�����’s , the university’s graduate video gaming program, has produced more than 200 graduates who worked on several of the most popular games sold in 2024 — including No. 1 seller Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, No. 2 EA SPORTS College Football 25, No. 6 EA SPORTS Madden NFL 25 and No. 10 EA Sports MVP Bundles.

“[It’s so important to] have a school like FIEA where you are actually in an industry-simulated environment versus just reading textbooks and watching lectures,” says EA SPORTS Development Director Zachary Karlins ’19, who was one of 42 FIEA alums who worked on College Football 25.

A Legacy of Leading Graduate Gaming Education

With such highly talented students and world-class faculty who bring academic and industry experience into a class setting that mimics real-world gaming studios, it’s no wonder The Princeton Review and PC Gamer have recognized FIEA as one of the top two programs of its kind in the world five of the past six years.

�����’s undergraduate gaming program, , ranks No. 5 in the world and continues to hold the title of the No. 1 program in the South.

Both �����’s graduate and undergraduate programs are sought after by hopeful students — and for good reason.

The average starting salary for a FIEA graduate is over $80,000, and 85% of graduates are in their desired fields at over 400 companies around the world. FIEA has graduated 1,078 students since its first class in 2006.

“FIEA continues to be a premiere pipeline for university talent coming into EA SPORTS and our EA-Tiburon studio,” says Senior Vice President and Group General Manager for Electronic Arts (EA) Tiburon Studios & American Football Daryl Holt. “Our ability to collaborate directly with FIEA as neighbors in the Creative Village in downtown Orlando creates a unique opportunity for us to share the latest developments in our industry with FIEA students who are impressively prepared to contribute from day one.”

The global market size for gaming, hardware and software sales is more than $400 billion — overshadowing music and movie industries combined.

“Due to the program’s success, FIEA is receiving a record number of applicants for the Fall 2025 class, up 40% from the average year,” says Benjamin Noel, executive director of FIEA since its inception. “It’s the best year for our grads ever, and we are pleased at the recognition of the program mission to create talented high-wage developers for the growing video game business.”

Excellence in Undergraduate Gaming Education

�����’s GaIM undergraduate game design program ranks No. 5 nationally and No. 1 in the South.

“Our faculty pursue innovative and impactful research and creative work in areas including immersive media; games, web, and mobile design and development; and artificial intelligence, while teaching state-of-the-art games and interactive media industry design and production techniques,” says GaIM Professor and Associate Director Natalie Underberg-Goode. “Students leave our program having created industry-caliber work. The hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff helps ensure students receive a high-quality education in a program that is noteworthy for its affordability and accessibility.”

The Bachelor of Arts in Digital Media program mixes theory and practice with an emphasis on industry awareness. Students learn top-tier programming, game design, 2D and 3D art, animation, and visual effects for games. The GaIM Maker Space lab, located on the �鶹ԭ�� Downtown campus, is outfitted with about $500,000 worth of mixed-reality technology — such as augmented reality and virtual reality, motion capture, physical computing, 3D printing, games, and web/mobile-development equipment, as well as research space.

The Princeton Review’s game design school rankings are based on more than 40 data points derived from the company’s survey of administrators at 150 schools offering game design courses and/or degrees. Most of the institutions are in the U.S., with two in Canada and four abroad. The 50-question survey covered four areas: academics, faculty, technology and career topics.

Universal Creative is responsible for bringing to life the most relevant stories and popular characters through innovative attractions, immersive destinations and more at Universal Destinations & Experiences locations around the world.

Each semester, students join the Universal Creative team on-site at Universal Orlando Resort, where they learn first-hand what it takes to develop theme park rides and experiences, including the upcoming new Universal Epic Universe theme park.

Universal Creative Team Members also participate as speakers and as part of panel sessions where they share their areas of expertise. These focus areas include storytelling, design, engineering and safety, legal, budgeting, business analytics and other key skills needed when creating an attraction. Over 90 speakers from Universal Creative have participated since the program’s inception.

“Universal has gone above and beyond what I had originally proposed for the class,” says Peter Weishar, founding director of . “They’re showing us projects in progress like Epic Universe. They’re talking to us transparently about challenges they had and things they would have done differently. That kind of access is invaluable.”

