Each year, Miami University students are invited to participate in the Game Developer's Conference mini course. Students receive credit hours to prepare for and then attended the Game Developers Conference, a huge yearly event in San Francisco with tens of thousands of attendees. GDC is one of the premier professional interactive media experiences we can provide AIMS students. Students typically love their experience at GDC as it is both eye-opening and invigorating. The conference is a high energy event filled with game design and development celebrities, presentations, workshops, tutorials, career expo and fantastic opportunities to network with people in all the facets of gaming - from developers to journalist, artists to academics.

Students who attend the mini course are required to join any pre-event meetings, prepare appropriate materials for the event and attend the event. They will be considered to receive free AIMS lodging, but airfares and passes are to be bought by the students themselves. (We recommend buying a pass in the Fall, as great price/value options such as the Indie Pass tend to sell out quickly.) There are many scholarship opportunities for students who need them, including the AIMS GDC scholarship. Participating students present and write about the experience once they return.

Students interested in participating should begin by completing the basic application listed below. (Please note that participating does not excuse a student for classes or examinations during the days of the conference. You will still need to discuss with your professors how you will make up for your absence. We also very strongly recommend that you have a decent portfolio ready and that you are over 21. This is not a gaming convention for the general public by any means.)

For more information about the GDC course, please visit our GDC FAQ page. (The page is password protected, so please contact Dr. De Schutter to gain access to it.)