The Barlovento Foundation has partnered with NYU to create a new scholarship that aims to encourage and support women considering a career in game development.
This scholarship should be of particular interest to female developers seeking to further grow in their field through graduate school. The Barlovento Scholarship for Women in Games at NYU will cover the full cost of tuition for three MFA students over the next six years, starting in Fall 2017.
Barlovento Foundation president Vanessa Briceño received her MFA in game design from the NYU Game Center, NYU’s game development program, in 2015. She said that the diversity she saw while studying at NYU was impressive, but that she noticed how few female students were in her class.
“Our goal with the scholarship is to encourage women to pursue game design as a career and to see the industry as expanding and inviting,” Briceño said. “It is vital that we send the message that women are welcome and needed as diverse voices and creators within the gaming industry.”
NYU Game Center MFA applicants identifying as female will automatically be considered for the scholarship, dependent on a combination of both merit and need.