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[.]

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[Gary]

I went to an Art Institute so I know how fucking expensive it can be, if you honestly think those next classes you take wont HELP in what you wanna be but are at the same risking having to re-do over a few years to get the BA in Buinsess you just have to see what the pro and con is.. having a Bachelors in something that may help over a Bachelors that WILL help. It is a big risk, but if you honestly want to be a producer and everyone is telling you to that a bachelors in business is the way to go, I'd go for it. I'd find the best option obviously and take the risk if in the long run it will benefit your career as a video game producer, and once you are done you'lll have the best of both worlds the Business degree plus all the video game development/design education.

btw check your facebook inbox.

[Marq]

Honestly, Jack (or anyone else in school, right now)? The degrees are irrelevant.

It's really up to you and what makes the most sense, financially, but whether you're a graduate in business or game design, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO GET OUT OF COLLEGE is a network of contacts who like you. Seriously. Degrees are a dime a dozen right now (and will get even worse in the future as more and more people graduate from college), and while employers MIGHT see something in somebody with a business degree, they'll see even more in someone who's got experience (through an internship, for example) or who knows somebody that they can ask personally for a direct, legitimate recommendation. In a sea full of people with the same degree (especially business), every little advantage you can get will help you land a job you love.

That producer you spoke to a while ago who liked your stuff and you talked wrestling games with? I hope you're still on speaking terms with him. Otherwise, work on your network, now -- if you're good to people, you never know who'll be willing to help you in the future. After graduation, I couldn't find a job for eight months. It was rough, so I won't lie and say after the degree, everything will be peachy keen. But things turned out alright, eventually -- and not 'cause of my BA in TV/radio, but because I made some dude laugh at a party for a mutual friend. Guy turned out to be a recruiter for LucasFilm, and the rest is history:



My opinion? Get your degree in business to learn about that end of the industry -- but use that time to scour for internships or any other opportunities you won't have past graduation. 'Cause once you get that diploma? You join everyone else looking for a job starting from square one.

[Big Gay Honker]

I'm assuming that an associates Degree is available at an art institute.  I'm not an artist, so I do not know.  But have you asked the other school if your classes will all xfer when you have the Associates?  If not and you want a BA in business I would personally cut my losses and just transfer, because if that's the case then there is no reason to dump more money into something that wont help you in the long term goal of getting a BA in Business.  If you want to get a BA in Computer Science, then by all means stay put.  Have you tried multiple colleges, both online and nearby?  And like Marq said, get a real good network of friends in college, because connections are a real deal breaker. 

[hurricane]

If you stayed at your current school, you could get your degree in computer science, and then get your MBA at a standard university, and it wouldn't take you any longer than transferring schools and you would be even more qualified, but it would cost you more money.
Anyway, I don't think the person who told you that you needed a degree in business is necessarily right. However a degree in computer science from the Art Institute doesn't seem very valuable to me. I don't know how the industry would view it, but I think a bachelor's degree in anything at a standard university would be better. Have you looked at where other graduates from your program got hired? Did any of them get the kind of job you want?
Your degree and where you went to school is only important in getting that first position. After that, no one cares where you got your degree or what you got it in. The thing to do is to scope out where the jobs are that you want and talk to the people hiring for those jobs and ask them if your current education path would qualify you for those positions.
Getting the job you want is just being in the right place at the right time. I have a bachelor's degree in geography, but I got recruited by a software company and ended up with a career in software design and development, even though I never took one class in computer science.
So the most important thing you can do is network. You are more likely to get the job you want because you know the right people than what your degree is in.

[Black Death]

age old saying " it not what you know , it who  you know"

[jagilki]

Smoke some pot and drop out.

[Black Death]

not to be confused with " hey hey hey , smoke weed every day "

[Mike Wilkins]

I have a friend who works for EA Games.  He's currently the director of The Sims 3.  I will ask him your question and get you a solid answer.

[Mike Wilkins]

...and as promised.

------------

That's a tough one. If all you've got is a business degree, you'd better be prepared to sell yourself very, very well. Producers in the video game industry need proven experience in video games. Which is why with almost zero exceptions they come from within the industry. Testers, programmers, artists, managers, etc. I'd suggest getting the CS degree, finding a foot in the door as a programmer, and prove you can do the producer stuff while programming.

[Mike Wilkins]

Ben Brooks - Director of The Sims

[J-Reb]

I agree with the previous comments about experience being key. A degree gets your foot in the door, experience gets you the job.