Program Overview

Games and Behavior

Overview

The Bachelor of Arts in Games and Behavior will provide students with a broad understanding of important design principles and human behavior in serious and recreational games, but also the implications tied to gamification in society. Students will learn the basics of multimedia, storytelling, and sound technologies. This degree will also include courses that focus on the individual (e.g., psychology of simulations and play) and also courses that consider group or societal trends (e.g., inequality in the game and in the development environment; psychology of play in game communities). Issues of artistic game design alongside behavioral and societal trends related to games and gamification across sectors are the focus of this degree (e.g., education, health management, occupational training, social support, recreation). The degree will cover many aspects of game design and related social and societal factors without the need of extensive knowledge of computer programming.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will demonstrate facility using basic research methods, for example: research design, statistic and analysis; organization, identification, and location of data and information including open and closed access sources; and/or presentation of findings in oral, written and multi-media form, including proper use of and citation of sources.
• Students will acquire the skills, knowledge and self-understanding to communicate with and effectively work and interact across cultures and with diverse people and groups.
• Students will demonstrate knowledge of career and further education options and opportunities open to them relative to their plan of study and will set goals and make plans beyond their expected graduation.
• Students will be able to recognize and analyses ethical and policy concerns raised by new technologies and will be able to apply ethical thinking to real world cases and craft effective solutions.
• Students will be able to identify and apply professional ethics and standards relevant to their career to aspirations.
• Students will demonstrate knowledge of users' needs and rights, such as identifying target user groups for games, PR tools and platforms, analytics and metric tools, play testing and evaluation, monetization, models, information, protection, game related permissions on different ethical competence, professional ethics, quality steering, assurance, monitoring and social media utilization.
• Students will demonstrate the ability to design a game for various purposes, such as education, health and well-being, training and entertainment by incorporating best-practices related to gamification in all stages including challenges and fun factor, balancing, level design, scoring and progression, user interface, interaction mechanics, narration, functionality, usability and playability.
• Students will exhibit understanding of and skills related to varied approaches, tools, systems, platforms, devices, processes and their effective utilization for game development that are well established and currently used in the games industry.

Program Details

Coursework Location(s)

• Main/Tucson

Areas of Interest

• Arts & Media
• Computer & Information Science
• Social & Behavioral Sciences

Level of Math

• General Knowledge

This strand involves the general understanding and appreciation of how mathematics is used to solve problems in everyday life. The G-strand does not prepare a student for any further work grounded in mathematics and assumes the student will not proceed beyond the basic Foundations level noted above. Thus only those students whose major requires the most general knowledge of mathematics should take this strand.

Level of Second Language

• 4th Semester Proficiency

Fourth-semester skill level in a second language is required. B.A. degree students may fulfill this requirement with one of the following options:

1. Scoring the equivalent of fourth-semester skill level on an entrance or placement examination administered by The University of Arizona.
2. Completion of a two-course sequence beyond the second semester of post-secondary language instruction.
3. Completion with a C or higher of a 300- or 400-level language course at the post-secondary level.
4. Completion of one course beyond the third semester in combination with an AP (Advanced Placement) score, IB (International Baccalaureate) score or a CLEP (College Level Entrance Program) score determined by the individual language department.
5. An AP, IB, or CLEP language score determined by individual language departments
6. A minimum of one semester study abroad in a language program approved by the appropriate language department as the equivalent of fourth-semester skill level.

Pre-major Required?

• No

This Major's College

• College of Information Science

Degree

• Bachelor of Arts

Sample Plans

4-Year Sample Plan

• 1st Semester
  • Introduction to the General Education Experience (Entry Course)
  • ENGL 101 - First Year Writing 1 (GE Foundation Composition)
  • GE Foundation Mathematics
  • GE Foundation Second Language (First Semester)
  • GE Core: Exploring Perspectives or Building Connections
• 2nd Semester
  • ENGL 102 - First Year Writing 2 (GE Foundation Composition)
  • GE Foundation Second Language (Second Semester)
  • Introductory Major Course
  • GE Core: Exploring Perspectives or Building Connections
  • GE Core: Exploring Perspectives or Building Connections
• 3rd Semester
  • Introductory Major Course
  • Introductory Major Course
  • GE Foundation Second Language (Third Semester)
  • GE Core: Exploring Perspectives or Building Connection
  • GE Core: Exploring Perspectives or Building Connection
• 4th Semester
  • Major Core Course
  • Major Core Course
  • GE Core: Exploring Perspectives or Building Connection
  • Minor Course
  • GE Foundation Second Language (Fourth Semester)
• 5th Semester
  • General Education Portfolio (Exit Course)
  • GE Core: Exploring Perspectives or Building Connection
  • Major Core Course
  • Minor class
  • Minor class
  • ESOC 302
• 6th Semester
  • Major Elective Course
  • Major Elective Course
  • Minor class
  • General elective
  • Upper-Division Elective
• 7th Semester
  • Major Elective Course
  • Major Elective Course
  • Minor Course
  • Upper-Division Elective
  • Upper-Division Elective
• 8th Semester
  • ESOC 480
  • Minor course
  • General elective
  • General elective

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• Enter your coursework from Arizona universities or community colleges to see how they can map to this major.
• Connect with The University of Arizona Academic Advisors to validate how your coursework will transfer.

Transfer Mapping Categories

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