Czech Technical University launches Visual Computing and Game Design studies
The Czech Republic has established itself as a significant player in the global computer game industry. Iconic titles such as Arma and DayZ (Bohemia Interactive), Euro Truck Simulator 2 (SCS Software), Mafia (Illusion Softworks/2K Czech), and Kingdom Come: Deliverance (Warhorse Studios) not only attract millions of fans, but have sparked enormous interest in this career path among the young.
A career in game design is an exciting option for those who are passionate about gaming and many young people are now eager to join the business. In response to growing interest, the Prague-based Czech Technical University (CTU) has introduced its first master’s-level specialization in this field, titled Visual Computing and Game Design.
The program is open at the Faculty of Information Technology, which focuses on cutting-edge areas of computer science and IT. The specialization provides a broad curriculum combining computer vision, artificial intelligence, and game development. Leading professionals in the industry teach, act as mentors and supervise individual student projects.
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The program’s Game Design guarantor, Radek Richtr, says the course covers all aspects of successful computer game development.
“We don’t just teach students how to program a game. We also teach storytelling—the art of narrative. Like writing a book, a game must make sense from beginning to end. It needs a coherent story. Students learn not only programming, but also environment design—how to make forests look natural and cities feel believable. They are guided in creating game concepts from scratch: defining mechanics, building narratives, developing characters, and shaping dialogue and interactions.”
The curriculum also includes designing board games, which can be prototyped quickly. “You can create a board game in two weeks, test it, and get results. A computer game, by contrast, may take a year to design and develop,” Richtr says.
Graduates gain skills applicable not only in game studios but also in more distant fields of expertise such as IT development in medicine, where AI is used to analyze and interpret medical imaging data.
The guarantor of this specialization, Vanda Benešová, highlights the faculty’s research focus and areas in which graduates can later apply their skills.
“I focus on research involving medical imaging data, including histological and radiological data. A key aspect is close collaboration with medical teams, which we have been quite successful in establishing. Students work on specific tasks defined by doctors, particularly in histology. This is more of a research-oriented track—we aim to apply the most advanced AI methods to develop specialized solutions that can be used in medical practice.”
Modern AI techniques now allow image analysis with a level of accuracy that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. Through the new specialization, CTU aims to provide students with both strong theoretical foundations and opportunities to work on practical projects and research topics.
Students will gain hands-on experience through a two-semester team project, working on complex assignments under the guidance of experienced mentors.
Meanwhile, game design projects are developed in collaboration with major companies from the gaming industry.
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