The Champlain Abroad Program gives students innovative professional experience and exposure to a diverse foreign culture. For Game Studio students who want to go abroad, that means Montreal. The classes of both semesters will be taught by industry professionals, so the biggest question is: which semester should you go?
The Fall Semester
Known as the industry networking semester, Game Art and Design students may attend in the fall. They will meet professionals from the industry, visit multiple game studios, and interact with Champlain Game Studio alumni who now work in Montreal. “Montreal was my first experience with real networking,” said Fall alum Carson Griffin. “We were brought to several studios such as Ubisoft, Behavior Interactive, and Indie Asylum.” Faculty who are working in the development field will provide individual feedback on course work. The Game Art courses during this semester focus on environment design.
Have friends from Stiller Business, SoSI, ITS, or the Creative Studio? Other students wishing to go to Montreal can attend in the fall. In 2025, they will take COR 301, COR 302, Science with Lab, and COR-304+SAP 293. The latter course combination gives students the opportunity to collaborate with local organizations and community partners on a project benefiting the greater good. Students will gain tailored experience and on-site learning in their desired professional field.
Additionally, students may prefer visiting Montreal in the fall because of the weather. The beginning of the semester will be warm and not too busy with coursework, so you can explore Montreal. The staff in the fall organizes a weekend trip to Ottawa or Quebec City. Visit historic sites, museums, government buildings, and get a taste of Canadian cuisine!
The Spring Semester
All majors in the Game Studio can go to Montreal in the spring. Game Art classes focus on character design. You may be interested in the Global Game Jam hosted by faculty. Developers must make a game adhering to a certain theme within 48 hours. This is a mini version of the Ubisoft Game Lab Competition, in which students have ten weeks to create a prototype game. Only Quebec universities may participate, so Champlain College is the only American institution invited. Two teams of eight students each will be selected from the spring cohort. According to Brigham Boice, a Champlain participant of the 2024 competition, Ubisoft presented a “thrilling challenge” that “pushed my creative and technical boundaries.”
$22,000 in scholarships are awarded across eight categories, with $8,000 given to the team with the best overall game design. Last year, Champlain students won $2,000 for Best User Experience. Ubisoft guarantees ten internship or job opportunities throughout Quebec to participants as well. Because of the nature of the competition, Ubisoft mentors and faculty in the field will provide collaborative feedback on group projects. Final deadlines are a few weeks earlier in the spring because of the competition.
As the weather gets nicer, the spring semester gets busier. For the winter sport athletes, you may prefer visiting Montreal in the spring so you can enjoy the snow during the not-so-busy first weeks. The cohort can go ice skating at Mont-Royal Park and get the chance to hike the mountain itself for stunning views. I recommend visiting Sherbrooke’s Mont-Bellevue for a cheap night skiing experience. Bellevue also offers snow tubing and snowshoeing.
Ready to apply? Visit TerraDotta and create an account with your mymail email address. Use this handy tutorial if you need help. Discuss your trip with your friends so you can coordinate roommates. Still can’t decide? Make an appointment with Study Abroad Coordinator Martha Moreno-Linares here.
