Game Sound Design Major
Learn sound design from industry experts at Champlain, working with the same technology the pros use. Apply your skills and become a key part of a game development team, crafting successful games from start to finish.
The best games are never on mute.
In Game Sound Design, you’ll craft a game’s audio environment using industry tools. You’ll learn music composition, scoring, voiceover recording, game engine scripting, how to work within a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), and more. And you’ll master game engines while working as part of a development team, just like you will in the industry.
Is the game environment a dystopian urban jungle or a tropical rainforest? Is your character angry and dark or have a sunny disposition? Is your weapon a spear or a rocket launcher? Champlain’s Game Studio Design major can help you create the sound of a world.
In this major, you’ll learn music theory and game sound design by working hands-on in sound studios and game engines, designing soundscapes for games that are developed with your full game team.
What Is Game Sound Design?
A good video game relies on great sound design to create a believable new world. Game sound designers write and record the soundtrack, create the sound effects, and record the dialogue that create an immersive sonic experience within great games. Sound designers need to have skills in multiple areas of audio production, such as music theory and recording techniques, as well as an understanding of the game development process so they may apply their skills effectively to the game they’re helping to create. Solid sound design can build tension, amplify action, and create the perfect atmosphere for any situation. A competent sound designer is a necessary part of any successful game development team.
Why Study Game Sound Design at Champlain?
Champlain College’s Bachelor of Science in Game Sound Design is ideal for students interested in creating the audio elements of games. You’ll learn music composition, scoring, voiceover recording, game engine scripting, how to work within a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), and more, all while working directly with game engines on a game development team. Plus, Game Sound Design students have full access to Champlain’s professional recording studio, and all of the gear that comes with it.
In the Champlain College Game Studio Experience, you’ll be learning in an environment that very closely replicates the studio work of the game industry. You’ll collaborate with students in the Game Art, Game Business & Publishing, Game Design, Game Production Management, and Game Programming majors to build full games from start to finish.
Different by Design
What the Pros Use
Students learn digital and analog recording techniques using all pro recording studio equipment: isolation booths, a fully stocked control room, a wide selection of dynamic, condenser, and ribbon microphones, studio-grade monitors, a patch bay, rack/wall units, industry-standard recording softwares like Logic and Pro Tools, and a 24 channel analog board solid state XL desk.
One-of-a-Kind Degree
One of only a handful of similar programs in the country, our game sound program’s association with other aspects of game development makes it a one-of-a-kind Bachelor of Science. A full 16 credits are studio hours dedicated to complete game development team experiences.
The Game Studio Experience
The Game Studio style of learning ensures that students know how to work well in teams just like in professional studios. This cooperative experience sets Champlain graduates apart when competing for jobs.
Start Here
Game Sound Design is one of six game industry majors at Champlain College, so you’ll be at the center of an industry hub. Champlain is also ranked in the top nationally by Princeton Review for game design, and there’s a robust esports culture on campus.
Facts & Stats
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, sound engineers earn competitive salaries, reflecting the high demand for their specialized skills.
The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2024 named Champlain College among the 300 “best and most interesting” colleges in the U.S., Canada, and United Kingdom.
Champlain was named a “Most Innovative School” by U.S. News & World Report in its “America’s Best Colleges” 2024 ranking of universities in the North.
What Sets Us Apart
The Game Studio Experience
The unique Game Studio Experience at Champlain College gives you start-to-finish game-building experience in a professional environment. You’ll collaborate with your peers in each of our game majors to create playable games in a studio that parallels the processes of the industry.
Annual Game Studio Senior Show
You will have the opportunity to present the game you create with your Game Studio team—as well as your own demo reel—to recruiters from all over the United States and Canada. Recruiters often come to the Senior Show to scout new talent, from companies like: Insomniac, Activision, Ubisoft and more!
Game Developers Conference
Champlain College sends a cohort to the world’s largest game developers conference each year in San Francisco for professional development and networking. The Career Coach facilitates exclusive networking meetings for Champlain students with top recruiters from some of the largest game developers.
Sample Courses in the Game Sound Design Major
Game Sound Designers require a deep-dive into both game history and sound fundamentals to build a strong foundation in audio production. From the first day of their first semester, students in our Game Sound Design major will begin learning what it takes to produce high-quality audio and create a game ambiance like no other. And our Upside-Down Curriculum puts you in your major right away.
You might also be interested in these…
Based on your interest in the Game Sound Design major, we thought you also might like to check out these other academic programs and opportunities.
