Academy for Game Development

The Academy for Game Development is hosted by the Department of Computer Science at The University of Texas at Austin in the Gates-Dell Complex. All activities are hosted on the UT Austin campus, which is where students will stay for the duration of the program.

Students entering grades 9-12 in Fall 2024 are eligible to register.

Students do not need to submit an application for the Academy for Game Development. Click the “Enroll now” button on the webpage and you will be walked through the enrollment process in the Ideal-Logic portal. When you enroll, be sure to select “Community Login,” not “University of Texas Login” and select the correct program (1-week virtual only or 2-week hybrid). Enrollment contains contact, emergency, and medical information, as well as subject matter-related background information and agreements for both participants and parents/guardians to sign.

No programming experience? No problem! Our labs are designed to teach you to program or expand your programming skills to accomplish the project. All participants should be interested in games and the game development process.

Students will learn from UT Computer Science faculty to delve into the web-based game development process, including programming, art, and game design. Students will collaboratively work alongside a small group of peers to bring a game to life.

All UT Computer Science Summer Academies are led by UT Austin Computer Science faculty members. More information on each faculty member can be found in the Academy Staff section.

The cost of tuition for the one-week virtual option is $799, which includes immersive and engaging online programming from around 10am-5pm CT each day.

The tuition for the two-week hybrid option is $2,500 and includes one week of virtual programming followed by a 6-day in-person academy on the UT Austin campus. Housing, meals, instruction, and all educational and recreational activities are included in the cost.

Academy scholarships are available on a limited basis. Registrants with financial need can apply for a scholarship by completing the scholarship application, which will open on January 31, 2024 with registration for the Summer 2024 academies.

Students will stay in one of the residence halls on the UT Austin campus. To learn more about the UT Austin residence halls, visit: housing.utexas.edu/housing/residence-halls. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided for the academy participants. Students will eat at one of the main dining halls on campus. Top 9 allergen-free meals are available. For more information on dining, visit: housing.utexas.edu/dining/dining-locations/dining-halls.

Each student will be assigned to a residence hall room with a roommate. Rooms are shared with another student of the same gender and all residence hall floors are split by gender. Each floor has counselors of the same gender as students on that floor. Please contact us with any specific questions.

Please email our team at academies@cs.utexas.edu and we will direct you to our Academy Accommodations Coordinator. Please be as specific as possible in your message so we can best assist you.

Academy participants are supervised at all times. Online, trained UTCS Program Assistants supervise all sessions in coordination with the faculty instructor. In person, each participant will be placed into a group of around 10 students and will be supervised by a counselor 24 hours a day. Our daytime counselors, Program Assistants, provide supervision and help students in the computer lab and during programming activities. Our evening counselors, Resident Assistants, provide supervision and engage students in social activities and stay in the dorms overnight.

For the virtual week, students will be in Zoom sessions from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm CT, break for lunch, and have additional sessions from 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm CT. Sessions will be a mixture of faculty lectures, small group work, and individual focused time working on group projects. Students will receive guidance and mentorship from faculty and Program Assistants during all Zoom sessions.

During the in-person week of the hybrid edition, students have breakfast around 7:30 in the morning and begin their first activity at 9:00 am. From 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, students are either in the computer lab working on their group projects, taking a break for lunch, attending a guest lecture, or touring departments on campus. After dinner, students will participate in various social activities including bowling, movie night, basketball, and more. All academy participants return back to their residence hall each night by 9:30 pm.