Art Institute

• Game Art and Design
  Bachelor of Arts
  http://www.aii.edu/programs/media_05.asp

Austin Community College

• Video Game Development
  
  Technical Certification
  http://www.austincc.edu/techcert/Video_Games.html
  Design Specialization
  http://www.austincc.edu/techcert/Video_Curriculum.html
  
  Some lectures:
  Writing for the Hero with 1,000 Faces
  http://www.austincc.edu/techcert/OConnor_GDC2007_web.ppt
  What Vegas Can Teach MMO Designers
  http://www.austincc.edu/techcert/casinos2.ppt
  Gender-inclusive Game Design
  http://www.austincc.edu/techcert/Gender&Games.ppt
  Syllabus: GAME 2012 - Interactive Audio
  http://www.austincc.edu/techcert/GAME%202012%20-%20Interactive%20Audio%20Syllabus.pdf
  

Carnegie-Mellon University

• Entertainment Technology Institute
  Undergraduate/Graduate Studies
  http://www.etc.cmu.edu/
• Human Computer Interaction Institute
  Division of Computer Science Department
  http://www.hcii.cs.cmu.edu

Cogswell

Students have placed in GDC's IGF festival.
• Computer and Video Imaging - Game Design Concentration
  Bachelors Degree
  http://www.cogswell.edu/computerandvideo.html
• Digital Arts Engineering
  Bachelors Degree
  http://www.cogswell.edu/digitalarts.html

Cornell

• Minor in Game Design
  http://gdiac.cis.cornell.edu/
• Game Design Initiative
  Courses
  http://www.cs.cornell.edu/projects/game/index.html

DigiPen

• Real-time Interactive Simulation
  Bachelor of Science
  http://www.digipen.edu/programs/degrees/rtisbs.html

Full Sail

• Game Design and Development
  Bachelor of Science
  http://www.fullsail.edu/index.cfm/fa/degree.overview/dp_id/9/

Georgia Tech

• Computational Media
  Bachelor of Science
  http://www.etc.cmu.edu/

International Centre for Digital Content

• Digital Games
  Master of Arts
  http://www.icdc.org.uk/magames/

ITT Tech

• Digital Entertainment and Game Design
  Bachelor of Science
  http://www.itt-tech.edu/teach/list/degd.cfm

Massachusettes Institute of Technology

• Introduction to Game Design
  Class
  http://orwant.com/mas490/

National University

• Video Game Production and Design
  Master of Fine Arts
  http://www.nu.edu/Academics/Schools/SOMC/Media/Degrees/VideoGame.html

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

• Game Studies
  Minor
  
• Introduction to Cognition & Gaming
  http://www.cogsci.rpi.edu/courses/icg
• Game Devlopment
  http://www.cogsci.rpi.edu/gamedev/2003/archive.html
• Marc Destefano, Adjunct Professor
  http://www.cogsci.rpi.edu/people/marc

Rochester Institute of Technology

• Game Design & Development
  Concentration in Information Technology
  http://www.it.rit.edu/gddMS.php

Royal College of Art

• Interaction Design
  Master of Art, Ph.D.
  http://www.interaction.rca.ac.uk

San Jose State University

• Computer Game Design and Implementation
  Class
  http://www.mathcs.sjsu.edu/faculty/rucker/cs134.htm

Stanford

• History of Computer Games
  Class
  http://www.stanford.edu/class/sts145/index.htm
• Principles of Game Design
  Workshop
  http://www.digitalmediaacademy.org/game_design.html

University of Central Florida

• Interactive Entertainment Academy
  Postgraduate - Fall 2005
  http://www.dm.ucf.edu
• Internet and Interactive Systems
  Bachelor of Arts
  http://www.dm.ucf.edu/curriculum/internet.html

University of Denver

• Bachelor of Arts in Game Development and Studio Art
• Bachelor of Arts in Game Development and Electronic Media Arts Design
• Bachelor of Arts in Game Development and Digital Media Studies
• Bachelor of Science in Game Development and Animation
  http://www.cs.du.edu/gameDevelopment/

University of Michigan - Dearborn

• Computer Game Design and Implementation
  Class
  http://www.engin.umd.umich.edu/CIS/course.des/cis587.html

University of Southern California

• Interactive Media
  Master of Fine Arts
  http://interactive.usc.edu

University of Washington

• Ethnography of Roleplaying Games
  Class [Last offered 2003]
  http://web.archive.org/web/20030604122143/faculty.washington.edu/redwood/com480/index.html

Vancouver Film School

• Game Design
  One-year program
  http://www.vfs.com/fullTime.php?program_id=14

Westwood College

• Game Art & Design
  Bachelor Degree
  http://design.westwood.edu/information/default.asp?NavPageID=35085
• Game Software Development
  Bachelor Degree
  http://it.westwood.edu/information/default.asp?NavPageID=30764

Directories

• ArtSchools.com: Game Design curricula
  Game Design
• CollegeSurfing.com: Game Art & Development by Zip Code
  Game Art & Development
• OpenDirectory: Game Design Education
  http://dmoz.org/Games/Video_Games/Game_Design/Education/
• Google: Game Studies Education
  http://directory.google.com/Top/Games/Game_Studies/Education/
• Gamasutra.com Education
  http://www.gamasutra.com/education/
• Guide to Online Schools: Video Game Design
  http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/video_game_design.html

Related links

• The Games Game. Tom Sloper fields a question on how to go about getting a game design education with a practical answer.
  http://www.igda.org/columns/gamesgame/gamesgame_May03.php
• IGDA Academic Relations
  http://www.igda.org/academia/
• Getting a degree in 'Mortal Kombat'
  http://news.com.com/Getting+a+degree+in+Mortal+Kombat/2100-1043_3-5706921.html?tag=nefd.lede
• "Majoring in Video Game Design" (Animation Arena)
  http://www.animationarena.com/majoring-in-video-game-design.html
• "Gamers Learning by Degree" (Wired News)
  http://www.wired.com/news/games/0,2101,50034,00.html
• "Getting into the Game Business" (GameSpy)
  http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/january03/education/