“One of the benefits of the program being in Central Florida is that this is the epicenter for themed entertainment,” says Chris Oliver, vice president of engineering and safety for Universal Creative. “The students are learning from those who are creating the future of this rapidly growing industry. We try and show them everything that’s involved in creating and building attractions, to get holistic exposure from ideation to completion.”

At the end of each semester, students have the unique opportunity to present their original design concepts to a panel of Universal Creative leaders. The students receive productive critiques of their creative thinking, project design, management and presentation skills.

“I have a better understanding of how rides are designed [and] how theme parks are created,” says Christopher Harris, a current engineering student in the class. “I’ve gained so much knowledge and connections. To be able to talk to Chris Oliver and all the other professionals — I think that’s the best part of this class.”

“[Universal Creative has] brought in  professionals [with] 30 years experience. The exposure to those professionals is incredible.” — Karlyn Leander, themed experiences student and Universal Creative intern

Throughout the course, students meet with esteemed Universal Creative professionals from all different backgrounds and disciplines at Universal, such as engineering, operations, guest experience, ride design, finance and more. Many students — including Karlyn Leander, a current themed experiences student and intern with Universal Creative — say the networking opportunities are one of the top benefits of the class.

“Universal is investing in this program — training a new generation and finding a place for us,” Leander says. “They’ve brought in professionals that have 30 years of experience creating theme parks all over the world. The exposure to those professionals is incredible. It’s an industry of mentorship.”

Since �鶹ԭ�� Creative Lab launched in Spring 2023, Universal has hired almost 40% of students who have participated in the class. Leander is one of those students. Through this program and partnership with �鶹ԭ��, Universal Creative strives to promote knowledge of careers in themed entertainment and inspire students who may not have originally considered it as a potential career path.

“When [students] start this program, they start to see it as an aspirational goal to work at [Universal Creative],” Weishar says. “It’s one of those classes that really confirms your passion for what you want to do for the rest of your life.”

The Creative Lab is offered through the themed experiences program in the �鶹ԭ�� College of Arts and Humanities. Two courses are currently offered annually: a graduate-level spring course and a six-week summer course open to graduate and upper-level undergraduate students from any accredited college or university.

And there’s a plan to broaden the concept and expand the program into additional disciplines.

“This is the start of something bigger. I look forward to seeing it grow and exposing more students to what we do,” Oliver says. “It is important to all of us at Universal Creative who are involved in this program to teach the next generation what we do, and have what we built here continue on.”

“Much of the research that drives the parks is done right here at home,” says Rob Panepinto, senior strategic advisor and director Innovation Districts Strategy and Partnerships at the �鶹ԭ�� Incubation Program. “Yet the story of Central Florida as a hub of technology is lost on most people, including people who live here.”

The technology isn’t all for fun and games either. Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis ranks the Orlando region No. 22 in the nation and No. 1 in Florida for producing tech talent, with �鶹ԭ�� as the main pipeline. �鶹ԭ�� is one of the few universities in the nation offering undergraduate degrees and graduate programs and certificates in cybersecurity, augmented reality, virtual reality and fintech. For years, �鶹ԭ�� has been ranked the No. 1 supplier of graduates to the aerospace and defense industries. Nearly one in three employees at Kennedy Space Center are �鶹ԭ�� graduates. U.S. News and World Report has ranked �鶹ԭ�� the No. 15 most innovative university in the nation. Among public universities in the U.S., �鶹ԭ�� ranks 21st for producing patents.

The numbers go on and on, and some of them are about fun and games. Princeton Review has named the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA) at �鶹ԭ�� the top graduate-level game development program for three consecutive years.

“I think sometimes we might take for granted what we have here at �鶹ԭ��,” says Agere Chair Professor in the Department of Computer Science and AR/VR pioneer Carolina Cruz-Neira. “We have tech experts in energy, cybersecurity, healthcare, nanotechnology, blockchain, a broad spectrum of specialties. That’s what makes it exciting as a faculty member — one day we’re working on technology for cancer research, the next day it’s traffic safety, and then mental health. It’s why my husband and I came to �鶹ԭ�� in January 2020. We wanted to be a part of this.”

