Virtual Reality Development
Ringling College Virtual Reality Development students pioneer and push forward advancements in a new—and explosive—medium for art and artists. As a student of this program, the first of its kind in the world of art and design, you will learn to design, create, and analyze immersive experiences in countless industries, including gaming, healthcare, architecture, advertising, and education. You will face unprecedented opportunities and challenges for creatives as you shape and share stories from multiple points of view, and you will create immersive experiences within the virtual reality medium that ultimately inform, educate, and entertain. As a graduate of this major, you will jump into a rapidly growing industry, predicted to become an $80 billion business within the next decade alone. Even more exciting, you will build a career in which you work and play at the forefront of an unexplored artistic realm, rethinking and redefining the storytelling process at this uncharted intersection of art and technology. 
A Virtual Reality major can be anyone, anywhere, any time.
BFA Program
Learn more from one of the industry’s most pioneering studios on campus this fall.
Meet VR Virtuoso Brandon Oldenburg
This fall, Ringling grad Brandon Oldenburg (Illustration, '95) came to campus for Preview Day to demo "Manifest 99," the interactive narrative VR experience released by Flight School Studio this summer. Oldenburg worked with Reel FX Animation Studios’ VR/AR division to launch Flight School this year, where he leads the team of creative directors and artists to produce branded entertainment projects and original intellectual properties.
We grabbed a moment of his time on campus to learn a little about VR, the upcoming project between Ringling students and Flight School (called T-18), and the emerging and critical role creatives will play in the industry. Click on the video to see what he has to say.
Get excited for the future of this groundbreaking new realm for art and artists. We certainly are.
Brandon Oldenburg from Ringling ART Network on Vimeo.
Manifest 99 screenshots courtesy of Flight School
Virtual Reality Across Industries
Graduates Working in Virtual Reality
Ringling College alumni are already working in the industry, defining VR as the artist’s newest medium for sharing and shaping stories.
So, we thought it was time to step up and make it official.
Kal Athannassov
Baobab Studios
Computer Animation, ‘16
Bo (Bohdon) Sayre
Flight School
Computer Animation, ‘10
Nick Marten
HALVR
Creative Manager
Game Art, ‘17
Opportunities for VR Development students
The Collaboratory
We are proud to say that every Ringling student, regardless of major, is guaranteed the opportunity to gain professional work experience. Our Collaboratory Commitment pairs teams of Ringling students with local businesses to give students a taste of real-world projects, expectations, and deadlines. Facilitated by Collaboratory staff, students will meet with clients looking for creative, unconventional solutions to their branding and design challenges and execute the entire creative process of concepting, presenting, and building campaigns that meet their demands.
Internships
Work with our Career Services Center to prepare and guide you to finding an internship focused on your area of interest – we are here to help! With networks around the region and the country, we help you gain exposure to professional best practices and practical application of your technical skills. We are constantly connecting with industry professionals to find new, exciting opportunities to put your skills to work and get a taste of real-world work demands.
Critiques with Industry Giants
To further inform the work of our fourth year students, we bring in renowned, successful visiting artists to participate in milestone critiques. Coming from the top studios, brands, and businesses in the industry, our artists offer a relevant, real-world perspective to bring student thinking out of the classroom into the professional arena. This process provides our students with invaluable feedback from the best of the best in the field, which they can immediately apply to their current works in process.