[Industry news] Dave School of Digital Arts Named Unreal Engine Academic Partner by Epic Games

This is a press release posted in addition to our usual editorial content.

The Dave School of Digital Arts at Northbridge University has been named an Unreal Engine Academic Partner by Epic Games, recognising the program’s leadership in training students for careers in real-time 3D production across gaming, film and simulation industries.

The Unreal Engine Academic Partner Program recognises accredited colleges and universities that demonstrate excellence in teaching real-time 3D development using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine.

Institutions selected for the program have proven curricula, experienced faculty, and the technical infrastructure necessary to deliver high-quality instruction in game development, virtual production, and interactive media. Academic partners gain access to specialised learning resources, development tools, and industry engagement opportunities that help prepare students for careers across gaming, film, simulation, and immersive media industries.

Through the Unreal Academic Partner program, eligible degree-granting institutions receive support designed to accelerate Unreal Engine-driven coursework. Benefits may include enterprise software licenses, premium service subscriptions, co-marketing opportunities, and Marketplace credits that allow students and faculty to access professional-grade assets and tools for classroom projects and research initiatives.

Preparing students for modern production pipelines

Both Unreal Engine technology and the Dave School of Digital Arts curriculum reflect the rapidly evolving convergence of game development, filmmaking, and simulation around real-time 3D production. Traditionally, content pipelines in film and games relied on long rendering cycles and disconnected production stages. Real-time engines such as Unreal Engine allow artists, designers, and engineers to visualise scenes instantly, dramatically accelerating iteration and collaboration.

“Studios today are looking for developers who understand real-time pipelines from day one,” said Braden Brunk, lead game instructor at the Dave School of Digital Arts. “Being recognised as an Unreal Academic Partner signals that our students are learning with the same tools and workflows used by leading studios around the world.”

Today’s studios increasingly use Unreal Engine not only for interactive games, but also for virtual production, digital twins, training simulations, and immersive marketing experiences. Real-time pipelines allow teams to preview lighting, animation, physics, and environments simultaneously while production is still underway. The same underlying assets can be reused across game builds, cinematic sequences, and promotional content, enabling a more integrated development process.

Students in the Game Production program learn to build assets, environments, and gameplay systems directly inside Unreal Engine while collaborating in team-based studio environments that mirror professional development workflows. By integrating real-time tools with production practices such as motion capture, procedural environment design, and iterative level development, the program prepares students for modern content pipelines used across games, film, and simulation industries.

“Real-time technology is reshaping how stories, worlds, and simulations are built,” Brunk added. “When students graduate with hands-on experience in Unreal Engine pipelines, they’re not just learning software; they’re learning how modern studios actually create content.”

Partnerships between higher education and industry like the Unreal Engine/Dave School academic partner enable schools to produce graduates whose skills align with workforce needs.

“Our program focuses on the soft and technical skills needed to succeed not just in gaming, but across industries that rely on simulation and real-time technology, including medical, military, and entertainment. We have the flexibility in our curricula to meet those dynamic needs,” said Brunk.

The school’s Game Production offerings include a 12-month Game Production Diploma that combines live online instruction with an on-campus studio residency in Orlando, Florida, where students collaborate under instructor guidance to build a game project.