Built by the Industry, For the Industry
Gaming veterans and visionaries shape every facet of the Guildhall experience, from our program's genesis to your graduation
Over 20 years ago, SMU Guildhall was created at the request of gaming industry leaders who recognized a need to train the future of the industry by a certain standard of excellence. Our mission: to be a living laboratory that mimics present-day studio models, reflects and responds to current demands, and equips the next generation of game creators with the technical skills and instincts required to successfully drive the evolution of gaming.
Since that inception, the voices of the video game industry's leaders have been at the helm of our program's vision and operation. They are part and parcel of our curation—employing world-class educators, modeling advancing industry methods in team-based collaborative courses, and leveraging two full decades of partnerships with hundreds of studios and tech companies across the globe in and out of the classroom.
Industry Expertise In the Classroom
This industry involvement begins with our curriculum development, in which our faculty and leadership—who each come from the industry themselves—work closely with current industry experts to ensure our courses offer the highest quality educational experience in our field and the systems needed to align with present-day requirements. Our low student-to-faculty ratio allows students to learn from and work closely with our full-time and adjunct faculty members, each of whom are seasoned game development veterans with tremendous amounts of talent, wisdom, and experience that they instill into our advanced courses.
Industry Expertise Via Partnership
Students also benefit from leveraging industry leaders' insights in our numerous partnership opportunities, many of which are listed below. On a statewide, national and international level, our partnerships are ever-evolving. We work with a continually expanding network that includes hundreds of game studios, app developers, and digital technology companies, as well as with gaming and gamification initiatives via nonprofit foundations, educational institutions, and even government agencies and institutes.
Industry Expertise Via Prime Location
Did you know that our location of Dallas, Texas is credited as being one of the birthplaces of the video game industry? This has produced an area rich in opportunity for our faculty and students alike. Dallas has been named as one of the top places in the U.S. to live, work, learn and play and is the nation's 4th largest metropolitan area. A leading center for business, innovation, culture and service, it is home to a growing ecosystem of game studios, app developers, digital technology companies, and corporate giants, including more than 180 game development and production companies across Texas.
SMU Guildhall Industry Partnership Opportunities
From the time a student enters our doors, they are given ample opportunities to work with industry early and often, both in-course and extracurricularly.
We offer many opportunities for students to learn from and work directly with studios and developers for Career Readiness and job preparation, project development, hiring and networking, and more. These partnership avenues facilitate advantageous direct-to-industry exposure points for students throughout their time in our program.
Guest Speakers, Lectures, Seminars & Workshops
Developers from around the world and prominent game studios visit often to share their insights about critical industry topics via in-class lectures and workshops and as keynote speakers. Studio recruiters also hold incredibly valuable seminars on precisely how to prepare and apply to their companies.
A few of our recent studio recruitment seminars have included Rockstar, Sony Santa Monica Studio, and NetEase. Some of our past keynotes and guest lecturers have included Founders, Directors, and Leads at top studios such as: Bioware, Bonus XP, Certain Affinity, Gearbox, id, Infinity Ward, Nerd Kingdom, Oculus, Playful, Robot, Square Enix, Unity, and Valve.
Some studios even invite our students to travel to them for special classes on-site at their studios, using their proprietary tools! These have included single-session classes, as well as weekly recurring sessions, using the studio's proprietary tools to learn and then receive a review of their work. Studios get to know our designers early. Students receive invaluable access to tools and tech that are not publicly available. Incredible!
Portfolio Reviews, Team Game Milestone Reviews, and Mock Interviews
As part of our Career Readiness program and Team Game Production program, developers serve as Reviewers every year to (a) offer feedback on graduating students' portfolios and on better preparing for the interview process, and (b) as discipline experts for team game milestone reviews. During portfolio and game reviews, art directors, technical directors, and design leads sit down directly with their discipline counterparts to give their advice as subject matter experts. During mock interviews, studio leads and hiring managers help students role play and better prepare for real interviews as they approach graduation.
