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Design a game... It’s possible with a degree from North Carolina State University’s Department of Computer Science

Joe France (BS '08) has loved video games ever since he was a kid. He knew he was good at playing them. Thought he might have some talent for designing them. But France never had the resources to do anything about it—until he came to NC State.

Now that he has a computer science degree under his belt, France works as a developer for 360Ed—a video game company based in Florida. It’s a gamer’s dream job. Creative. Cutting-edge. But most important, it enables France to make a real impact on the world. One of his first projects was Burn Center, a simulation game that teaches first responders how to treat burn injuries during a major disaster. It’s a fun way to teach live-saving skills—and France helped make it happen.

So what made his career happen? It’s simple: a computer science degree from NC State. France started the program with a vague idea of what he wanted to do, but it wasn’t until he took a class in game design and development that things fell into place. As a class project (and with some guidance from his professors), France created two of his own video games. He learned about problem solving and game logistics—but he also gained some valuable experience working with software that’s used in major technology companies.

“I got a chance to work with tools that people in the field are working with,” France says. The payoff? He knew exactly what to expect when he started his first job.

That’s not the only way NC State prepared France for his career. It also taught him the skills he’ll need to work anywhere—and do practically anything.

“That’s one of the reasons I chose NC State,” he says. “Their reputation is to make you a computer scientist or software engineer first. They give you the skill-set to do all kinds of things, so you can explore lots of different paths. If one doesn’t work out, you can just do something else.”