Cruz-Neira and her husband, Associate Professor of Computer Science Dirk Reiners, had known about �����’s status in tech research and simulation for years. As world-renown pioneers in augmented and virtual reality, they’d travel to Orlando for presentations and conferences. While inspiring others with their own work, they would be mutually wowed with the leading-edge simulation advancements being made in Research Park.

“We were professionally lonely at other institutions,” Cruz-Neira says. “We would try to explain to people the challenging research necessary to produce effective virtual reality applications. Here at �鶹ԭ��, we immediately became part of a larger team of experts in VR and in other fields. Every day we’re collaborating and tackling answers to larger problems.”

There’s an even bigger motivating factor for them: students.

“The students are learning new technologies at the same time we’re researching them,” says Cruz-Neira. “They’re enthusiastic about the material because they have the freedom to apply what they learn in our VR classes to biology, psychology, hospitality, whatever they’re interested in.”

When she was working toward her doctorate in computer engineering in Illinois, instructors would ask Cruz-Neira why she was there. There were no other women in the program. Early in her career, most of the other women she saw working in VR were artists.

“The environment here at �鶹ԭ�� is different,” she says. “There are many women in technical leadership and senior positions. For example, the director of the School of Modeling, Simulation and Training is a woman, Grace Bochenek ’98PhD. Instructors come together from all backgrounds to explore the next next big thing, which makes �鶹ԭ�� effective in preparing new pioneers.”

Yan Solihin is a professor of computer science and director of the Cyber Security and Privacy faculty cluster initiative at �鶹ԭ��. His research in the high-demand field could have taken Solihin to any institution in the country. He chose this one.

“There’s an energy at �鶹ԭ�� that you don’t find in many places,” Solihin says. “The faculty is allowed to look to the future without the restrictions of a legacy institution. That’s among the reasons we have strong partnerships in the technology sector — major corporations know that we’re a growing powerhouse.”

The �鶹ԭ�� powerhouse sends graduates into careers with companies that have a presence near campus, like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Siemens, L3 Harris, EA Sports and Google. The U.S. government uses �����’s deep pool of tech talent to ramp up the Department of Defense and Department of Energy.

As Solihin says, “We have the critical mass.”

In the past decade, enrollment in computer science related majors has more than quadrupled and is approaching 5,000. The majors are aligned with current and future needs. There are degrees at various levels for digital forensics, computer vision, optics and photonics, and modeling and simulation of behavior cybersecurity. Just one year after launching the master’s program in cybersecurity, Solihin believes there will be more than 100 applicants very soon.

“Our successes,” he says, “are predictors of more great things to come.”

The real surprise in all of this is that �鶹ԭ�� would be considered an unheralded producer of tech talent. The university was founded in 1963 as Florida Technological University for the purpose of feeding the space program with research and expertise. Tourism in Orlando didn’t become an economic force until the 1970s.

“Innovation, especially in engineering, has always been part of �����’s fabric,” says Panepinto. “Now it’s a matter of scaling the talent into other fields. Look at the structure of the fintech program. It combines business and engineering, which makes it unlike anywhere else.”

Ajai Singh came to �鶹ԭ�� in 2015 with the charge of building �����’s finance department into a nationally recognized tech-savvy training ground. Crypto and Venmo were not yet on the general public’s radar, so he knew there were opportunities to get out in front of the fintech movement. Other universities were trying to do the same thing — NYU within its business school, Duke within its college of engineering, a few schools with basic fintech courses.

�����’s version of a fintech program, however, would establish a new template: it would be developed jointly between the finance department and the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

“The culture of creativity and collaboration that made the space program so effective is still here,” Singh says. “No other institutions have this kind of research and relationships between departments.”

To take the fintech program to yet another level, Singh sought to build an all-star team of instructors and researchers, like Christo Pirinsky, who had co-written a paper that everyone in the field held almost as gospel.

“When Christo and several others agreed to join us,” Singh says, “they gave us the backbone in fintech that cannot be matched.”

Pirinsky had been working with the Securities and Exchange Commission. He’d taught at other universities around the country. But he saw an opportunity to be part of something special at �鶹ԭ��.

“If you look at high-tech centers around the world, they emerge close to universities,” Pirinsky says. “So, I believe the fintech program will only make Orlando and �鶹ԭ�� more prominent. It’s a vibrant scene and the trajectory is upward.”