The video game industry is difficult to break into, and these one-on-ones are invaluable to our graduates. Professional insight helps to substantially improve the quality of their games, portfolios, and interviews, and the numerous exposure opportunities our Career Services and TPG programs facilitate allow students to feel dramatically more comfortable interfacing with professionals. This valuable insight is of benefit to recruiting studios as well, offering a direct peek at soon-to-graduate leads in both solo and teamwork contexts.
Annual Events
Career Fair: Studios from around the world are invited to join us each Spring to participate in our annual Career Fair, which connects companies seeking top-notch talent with our graduating students and alumni who are looking for career opportunities. This Fair is a closed invitation for Guildhall students and alumni only, and paves the way for stellar job placements every year.
- GDC Mixer: Every year at the national Game Developers Conference, we host a party! This annual favorite is an invitation-only mixer that packs out a closed venue near the conference. We invite members of our faculty and staff, as well as our soon-to-graduate senior cohort, to gather together with our alumni, industry friends, and partners. Here, past colleagues from decades in development come together to mingle, talk development, reminisce on shared memories, discuss the future of the industry and meet new faces soon to enter. It's a beloved tradition, and amazing connections are made every time.
- On-site and Off-site Networking Events: Both at SMU and at local studios, students are invited to networking events to meet and socialize with alumni and developers. Wonderful opportunities to make connections in a relaxed environment, these networking events stem conversation, comfortability and camaraderie that benefits students and industry alike preceding the job search season.
- GameJam: Every August as part of our New Student Orientation Weekend, we host a Back-to-School GameJam. This invites incoming students as well as returning students to make a game in a single day. Alumni and local studios often attend to interact, offer bits of advice, and enjoy the creativity and excitement every new school year brings.
- Annual Fall Expo: At the end of each Fall Semester, SMU Guildhall's GameLab hosts an Expo of newly completed student games. Casually and historically referred to as "Bagel Day," this event offers attendees a tasty coffee and Bagel breakfast while showcasing new student-made games including: numerous tablet games by junior cohort students in Team Game Production 1; a whole-cohort multiplayer game made in TPG2 by the senior cohort; and the graduating cohort's grandest creations yet, their commercial Capstone releases that are commonly published to Steam and Epic Game Store! Local studios, Guildhall alumni, and the community are all invited to attend and play.
Mentorship Program
Our mentorship program connects second-year students with mentors including Guildhall alumni and our wide industry network. This initiative carefully assigns each participating student with a developer from their target career-path. Over the course of the academic year, students receive one-on-one guidance concerning their portfolio, application materials, and professional goals. As a result, students approach graduation better prepared to secure and master their entrance into the industry. Prominent studios both small and large have participated over the years, including Blizzard Entertainment, Sony PlayStation, Gearbox Software, Certain Affinity, High Moon Studios, id Software, Naughty Dog, and Microsoft (343 Industries).
Collaborative Curriculum Enhancement
We continually refine and enhance our curriculum to align with current industry trends and demands. To do so, our team of industry veterans works hand-in-hand with industry professionals, who are often brought in to contribute to curriculum evaluation and/or development.
Funding the Future
Individuals and studios have the option to contribute to the education of the next generation of game developers by funding a merit scholarship, or gifting our program with a Gift-in-Kind (a donation of assets other than cash) such as equipment, artwork, games and printed materials. In the past, we have been grateful to receive many forms of new technology and equipment for use in our classrooms.
Want to Learn More About Guildhall Industry Partnerships?
Get in touch with us!
Are you a student or applicant who wants to learn more about how SMU Guildhall can help connect you with the industry?
Are you a studio or professional who wants to get involved as a partner, mentor, speaker, or hiring recruiter and be part of shaping the future for the next generation of game developers?
Reach out to SMU Guildhall for more detailed information on our offerings.
Lindsey McGonigle
Assistant Director, Career Services
lmcgonigle@smu.edu
214-768-5150
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