Could use some advice

[Merlin]

Wow. Thank you so much for your valuable information. I appreciate the detailed insight about Full Sail. My fear is that their cost is too high based on the courses offered. And because the program is a year long I'd have to rush and miss out on valuable information despite the price I'd be paying. But with such a direct niche I would build great connections with teachers and my classmates. You noted that there are cheaper options for a similar degree. Could you tell me those options? I've looked online and many are specific on their admission requirements or are 3-year programs which increase the cost.

I'm not up to speed on all the colleges offering game development related degrees. I know there are a ton of them since a lot of my former colleagues work in academia now spread across the country in a number of different schools.

However, when I mentioned similar options for similar education, I am talking more generally and was comparing the full sail bachelor's degree in game design to options available elsewhere. I wasn't specifically talking about the Full Sail mobile gaming master's degree.

That said, according to a quick Google search, a lot of the top schools offer masters level game development degrees these days. Check out this link for some ideas of places to start looking. I didn't do any research to validate any of the suggestions in that list but can say that I do know people who teach in the game development program at several of those schools (my wife's school is included in there) so it seems fairly legit. Many of them are cheaper than full sail and offer a more recognized name.

You are going through the WGU IT management program right now? I'm fearful of the workload and the structure of the courses. What are they like? 

Honestly, the WGU program is not really that much different than doing courses at Straighterline or Study.com. Just double the time investment and expect a lot more analysis and writing.

WGU provides all the course materials (which consists of online textbooks, video lectures, powerpoint presentations, and interactive web conferences). If you have trouble with the material or in passing the assessments, you can also schedule 1-on-1 time with the instructors to get help and coaching with mastering the information.

WGU also specifies the context for what you're expected to do to demonstrate competency. These consist of:

1. Performance Assessments (PA): papers, projects, or presentations
   
2. Objective Assessments (OA): a proctored exam
   
3. A combination of both
   

Most courses either require (1) a combination of 2-3 PA tasks, (2) a combination of 1-2 PA tasks and an OA exam, or (3) a single comprehensive OA exam. Personally, I prefer the PA's since the single OA courses tend to require a lot more study since you won't know what will be tested on.

As for the workload, each course is designed to be completed by working adults within 8 weeks, but many people can complete them much more quickly. Particularly if they have prior career experience to draw upon. Personally, most courses have taken me about 2 weeks on average; the shortest took me a few days to complete and the longest took three weeks.