
In Short
The major in Game Design – the first of its kind in a public institution in the Northeast – seeks to make the methods and tools of game design and development accessible to everyone.
What we're working on





Program Overview
We strive to produce strong game creators with robust skill sets, able to work independently or in productive teams to create powerful, thought-provoking games with solid gameplay mechanics, unified aesthetics, and engaging stories.
Students learn core concepts of game design, foundations of visual art, and fundamentals of game logic and programming. They learn to design games by creative brainstorming, problem-solving, iterating, and focusing on the player. They learn to develop artistic concepts into fully realized 2D and 3D art assets based on solid research and art foundations.
Students build proficiencies with current software, platforms, hardware, programming languages, and anticipate learning new tools as needed. They are eager to explore the problems and possibilities inherent in new platforms including mobile, VR, augmented reality, or tools not yet imagined.
Students learn to consider games through historical, social, aesthetic, and theoretical lenses, and to develop a sense of civic and global responsibility through the study and practice of serious games. They transcend aesthetic, formal, mechanical, and convention limitations to design excellent games with personal vision.
Students develop skills in managing time, resources, and personalities by working towards a common goal with their production teams. They learn to manage, playtest, critique, troubleshoot, and release game projects that create memorable experiences for players. And they promote their achievements in order to expand opportunities for their games and themselves.
Check out the Burg Blog for more on our game design program and the ideaLab.
Experiential Opportunities
Internships
Visions
Study Abroad
Curriculum and Other Information
- BS, Game Design - Program information from the University Catalog.
- Four-Year Plan of Study - Required and elective courses for program completion.
Game Design students will, through a combination of required courses and electives, be exposed to and attain competency in the following concepts, practices and skills:
- Analytical understanding of games, gameplay, and game design
- Foundations in visual art and creative writing
- Principles of game logic and programming
- Industry-standard game engines and software
- Team-based iterative design process
- Games as media of communication and aesthetic expression
- Game and level designers
- Producers
- Data managers
- Production assistants
- Interactive designers
- Game analysts
- Writers
- Game artists
- Programmers
- Game localization positions
- Quality assurance testers
Visit the Student Games Showcase to see and play a selection of student-created games.