Game Design and Development

Tuition Fee

Start Date

Medium of studying

Duration

Details

Program Details

Degree

Bachelors

Major

Digital Media | Game Design | Game Development

Area of study

Arts | Information and Communication Technologies

Course Language

English

About Program

Program Overview

Game Design and Development Bachelor of Science Degree

Overview

RIT’s game design BS is ranked 6th among Top 50 Undergraduate Game Design Degrees, according to the 2024 international rankings from The Princeton Review.

Why Study Game Design and Development at RIT

Gain Real-World Experience: Two blocks of cooperative education provide you with full-time, paid experience in the games industry.
Specialization Opportunities: Pursue advanced studies that can be customized to suit your individual interests and career goals.
Industry Connections: Take advantage of Creative Industry Day, hosted by RIT’s Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education hosts, which connects students majoring in art, design, film and animation, photography, and select computing majors with companies, organizations, creative agencies, design firms, and more.
Studio Access: Create and commercialize your own games at RIT’s MAGIC Spell Studios.
Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Available: Earn both your bachelor’s and your master’s in less time and with a cost savings, giving you a competitive advantage in your field.
STEM-OPT Visa Eligible: The STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) program allows full-time, on-campus international students on an F-1 student visa to stay and work in the U.S. for up to three years after graduation.

RIT’s Game Design and Development Major

The game design bs emphasizes game programming within a core computing education to prepare you for careers in the game, simulation, modeling, training, and visualization industries. The emphasis on computing fundamentals gives you more career options and prepares you for graduate school.

In the context of computational game development, you gain a breadth of knowledge in:

Game design
Interactive media
User interaction
Animation
Modeling
Math
Science
Design

In addition to the core of required course work in the game design bs, you can pursue advanced studies that can be customized to your individual interests and career goals. You can further specialize by taking electives in areas such as:

Game design
Production
Engines and systems
Graphics programming and animation
Mobile
Web
Audio

This depth of course work enables you to build a robust portfolio of games and other interactive projects.

Furthering Your Education in Game Design

Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees

Today’s careers require advanced degrees grounded in real-world experience. RIT’s Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as little as five years of study, all while gaining the valuable hands-on experience that comes from co-ops, internships, research, study abroad, and more.

Game Design and Development/Game Design and Development MS: The accelerated BS/MS pathway in game design and development provides you with the skills and hands-on experiences you need to develop and release your own games. Both the BS and MS degrees are Top-10 nationally-ranked programs, and our students are attractive recruits to major games studios, or independent upstarts. Following a foundation in game design and development and experiences working in professional facilities like MAGIC Spell Studios, you will focus on nurturing and growing new companies and publishing and distributing your own projects.
+1 MBA: Students who enroll in a qualifying undergraduate degree have the opportunity to add an MBA to their bachelor’s degree after their first year of study, depending on their program. Learn how the +1 MBA can accelerate your learning and position you for success.

Careers and Experiential Learning

Typical Job Titles

Associate Front End Engineer
Associate Game Designer
Associate UI Engineer
Developer
Engineer Programmer
Game Designer
Game Developer
Junior Software Engineer
Level Designer
Mobile Developer
Programmer
Quality Assurance Engineer
Software Developer
Software Development Engineer
Software Engineer
Tech Artist
UI/UX Designer
Web Developer

Industries

Aerospace
Defense
Electronic and Computer Hardware
Health Care
Internet and Software
Journalism, Media, and Publishing
Movies, TV, and Music

Post-Graduation Salary and Career Info for Game Design and Development BS

Cooperative Education

What’s different about an RIT education? It’s the career experience you gain by completing cooperative education and internships with top companies in every single industry. You’ll earn more than a degree. You’ll gain real-world career experience that sets you apart. It’s exposure–early and often–to a variety of professional work environments, career paths, and industries.

Co-ops and internships take your knowledge and turn it into know-how. Your computing co-ops will provide hands-on experience that enables you to apply your computing knowledge in professional settings while you make valuable connections between classwork and real-world applications.

Students in the game design degree are required to complete two blocks of cooperative education experience. This may start after their second year of study. Although students usually complete co-ops during the summer term, they may also be completed during the academic year.

Creative Industry Day

RIT’s Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education hosts Creative Industry Day, which connects students majoring in art, design, film and animation, photography, and select computing majors with companies, organizations, creative agencies, design firms, and more. You’ll be able to network with company representatives and interview directly for open co-op and permanent employment positions.