Leaders at other universities around the country are already asking Singh and Pirinsky how they might mirror what’s happening at �鶹ԭ��.

“I’ve only been in Central Florida for a few years and can feel the reputation as a hub of technology is at an inflection point,” Singh says. “The corporate world knows it. Other schools know it. I believe everyone is about to know it.”

The undergraduate game design program, in �����’s Nicholson School of Communication and Media, achieved its highest ranking ever, advancing to No. 5 in the world.

The Princeton Review ranks top college programs for video game design after surveying administrators at 150 institutions in the United States, Canada and five European countries offering game design coursework and/or degrees. The survey covers a wide range of topics, from academic rigor to faculty credentials and graduates’ career outcomes.

“Led by world-class faculty with strong industry backgrounds, �����’s gaming programs excel at providing students with the skills and real-world experiences they need to unleash their potential in their careers,” says Michael D. Johnson, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “We’re pleased that The Princeton Review and PC Gamer recognize our exceptional faculty and how our talented graduates thrive as innovators and leaders, often right here in Central Florida, home to many of the nation’s leading gaming, film and animation companies.”

�����’s gaming graduates thrive in a video game industry that’s projected to be worth more than $360 billion by 2027 — dwarfing the movie and music industries combined. Since 2022, dozens of FIEA alumni have had a hand in developing some of the world’s most popular video games, including Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Madden NFL 24, Remnant II, Diablo IV, Hogwarts Legacy, The Last of Us Part I, and God of War �鲹���Բ���ö��.

FIEA has graduated 1,000 students since its first classes in 2006. Students form industry-like teams to develop video games together, sharpening their skills in project management and collaboration as well as animation, computer programming and software engineering.

“When our legislature approved the development of the FIEA program at �鶹ԭ�� in 2004, we envisioned an environment where students, faculty and industry practitioners explored, learned and developed the world’s best video games,” said Benjamin Noel, executive director of FIEA since its inception. “Twenty years later, the Creative Village is the thriving home to over 2,000 video game students and professionals.  It’s been good for our community and we are positioned for the brightest game development future of any global media hub.”

On average, 85% of FIEA graduates find employment in their desired fields — with a mean starting salary of $81,300 a year for gaming grads. Roughly half remain in Florida and most stay in Central Florida. More than 250 companies have hired FIEA graduates, including leading gaming companies like Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard, Iron Galaxy, Microsoft, Universal and numerous simulation and entertainment businesses.

Electronic Arts moved to Orlando’s Creative Village in 2022, strengthening the industry’s presence downtown and enhancing the strong partnership between EA and FIEA.

“FIEA is a major source of new talent at our Orlando location, and we have been fortunate to benefit from that thriving talent pipeline since the program’s inception,” says Daryl Holt, senior vice president and group general manager, Tiburon Studios & American Football. “When we meet a FIEA student, we are confident they have the skills needed to succeed in our industry, integrate quickly with our teams and make an immediate impact on our EA SPORTS titles.”

The undergraduate GaIM and graduate FIEA programs have developed a robust academic pipeline that brings qualified GaIM students into FIEA’s program after they graduate. While most of �鶹ԭ�� graduates come to FIEA from the Games and Interactive Media program, there’s also high demand from computer science and character animation students.

FIEA faculty also instruct some classes in the undergraduate GaIM program, which is also based at the �鶹ԭ�� Downtown campus.

GaIM joined FIEA in being ranked first in a new regional category from The Princeton Review: the best schools in the South region.

“I am extremely proud that The Princeton Review has recognized our program in this way,” says Professor Natalie Underberg-Goode, assistant director of the Games and Interactive Media program. “The GaIM faculty do innovative research and pioneering creative work in areas such as interactive and transmedia storytelling, games for change, and extended reality, and they are passionate about leveraging this expertise to help students succeed.”

Currently, there is no way to tell if the pressure a trainee applies is correct. A new patented innovation seeks to solve this and the other limitations of current training tools.

The multi-sensory wound simulation was developed by Welch and a team of experts from �����’s College of Nursing, Department of Computer Science, and Institute for Simulation and Training. The innovation merges the physical and virtual worlds to enhance the quality and realism of healthcare training.

