Game Design and Interactive Media M.F.A.
The Master of Fine Arts in Game Design and Interactive Media is a three-year program committed to the growth of game developers, artists, and designers who are working in one or more areas of game design and interactive media.
Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds and thrive in a multi-disciplinary environment. Students expand on skill sets they already have while adding new ones. They work on individual projects and collaborate with others, and they work to bring a deep foundation of research to their practices as they develop their unique point-of-view and creative voice.
The entire program requires the building of a portfolio that includes artistic and academic work assuring that each student is prepared to leave school and enter the professional world of game design and interactive media with the capstone in the last semester.
Students work on an individual project each semester, meeting one-on-one with professors, participating in group critique with peers, and refining skills. Simultaneously, students take core classes with their cohort. They also construct a path to other classes within the program and across campus to support their technical and research development.
General Graduate Program Requirements
Graduate School policies and standards can be found on the Graduate School Policies page.
The minimum GPA for any graduate program is 3.0. Individual programs may require more than a 3.0 to remain in good standing.
The minimum grade for a course to be accepted toward any master’s or doctoral requirement is C. The minimum grade for a course to be accepted toward a certificate program is B-. Individual programs may require higher grades for specific courses.
Online Program Option
This program may be completed in an online format. Students interested in pursuing an online degree or certificate program are strongly encouraged to contact the offering department to discuss specific program and course modalities and create a plan of study with an academic advisor. The course requirements listed below may not be consistently offered via online delivery.
Master of Fine Arts - Game Design and Interactive Media
Checkpoints:
- Year 1: Committee reviews year end portfolio to determine continuing the program.
- Year 2: Student works on developing thesis proposal for final year autumn semester.
- Year 3: Pre-thesis proposal in autumn semester with a presentation and prototype to determine moving forward.
- Thesis semester: Student works with committee members and advisor for thesis project, paper, and defense.
Course Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate Game Seminar | ||
| Complete 18 credits of the following course: | 18 | |
| Graduate Game Seminar | ||
| Core Research and Theory | ||
| Complete 12 credits of the following courses: | 12 | |
| Game Analysis & Theory | ||
| Graduate Studio in Game Design and Interactive Media | ||
| Advanced Topics in Game Design and Interactive Media | ||
| Professional Development Electives | ||
| Complete 6 credits of the following courses: | 6 | |
| Graduate Pedagogy | ||
| Beyond Art School | ||
| Principles of Entertainment & Sport Business | ||
| Advanced Topics in Entertainment & Sport Business | ||
| Professional Development in Games | ||
| Core Research: Peer Teaching | ||
| Professional Presentation in Games | ||
| Independent Study and Research | ||
| Complete 12 Credits of the following courses: | 12 | |
| Graduate Studio | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Pre-Thesis & Thesis | ||
| Complete all of the following courses: | ||
| MART 687 | Final Portfolio I | 3 |
| MART 699 | Final Portfolio II | 9 |
| Total Hours | 60 | |