High School
Take as many computer science classes as possible in high school to build your technical and digital design skills. Recommended courses include computer science, software development, computer programming, computer security, and game design (if it is offered). Art and graphic design classes will help you to develop your creativity. Mathematical concepts comprise the building blocks of game and other digital product design, especially pertaining to 3-D modeling and software programming, so you should also take algebra, trigonometry, calculus, linear algebra, discrete mathematics, and applied mathematics. Many Unity developers are self-employed, which means they need to know how to run a business—whether it’s just a one-person shop or they’re managing a team of developers. Useful classes for those who are self-employed include business management, accounting, marketing, writing, and speech.
Postsecondary Education
You do not need a bachelor’s degree to become a Unity developer (especially if you are self-employed), but many companies require their developers to have this credential. Developers often earn degrees in computer science, mathematics, physics, software engineering, game design/development or a related discipline. More than 500 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada offer degrees in game design or in related specialties. As part of their training, most students participate in an internship, cooperative educational experience, or other learning opportunity at a company that uses Unity to develop products in order to obtain valuable hands-on experience.
A Unity developer who does not have a bachelor’s degree has typically acquired his or her knowledge by downloading the free version of the Unity software and building his or her skills by experimenting with the game engine, taking Unity-related classes via online learning platforms (OLPs) and colleges and universities (for example, Columbia College Chicago offers Game Development with C# and Unity), and participating in other activities that increase their knowledge.
Certification
Some colleges and universities offer certificates in game design, programming languages such as C++, and augmented and virtual reality app development. Contact schools in your area to learn more about available programs.
Other Education or Training
Unity Technologies offers a wide range of Unity-related courses and tutorials for beginners and advanced developers. Visit https://unity.com/learn/partner-courses for more information. Online learning platforms also offer Unity-related courses. For example, Udemy offers The Ultimate Guide to Game Development with Unity; Unity Game Development Build 2D & 3D Games; and The Unity C# Survival Guide. Finally, professional computing associations such as the International Game Developers Association and the IEEE Computing Society offer in-person classes and webinars in software development, programming, and related topics. Contact these organizations for more information.
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