Game Design & Interactive Media B.F.A
General Degree Requirements
To earn a baccalaureate degree, all students must complete successfully, in addition to any other requirements, the University of Montana General Education Requirements. Please refer to the General Education Requirements page for more information.
Additional requirements for graduation can be found on the Degree/Certificate Requirements for Graduation page.
Unless otherwise noted in individual program requirements, a minimum grade point average of 2.00 in all work attempted at the University of Montana-Missoula is required for graduation. Please see the Academic Policies and Procedures page for information on how your GPA is calculated.
Courses taken to satisfy the requirements of a major, minor, or certificate program must be completed with a grade of C- or better unless a higher grade is noted in the program requirements.
Bachelor of Fine Arts - Game Design and Interactive Media
- This major requires a minimum grade of C in all major courses.
- The Game Design and Interactive Media (GDIM) curriculum provides a grounding in the design, story-telling, illustration, and 3D animation as paired with creative coding and in-depth game development coursework. Students learn to conceptualize, iterate and produce games that fit their artistic visions as well as their career goals. GDIM is preparation for the professional fields of Mobile App design, Game development, and Interactive Art and Media.
Course Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations-Level Requirements | ||
| Complete all of the following courses: | ||
| MART 101L | Intro to Media Arts | 3 |
| MART 120 | Creative Coding I | 3 |
| MART 166 | Game Jams | 3 |
| Complete two of the following courses: | 6 | |
| Introduction to Art History | ||
| Digital Imaging I | ||
| History of Games and Play | ||
| 2D Game Art | ||
| Game Design and Interactive Media Core | ||
| Complete 39 credits of the following courses: | 39 | |
| Creative Coding II | ||
| 3D Modeling for Game Design | ||
| 3D Sculpting for Games: Characters and Soft Surface Techniques | ||
| Art & Science of Interactive Games | ||
| Game Ethics | ||
| Serious Games | ||
| Level Design | ||
| Introduction to Immersive Media - Augmented and Virtual Reality | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Browser-Based Games | ||
| Professional Development in Games | ||
| Fundamentals of the Unity Game Engine | ||
| Multiplayer Games | ||
| Mobile Game Programming | ||
| Fundamentals of the Unreal Game Engine | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Electives | ||
| Complete 15 credits of the following courses: | 15 | |
| Visual Language - Drawing | ||
| Illustration | ||
| Introduction to Entertainment Management | ||
| Entertainment and Sports Event Management | ||
| Principles of Entertainment & Sport Business | ||
| Advanced Topics in Entertainment & Sport Business | ||
| Cloud Systems | ||
| Multimedia Sports Announcing and Writing | ||
| Screenwriting | ||
| Fundamentals of Esports | ||
| 3D Modeling for Game Design | ||
| 3D Sculpting for Games: Characters and Soft Surface Techniques | ||
| Introduction to Animation | ||
| Analog Sound Design | ||
| Principles of Interactive Media | ||
| Introduction to Web Design | ||
| Esports Leadership | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Game Analysis | ||
| Creatively Exploring Artificial Intelligence: An Interdisciplinary Approach | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Capstone Requirements | ||
| Complete all of the following courses: | ||
| MART 362 | Game Development | 3 |
| MART 463 | Game Studio | 3 |
| Total Hours | 75 | |
Four Year Plan
| Freshman | ||
|---|---|---|
| Autumn | Hours | |
| ARTZ 105A | Visual Language - Drawing | 3 |
| MART 101L | Intro to Media Arts | 3 |
| MART 120 | Creative Coding I | 3 |
| WRIT 101 | College Writing I (or Math Course) | 4 |
| General Education Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| MART 112A | Introduction to Film Editing | 3 |
| ARTH 150H | Introduction to Art History | 3 |
| MART 220 | Creative Coding II | 3 |
| Math Course (or WRIT 101) | 3 | |
| General Education Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Sophomore | ||
| Autumn | ||
| GDSN 149A | Digital Imaging I | 3 |
| MART 210 | Creation of Media Story | 3 |
| MART 245 | Sound Production & Design Fundamentals | 3 |
| General Education Requirement | 3 | |
| GDIM Core Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| MART 201H | History of Digital Arts & Culture | 3 |
| GDIM Core Electives | 9 | |
| General Education Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Junior | ||
| Autumn | ||
| GDIM Core Electives | 9 | |
| Major Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| GDIM Core Electives | 9 | |
| Major Elective | 3 | |
| Elective/UD Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Senior | ||
| Autumn | ||
| MART 450 | Topics in Film & Media Studies | 3 |
| GDIM Core Elective | 3 | |
| Electives/UD Electives | 9 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| MART 499 | Senior Project | 3 |
| GDIM Core Elective | 3 | |
| Electives/UD Electives | 9 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 121 | |
Last updated Autumn 2025
Complete 16 Media Art elective credits of courses at the 200-level or above in the following areas: Art History, Art, Graphic Design and Media Arts. These courses should
be chosen in consultation with your advisor.