Healthcare professionals, combat medics, and first responders currently may receive training in the physical and virtual worlds separately. The physical simulations involve a fake wound and fake blood on a mannequin or standardized patient (actor). Created with moulage or special effects makeup, these simulated wounds are static, lack responsiveness to treatment, and take time to set up.

There are also computer-based and virtual reality simulations, which lack physical touch for hands-on training. “VR is amazing, but the default is everything is virtual,” Welch says. “In healthcare, hands-on training — being able to touch a patient or grab a tool — really matters.”

�����’s innovation combines a hands-on, tactile experience in the real world with a dynamic wound in the digital world. The result, according to the patent, is a “powerful combination that has the potential to revolutionize casualty care training for both the military and civilians.”

Realistic Training

It works like this. A user wears a head-mounted augmented reality (AR) system that presents a scenario. The “patient” is physically present in front of the user, either as a simulation mannequin or participant, and the virtual wound appears seamlessly overlaid on that patient, such that the user perceives only a wounded patient.

On the physical “patient” is �����’s patented smart moulage that tells the AR system to fill in the details of the scenario. With it, a user may see blood on their hands until the appropriate amount of pressure is applied. That pressure is gauged by a sensor.

“If you bend it, for example, the smart moulage know it’s flexing and the digital imagery will match what you’re feeling,” Welch says. “You’re feeling it, and it’s feeling you.”

Users may also feel a pulse and liquid “blood” thanks to an actuator inside the wound that emits water from a reservoir. The latter idea came from co-inventor and global healthcare simulation expert Mindi Anderson.

“Liquid is used already in simulation. For example, when using an IV task trainer, a student may ‘see’ simulated blood when starting an IV,” Anderson says. “This is different because it is done virtually. Water may look like simulated blood, and when the participant puts pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding, they can see the results of their intervention.”

Those results for users would be seeing the apparent rate of blood loss slow and vital signs possibly stabilize.

Clever Coding

Another unique aspect of �����’s smart moulage innovation is how it connects to the AR system.

Normally, head-mounted displays track your location within a room with static things around you and overlay digital content onto the user’s view of the real world.

“The issue is that the wound location could change, depending on the scenario, and the virtual wound needs to stay stuck, so to speak, to the physical piece to be as realistic as possible. This could be challenging and complex to code,” Welch says.

Instead, Welch and the team developed a way for the wound to identify itself to the augmented reality (AR) system — almost like a QR code embedded in the smart moulage. The AR system would scan this code and would lock into it, continually tracking the wound and rendering effects of the user’s interventions in the scenario in real time.

Future Potential

Welch envisions this smart moulage may appear like a simple rubbery skin with electronics and a battery embedded inside, which can be peeled off, put in a box to charge overnight, and be ready to use each day. Its portability is also a benefit.

“A simulated wound, such as this, can be put on a mannequin, person, or anywhere to help with training,” Anderson says. “Participants can see and respond to realistic scenarios and hopefully, transfer the skills to work with real life patients.”

“When we cannot find solutions for our needs, we develop our own solutions using interdisciplinary collaborations such as this,” Anderson adds.

The smart moulage has applications beyond severe bleeding scenarios, and could be used for burn training, surgical training and more.

“The potential of this invention to improve trauma and critical care training scenarios involving wounds and bleeding injuries is endless. It could benefit frontline providers, from first responders to nurses and physicians, across military and civilian settings to ultimately impact patient lives,” says co-inventor Frank Guido-Sanz who has first-hand experience in trauma care as an acute care nurse practitioner in addition to his faculty appointment at the College of Nursing.

For now, this patented innovation is in the prototype stage. �����’s Technology Transfer team is working to make potential licensees aware of the technology (), and helping them explore how it might fit with their systems or envisioned use cases.

While this patent waits to be licensed for broad use, Welch, who has more than 25 patents at �鶹ԭ��, will continue to innovate.

“I think there’s a void between the two spaces of relatively realistic real-world patient scenarios and VR,” Welch says. “That’s the hard space to develop, but there’s a lot of space for something to be done.”

A total of 16 undergraduate and 12 graduate/professional teams gathered in the largest classroom at �鶹ԭ�� Downtown for the inaugural FIEA Collegiate Game Jam on Jan. 12. Teams made up of artists, programmers and other game developers raced for 43.5 hours with the difficult task of designing and developing a video game based on a theme that was announced at the beginning of the jam: sunshine.

