COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of Science in Game Design and Development is a 33-credit graduate program structured over two years, combining core game design foundations, advanced electives, research, and a capstone experience. The curriculum is designed to help students develop both creative design skills and technical development expertise for careers in the game and interactive media industries.In the first year, students begin with foundational courses such as Game Development Processes and Game Design, which introduce the overall pipeline of creating digital games and the principles behind engaging gameplay. A Colloquium in Game Design and Development runs alongside these courses to expose students to current industry topics and professional perspectives. Students also select advanced electives to begin specializing in areas such as graphics, artificial intelligence, interactive media, or other game-related technologies.In the spring semester of the first year, students focus on Gameplay and Prototyping, where they design and build early versions of games to test mechanics and user experience. Additional advanced electives deepen technical or creative specialization, while continued colloquium sessions provide exposure to industry trends and professional development.The second year emphasizes specialization and capstone work. In the fall, students take Capstone Design, where they begin planning and structuring a major game project. They also take a research elective to support deeper exploration of a specific area within game development. In the final semester, students complete Capstone Development, where they fully build and present a polished game project. An additional advanced elective allows further specialization.Overall, the program emphasizes hands-on development, collaboration, and industry readiness. Graduates are prepared for careers as game designers, developers, technical artists, and interactive media professionals, with strong portfolio work developed through the capstone experience.