Swinburne University is renowned for its industry-leading courses covering business, science, and law, but Andrew Trevillian wants to also put Swinburne on the map for their game development courses.
I interviewed Andrew, who is the Course Director for the game development classes about what sets Swinburne apart from other institutions.
I want to first note that during my talk with Andrew it was clearly evident that he has a real passion for not only the courses, but also for the welfare and future prospects of his students.
Swinburne’s PAX booth displayed a vast array of video games, all sitting within different genres, and all of which were 100% student-developed from start to finish.
Furthermore, each game on display was showcased by the students themselves as Andrew believes “it is necessary to provide students with genuine real-world experiences, including showcasing and discussing their titles”
For students, this is a profound and amazing way to get real-world experience, but Andrew also noted that “their time spent at PAX is also a part of their assessment and does affect their final score”.
Andrew loves to see his students advance and grow upon graduating and even has his own “3-year personal warranty” where students are welcome to keep in touch with him if they ever have any questions or need advice.
Students can specialise in a range of topics including programming, art direction, and project management.
Swinburne shares a unique relationship with Melbourne Polytechnic where game development students can collaborate with students from the music course to assist with providing music for their video game titles.
It was refreshing to see someone so dedicated to the art of game development and to hear just how much passion Andrew has for his students and their long term goals, with Andrew noting he personally “loves to bump into his former students who are now showcasing their own studios and titles after graduating”
If you are interested in a career within gaming, you can visit Swinburne’s site here to find out more about the courses that they offer.
About the Author
Justin White
He/Him
Justin is known for being the clown of any group and has spent his entire life playing and collecting video games. When he is not playing video games he is usually hanging out with his two American Staffies named Django and King (after Django Unchained characters) or his son Shia (yes, after Shia Labeouf).