Each team was comprised of up to four undergraduate students or graduate students from universities across Florida, alumni, or working professionals from several tech industries. While many �鶹ԭ�� students and alumni participated, others from Full Sail University, Stetson University, University of Florida, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Florida Polytechnic University also participated. At the graduate/professional level, many FIEA alumni and grad students formed teams, as well as grad students from Full Sail. Professionals working at Third Time Entertainment, Iron Galaxy, Electronic Arts (EA), Game Sim, Netflix, Ubisoft Red Storm and other tech companies brought their experience to compete as well.

By 3 p.m. on Jan. 14, all teams concluded development and made their games ready for testing. Judges, participants, and supporters walked around and playtested a variety of games developed during the jam. While most games were developed for PC, a few virtual reality games made an appearance, and one-person team Day of the Dev — represented by Day Cho, a graduate student from �鶹ԭ�� — created a game playable and loaded on a Gameboy.

Judges for the undergraduate division consisted of Paul Weiler and Stephen Cano from Iron Galaxy, and Raghib Tyler from EA Orlando. At the graduate/professional level, two judges from Florida Polytechnic, Christian Navarro and Brad Towle, and University of Florida’s Nick Heitzman, stepped in to decide the winners.

“Through all the grind and sleepless nights, we knew that we could trust and support one another, and that was absolutely my favorite part of the game jam.” — Jeffrey Zhang, CAT 4 Team Captain

The first place prize for the graduate/professional division team went to FIEA’s own Cohort 20 team, CAT 4. Team captain Jeffrey Zhang described the object: “In CATastrophe: Sunshine Shenanigans, you play as a pair of greedy cats who are fighting the other cats for the perfect sunbathing spot. Your goal is to hog all the sunlight to yourself by creating a giant Rube Goldberg machine to lure, scare, or otherwise remove all the other cats from the center of the cafe.”

For CAT 4, developing a winning game under such a quick turnaround was no easy feat.

“We had set a goal to include all of the cats of our fellow classmates in the game,” Zhang says. “That sounds like a cute goal, but it’s much less cute when you’re up at two (o’clock) in the morning retopologizing four different 3D models of cats. Programming the game was filled with just as many challenges, like when I presented eight hours worth of work to the other programmer, and he responsed with a simple, ‘Wait, none of that is going to work with what I have.’”

Playthrough From CAT 4’s Winning Video Game Submission

All four members of CAT 4 received a $200 Universal Orlando gift card and a trophy for winning first place in the graduate/professional division. Team Chasm from Florida Polytechnic University took first place in the undergraduate division with a cat-themed game, and each member received a Nintendo Switch Lite. Second place winners in both divisions received $50 Best Buy gift cards, and third place winners received $25 Best Buy gift cards.

“Despite all the hardships, I loved working on this game, and I loved working together with my teammates,” Zhang says. “From the beginning, it was clear that we all had the same passion — not only for cats, but also for creating a game we could all be proud of. Through all the grind and sleepless nights, we knew that we could trust and support one another, and that was absolutely my favorite part of the game jam.”

FIEA — ranked as one of the top two graduate programs globally in six of the past eight years by The Princeton Review and PC Gamer — is intense, mimicking the environment of industry studios, as game producers, designers, software programmers and artists collaborate over two semesters to develop a full-scale game.

The gaming industry is projected to be worth more than $300 billion worldwide by 2026.

As of Summer 2023, 85% of FIEA graduates are employed in the video game or simulation industries. The average starting salary of current, full-time employees is $80,539 — which is continuing to grow due to the heavy competition for talent.

More than 250 companies have hired FIEA graduates, including leading gaming studios like Activision Blizzard, Bungie, Electronic Arts (EA), Epic, Iron Galaxy, Microsoft, Sony and more. Some graduates also have advanced to successful careers in the modeling and simulation industry.

Tristani, 23, has thrived at FIEA since she started in August 2022, learning C++ programming language to become a software engineer.

“I was really interested in becoming a game developer, but I wasn’t sure I had all the necessary skills,” she says. “I came to FIEA because I knew it was one of the best places to learn to make games professionally and pursue that as a serious career.”