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Majors
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Filmmaking Major
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Creative Media Major
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Game Design Major
As a Game Design major at Champlain College, you’ll start building worlds on day one, preparing for a burgeoning industry. And you’ll understand the strategies, narratives and motivators that compel people to play.
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Integrative Professional Studies Major
Design your own major through Champlain’s Degree Design Lab. You’ll combine courses and real-world learning experiences to personalize your own education.
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Minors
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Interactive Narrative Minor
Discover different types of narratives that are immersive, non-linear, and engage our audience in a wholly new and unique way. Learn to design these narratives and create all new experiences.
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Media Production Minor
Effective media production is a foundation of any successful business. Learn about streaming, social media and traditional media, as well as how to write, produce, and edit content for each.
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Information Technology Minor
Identify core computer networking and infrastructure components and the roles they serve to supplement business, creative, and other professional pursuits.
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Entrepreneurship Minor
Learn how to turn ideas into profitable businesses or non-profit with an Entrepreneurship minor.
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Areas of Study
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Game Design & Development
Turn concepts into digital reality. Explore our seven gaming majors to determine which path matches your interests.
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Cybersecurity, Computer Science & Digital Technology
Solve everyday problems to build a better future with one of these tech-centered majors.
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Creative Arts & Communication
With many majors to choose from, you decide how to bring your ideas to life and communicate them to the world.
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Individualized Studies & Undeclared
Learn what you love, and love what you learn with one of these professional pathways.
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Sign Up To Get a Poster + Helpful Info
We’ll send you info about our game majors plus a poster designed by our students when you fill out this form!
Game Sound Student Work
Game Sound Design Admissions Requirements
Whether you are a musician now or just considering how you could use technology to create sound, Game Sound Design could be your path. Champlain College is the ideal setting to learn the tools, techniques, and best practices of creating audio for video games. In addition to learning your own field, you’ll learn how to do the job while collaborating as part of a full development team. A bachelor’s degree in Game Sound Design from Champlain College shows employers that you’re enthusiastic, experienced, and ready to get to work.
We look for strong writing and communication skills and a balanced academic background from applicants. There is no portfolio requirement for this major.
Suggested Areas of Study
Academic preparation includes successful completion of a college preparatory curriculum, including:
- 4 years of reading/writing English
- 3 years of History/Social Sciences
- 3 years of Mathematics (at least through Algebra II. Many students take Pre-Calculus, Calculus, or AP Calculus as juniors or seniors)
- 3 years of Natural Sciences, including two courses with lab components
- 2 years of a foreign language
- A full course load of challenging academic subjects senior year
Applying
If one of the elements of your academic profile is not as strong as your overall application we recommend a Personal Interview to demonstrate the personal qualities we look for in admitted students. We are seeking individuals who are highly motivated to achieve their professional and personal goals.
You can apply to Champlain College using the Common Application or the Champlain College Application. Both are free. Regardless of which you choose, all applications are considered equally.
If you’re ready to learn how to compose music and soundscapes so you can score games alongside your game development team, we want to hear from you.
Career Success
The first graduating class for the Game Sound Design major will be 2025 with 100% of students creating a Game Sound Design portfolio.
Your Career Outlook
By the time you graduate, you will…
- Develop game scores to meet specific professional scenarios and requirements.
- Conceptualize, in a clear and concise way, the audio direction for a game or specific game assets using traditional or digitally facilitated rendering methods.
- Identify and anticipate new technology and rapidly adapt to the changing technological landscape.
- Articulate, analyze, and evaluate the meanings, social contexts, and ethical choices in your work.
- Identify industry game sound design roles—and the specific skill sets required by each role—in order to develop a successful, individual career path.
You’ll Find a Career In…
- Audio Designer
- Technical Sound Designer
- Game Audio Engineer
- Recording Engineer
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Pre-College Summer Program: Champlain Game AcademyThe Champlain Game Academy offers an intensive residential pre-college program for high school students entering grades 10-12 and recent high school graduates. Like the Game Studio, our program emphasizes teamwork and creative collaboration across all the game development disciplines. In order to understand how a professional game development team works, students will be introduced to all aspects of game development.
Learn More on the Pre-College Summer Program Website
Latest News from The View
More Inside Game Sound Design Major
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Overview
Learn sound design from industry experts at Champlain, working with the same technology the pros use. Apply your skills and become a key part of a game development team, crafting successful games from start to finish.
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Curriculum
Learn recording techniques and sound design as they apply to the game production process starting on day one through the Game Sound Design major.
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Faculty
Learn from committed and knowledgeable industry-expert faculty in the Game Sound Design program.