Co-op and Experiential Learning Options for Game Design and Development BS

Featured Work and Profiles

The Joy of Being a Game Dev Student
First-year game design and development ‘wonders’ win hackathon category
Build new worlds in our GDD program
Publish your games and present them at top conferences
What Lurks in Space
UnHoly Roller

Curriculum for Game Design and Development BS

Game Design and Development, BS degree, typical course sequence

First Year
- IGME-105: Game Development and Algorithmic Problem Solving (General Education)
- IGME-106: Problem Solving with Data Structures and Algorithms for Games (General Education)
- IGME-110: Introduction to Interactive Media (General Education)
- IGME-119: 2D Animation and Asset Production
- MATH-131: Discrete Mathematics (General Education – Mathematical Perspective A)
- MATH-185: Mathematics of Graphical Simulation I (General Education – Mathematical Perspective B)
- PHYS-111: College Physics I (General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective)
- YOPS-010: RIT 365: RIT Connections
- General Education – First Year Writing (WI)
- General Education – Social Perspective
Second Year
- IGME-099: Co-op Preparation Workshop
- IGME-202: Interactive Media Development
- IGME-209: Development for Real-Time Simulations and Games I
- IGME-219: 3D Animation and Asset Production
- IGME-220: Game Design & Development I
- IGME-235: Introduction to Web Technology for Game Developers
- IGME-236: Experience Design for Games & Media (WI-PR)
- IGME-499: Undergraduate Co-op (summer)
- General Education – Ethical Perspective
- General Education – Artistic Perspective
- General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective
Third Year
- IGME-309: Data Structures & Algorithms for Games & Simulations II
- IGME-320: Game Design & Development II
- IGME-330: Rich Media Web Application Development I
- IGME-499: Undergraduate Co-op (summer)
- General Education – Immersion 1, 2
- General Education – Elective
- General Education- Global Perspective
- Advanced Elective
- Open Electives
Fourth Year
- Advanced Electives
- Open Electives
- General Education – Immersion 3
- General Education – Electives

Advanced Electives

GCIS-410: Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) for Computing II
GCIS-610: Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) for Computing
IGME-340: Multi-platform Media App Development
IGME-350: International Game Industry
IGME-420: Level Design
IGME-422: Level Design 2
IGME-423: Games for Change
IGME-424: Tools and Techniques for Video Game Modification
IGME-430: Rich Media Web Application Development II
IGME-431: Digital Video for the Web
IGME-450: Casual Game Development
IGME-451: Systems Concepts for Games and Media
IGME-460: Data Visualization
IGME-470: Physical Computing & Alternative Interfaces
IGME-480: Current Topics in Interactive Development
IGME-484: Geographic Visualization
IGME-529: Foundations of Interactive Narrative
IGME-531: Aesthetics and Computation
IGME-540: Foundations of Game Graphics Programming
IGME-542: Game Graphics Programming II
IGME-550: Foundations of Game Engine Design and Development
IGME-560: Artificial Intelligence for Game Environments
IGME-570: Digital Audio Production
IGME-571: Interactive Game Audio
IGME-580: IGM Production Studio
IGME-588: New Media Interactive Development Capstone II
IGME-589: Research Studio
IGME-590: Undergraduate Seminar in IGM
IGME-599: Independent Study
IGME-601: Game Development Processes
IGME-602: Game Design
IGME-603: Gameplay and Prototyping
IGME-621: Board and Card Game Design and Development
IGME-622: Game Balance
IGME-623: Theory and Design of Role Play and Interactive Narrative
IGME-624: Tabletop Role-Playing Game Design and Development
IGME-670: Digital Audio Production
IGME-671: Interactive Game and Audio
IGME-680: IGM Production Studio
IGME-690: IGM Seminar
IGME-704: Research Methods: Human-Centered Research in Games
IGME-730: Game Design and Development for Casual and Mobile Platforms
IGME-740: Game Graphics Programming
IGME-742: Level Design
IGME-750: Game Engine Design and Development
IGME-753: Console Development
IGME-760: Artificial Intelligence for Gameplay
IGME-790: Graduate Seminar in IGM
IGME-796: Advanced Topics in Game Design
IGME-797: Advanced Topics in Game Development
IGME-799: Independent Study
CSCI-610: Foundations of Computer Graphics
CSCI-711: Global Illumination
CSCI-712: Computer Animation: Algorithms and Techniques
CSCI-713: Applied Perception in Graphics and Visualization
GCIS-610: Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) for Computing - Graduate