She found those skills at FIEA, a rigorous program that continues to be a top talent pipeline that drives economic growth for Florida’s economy. She also landed a paid internship at EA, a global leader in digital interactive entertainment, with a studio across the street from FIEA in downtown Orlando’s Creative Village.

“FIEA prepared me with a lot of data based on C++ knowledge that I am now using at EA,” she says. “There’s a course that takes a very deep look at C++ in the programming track and that is something I’m using almost every day at EA. It’s the language to develop games, and having that deeper knowledge is incredibly important working at any game company.”

Tristani aspires to join many of her peers and other FIEA alums who have worked with the company after graduation.

“FIEA is a major source of new talent at our Orlando location, and we have been fortunate to benefit from that thriving talent pipeline since the program’s inception,” says Daryl Holt, senior vice president and group general manager, Tiburon Studios & American Football. “When we meet a FIEA student, we are confident they have the skills needed to succeed in our industry, integrate quickly with our teams and make an immediate impact on our EA SPORTS titles.”

FIEA started in 2005 with just 12 students. It quickly advanced to become one of the nation’s top programs, ranking in the top five for the first time in 2010. EA’s move from Maitland, Florida, to Orlando’s Creative Village in 2022 strengthened the industry’s presence downtown and also enhanced the already strong partnership between FIEA and EA. Other video game developers have set up shop downtown, including Iron Galaxy Studios, Microsoft Games Studio and Undead Labs.

A �鶹ԭ�� alum, Battle grew his gaming hobby into a career through his training at the university’s Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA). FIEA provides an authentic and unparalleled video game development experience that helped Battle hit the ground running. While a student, he interned at EA Sports and seamlessly transitioned into a full-time employee with the gaming company upon graduation — showcasing the value of FIEA’s plug-and-play approach.

As a leader, strategist, and customer, Battle is always looking at the next level of gaming, which he says is currently service gaming. Service games forgo upfront costs and instead rely on in-game monetization to benefit both player and developer.

“Games as a service is a return to form,” Battle says.

As Battle works to innovate Bungie’s offerings — which focus on creating games that inspire friendship —  he reflects on his time with the first game development community he joined: FIEA.

What inspired you to pursue a career making video games and to attend FIEA?
Before FIEA, I was a legal assistant studying for the LSAT exam to become a lawyer. Before that, I was a recent college graduate trying to find his way in the business world. I quickly learned after college that neither of those things made me happy, and I needed to pursue a field I was passionate about. Video games had been the one unquestionable object of passion in my life. I found FIEA via a Google search for “Best Video Game Grad School”, (and) found it in a Princeton Review list. The cohort-based program seemed like the best fit for me.

*Editor’s note: In March, FIEA ranked in the top two for graduate game design programs across the world for the fourth consecutive year, according to The Princeton Review and PC Gamer.

How did FIEA prepare you for the industry?
FIEA provides an authentic video game development experience that is almost impossible to replicate in another setting; More than 60 student developers across all disciplines there to build games with you. This is the work. I had zero game development knowledge before FIEA, and the functional skills and experience I gained allowed me to hit the ground running in an internship while still in the program. This quickly transitioned into a full-time position upon graduation. FIEA allowed me to be truly plug-and-play in the industry.

What advice do you have for current FIEA students as they enter the game development industry?
Don’t undermine the experience you have at FIEA when you are applying to jobs. Even though FIEA is not a literal game studio, the experience you have there building a game with peers is extremely highly quality and comparable to what you would experience in the industry.

With that, don’t be afraid to identify yourself as the role you want to be in the industry based on what you did at FIEA. I am not talking about “you were a project lead at FIEA, so you are ready to be an EP in the industry, or a creative director.” But, you want to be a gameplay designer and you did gameplay design at FIEA? Guess what, you’re a gameplay designer now, not an aspiring one.

In �����’s undergraduate and graduate game design programs, talented students learn from world-class faculty with strong industry experience, and they graduate well-prepared for success in their careers.

That’s a main reason why The Princeton Review and PC Gamer consistently recognize the programs to be among the best in the world. This year, �����’s graduate game design program, the , ranks No. 2 — its fourth consecutive year in the top two.

