Interactive Design, B.F.A. with a Game Design Concentration

Capturing the excitement and opportunity that game design brings with the unique element of versatility in the graphic and interactive design marketplace the B.F.A. Interactive Design, Concentration in Game Design seeks to prepare students for professions that create or implement interactive design with a focus on game-based media. The curriculum is structured to meet the growing demand placed on the game design industries for designers with advanced expertise in the visual, creative, and technological components of game design and related media.

As a concentration within the Interactive Design Program , this program not only provides targeted coursework focused in the discipline of game design, but also includes foundational and advanced coursework within the disciplines of graphic and interactive design.

The B.F.A. is an intensely focused professional degree, structured to facilitate the development of a mature, diverse and competitive portfolio.  It is an undergraduate course of study that consists of 132 credit hours, 90 of which are in art and design foundation; graphic, interactive and game design; and art/design history.  This curriculum is sequential in nature.  (See curriculum guide for recommended sequencing.)

This program prepares students for full participation in the professional design community. Like all of the Design & Visual Art  programs, it is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD).

Programmatic Goals:

The goals of this program are to:

•  Prepare students for professions that create or implement game design and interactive media, and provide a balanced, well-rounded approach to the theoretical, practical, and technical aspects of game, interactive, and graphic design
•  Prepare designers who are fluent in the design process/methodology, including the ability to define, research, and generate multiple solutions to design problems
•  Encourage creative problem solving, critical thinking, and self-evaluation
•  Encourage communication skills through presentation, critique, and creative ideation
•  Provide a strong foundation in the history of art, games, and visual communication
•  Provide a strong foundation in and broad exposure to the tools and technology that create interactive and gaming applications, and encourage self-reliance and perpetual learning
•  Encourage and promote ethical practices
•  Promote collaboration and teamwork