Combined Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Degrees

Game Design and Development, BS/MS degree, typical course sequence

First Year
- IGME-105: Game Development and Algorithmic Problem Solving (General Education)
- IGME-106: Problem Solving with Data Structures and Algorithms for Games (General Education)
- IGME-110: Introduction to Interactive Media (General Education)
- IGME-119: 2D Animation and Asset Production
- MATH-131: Discrete Mathematics (General Education – Mathematical Perspective A)
- MATH-185: Mathematics of Graphical Simulation I (General Education – Mathematical Perspective B)
- PHYS-111: College Physics I (General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective)
- YOPS-010: RIT 365: RIT Connections
- General Education – First Year Writing (WI)
- General Education – Social Perspective
Second Year
- IGME-099: Co-op Preparation Workshop
- IGME-202: Interactive Media Development
- IGME-209: Data Structures and Algorithms for Games and Simulations I
- IGME-219: 3D Animation and Asset Production
- IGME-220: Game Design & Development I
- IGME-235: Introduction to Web Technology for Game Developers
- IGME-236: Experience Design for Games & Media (WI-PR)
- IGME-499: Undergraduate Co-op (summer)
- General Education – Ethical Perspective
- General Education – Artistic Perspective
- General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective
Third Year
- IGME-309: Data Structures & Algorithms for Games and Simulations II
- IGME-320: Game Design & Development II
- IGME-330: Rich Media Web Application Development I
- IGME-499: Undergraduate Co-op (summer)
- General Education – Immersion 1, 2
- General Education – Elective
- General Education- Global Perspective
- Advanced Elective
- Open Electives
Fourth Year
- IGME-601: Game Development Processes
- IGME-602: Game Design
- IGME-695: Colloquium in Game Design and Development
- IGME-795: Game Industry Themes and Perspectives
- Advanced Elective
- Open Elective
- General Education – Immersion 3
- General Education – Electives
Fifth Year
- IGME-603: Gameplay and Prototyping
- IGME-695: Colloquium in Game Design and Development
- IGME-788: Capstone Design
- IGME-789: Capstone Development
- Graduate IGM Electives
- Graduate Research Elective

IGM/Graduate Advanced Electives

IGME-621: Board and Card Game Design and Development
IGME-622: Game Balance
IGME-623: Theory and Design of Role Play and Interactive Narrative
IGME-624: Table Top Role-Playing Game Design and Development
IGME-670: Digital Audio Production
IGME-671: Interactive Game and Audio
IGME-680: IGM Production Studio
IGME-690: IGM Seminar
IGME-704: Research Methods: Human-Centered Research in Games
IGME-730: Game Design and Development for Casual and Mobile Platforms
IGME-740: Game Graphics Programming
IGME-742: Level Design
IGME-750: Game Engine Design and Development
IGME-753: Console Development
IGME-760: Artificial Intelligence for Gameplay
IGME-790: Graduate Seminar in IGM
IGME-796: Advanced Topics in Game Design
IGME-797: Advanced Topics in Game Development
IGME-799: Independent Study
CSCI-610: Foundations of Computer Graphics
CSCI-711: Global Illumination
CSCI-712: Computer Animation: Algorithms and Techniques
CSCI-713: Applied Perception in Graphics and Visualization
GCIS-610: Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) for Computing - Graduate

Admissions and Financial Aid

This program is STEM designated when studying on campus and full time.

First-Year Admission

First-year applicants are expected to demonstrate a strong academic background that includes:

4 years of English
3 years of social studies and/or history
4 years of mathematics is required and must include algebra, geometry, algebra 2/trigonometry, and pre-calculus. Calculus ispreferred.
2-3 years of science is required and must include chemistryor physics; both arepreferred.
Computing electives are preferred.

Transfer applicants should meet these minimum degree-specific requirements:

A minimum of precalculus is required. Calculus ispreferred.
Chemistry or physics is required.
Computing courses are preferred.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

100% of all incoming first-year and transfer students receive aid.

RIT’s personalized and comprehensive financial aid program includes scholarships, grants, loans, and campus employment programs. When all these are put to work, your actual cost may be much lower than the published estimated cost of attendance.

Faculty

Sean Boyle: Principal Lecturer
Elouise Oyzon: Associate Professor
Eric Baker: Senior Lecturer

All Program Faculty

Facilities

Center for Worldbuilding and Storytelling
Wegmans Theater

Contact

Program Contact

Elouise Oyzon
Associate Professor
School of Interactive Games and Media
Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences
585‑475‑5910

Offered within the
School of Interactive Games and Media

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Rochester, NY 14623

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