The undergraduate program within �����’s Nicholson School for Communication and Media —the — climbed seven spots since last year to rank No. 6 in the world, its highest ranking ever.

The annual rankings of undergraduate and graduate institutions offering the best programs in game design cover the U.S., Canada and five European countries.

The two programs are located at �鶹ԭ�� Downtown in Orlando’s Creative Village, where graduate and undergraduate students learn the tools and techniques to be artists, programmers and producers in the gaming industry. The Creative Village is also home to Electronic Arts’ new office, putting students just steps away from internship and job opportunities.

FIEA has graduated 940 students, many of whom created video games together in an industry-like setting before graduating.  In 2022, 88% of FIEA graduates were hired. About half of FIEA graduates stay in Central Florida after graduation, with the mean starting salary topping $71,000 for gaming grads. Top employers include Electronic Arts, Iron Galaxy Studios, Epic Games, Ubisoft Red Storm and Microsoft Games.

“For nearly 15 years, �����’s FIEA graduate video game development program has been one of the top five programs in the world. … This foundation has allowed us to become the leading area in the U.S. that’s building the Metaverse,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said during his “State of Downtown” address in December. Dyer also said Orlando has the highest concentration of game developer licenses in the country.

“We are pleased that The Princeton Review has again ranked us among the top programs globally,” said FIEA Executive Director Ben Noel. “This past year, FIEA had record numbers of students complete high-quality internships and start their careers with many of the top gaming companies in Central Florida and throughout our country. We are fulfilling our mission to provide top talent to the digital media industry and drive economic growth for Florida.”

Like FIEA, GaIM at �����’s Nicholson School for Communication and Media has earned national recognition — in large part due to its faculty, many of whom have both industry and academic experience. In 2022, 79% of undergraduates in the program were hired, with a mean salary of $52,036.

“GaIM faculty undertake cutting-edge work in games and interactive media, including immersive storytelling, virtual and augmented reality, and accessibility in games — expertise they funnel into their course offerings and mentorship of our students,” says Professor Natalie Underberg-Goode, assistant director of the program.

GaIM undergraduate courses cover video game design and production, web and social platforms, and interactive experiences that combine art, storytelling, design and technology.

The Princeton Review ranks top college programs for video game design after surveying administrators at 150 institutions offering game design coursework and/or degrees. The survey covers a wide range of topics, from academic rigor to faculty credentials and graduates’ career outcomes.

“We are so happy to see the hard work and accomplishments of our students, faculty, and University being recognized. It is such an honor to be part of this,” said Associate Professor Peter Smith, deputy assistant director and graduate coordinator in the GaIM program.

The TEA is an international nonprofit association representing the world’s leading creators of compelling places and experiences. Receiving this award from the TEA is considered one of the highest honors in the themed experience industry. Hundreds of international companies, individuals and attractions are judged each year against the industry’s highest standards of achievement.

The Peter Chernak Distinguished Service Award honors exceptional volunteer service to the TEA. According to an announcement from the TEA, Weishar was given the award for “his exceptional promotion of our themed entertainment industry through education, program development and support of our TEA NextGen members.”

Apart from his many years of service to the TEA, Weishar believes the award affirms the impact of �����’s themed experience programs on the industry.

“I share this recognition with all of the individuals at �鶹ԭ�� that have partnered and supported the Themed Experience programs and our students,” Weishar says. “While the award is for many years of service, I believe it was given now due to the tremendous impact being made on industry by the programs at �鶹ԭ��.”

Since 2018, Weishar has helped to establish �����’s themed experience MS and MFA degrees as the first  program of its kind at a public university. The themed experience program focuses on giving students hands-on industry experience through partnerships with industry leaders like Universal Creative and Meow Wolf. Through involvement with TEA’s NextGen Initiative, students also connect with industry recruiters and professional development programs.

“The TEA is an incredible organization that brings a great deal of value to my students and me. Through its NextGen initiative, events, conferences and Summit, the TEA connects our aspiring professionals with industry leaders,” Weishar says. “It is quite an honor to be recognized by industry for the work we do at �鶹ԭ��.”

Weishar continues to pave the way for the next generation of leaders in the themed experience industry. On Tuesday, Nov. 22, Weishar will host a themed experience graduate program info session for those interested in enrolling in the program.