Program Overview
Introduction to the Game Design BFA Program
The Game Design BFA is a 4-year Bachelors of Fine Arts program located inside NYU’s famous Tisch School of the Arts program. The program views games as a creative form of art, and students learn about game design, game development, and game scholarship, preparing them for careers as game designers, developers, scholars, and critics.
Program Structure
The program structure first introduces students to the fundamentals of games through the lenses of design, technology, and culture. As students progress in the program, they have the flexibility to discover and pursue their own interests, taking courses that range from collaborative game production to critical analysis to specialized elements of visual and audio design. At the conclusion of their BFA study, students complete a senior project, either as an individual or with a group.
Key Features of the Program
- A solid foundation: The required elements of the BFA curriculum cover the basics of making and understanding games on and off the computer.
- Broad and deep: The program emphasizes flexibility and choice, allowing students to focus in many areas, from game design to visual design, and from game programming to game scholarship.
- Capstone: All students complete a senior Capstone – a one or two semester group or solo endeavor.
- Integrated with the Game Center: The program is part of the larger NYU Game Center, which provides access to faculty, staff, talks, workshops, resources, facilities, and events.
Program Curriculum
The BFA in Game Design is a well-rounded, interdisciplinary degree that includes coursework in game studies, game design and game development, as well as the option to specialize in game programming, visual or audio design, and the business of games. The courses in the Game Design BFA program are organized in seven areas:
Primary Areas
- Game Studies: Academic, scholarly, and journalistic approaches to games
- Game Design: Creating the rules of the game and the player experience
- Game Development: Production processes for creating games
Production Areas
- Programming: Interaction, graphics, AI, and other game programming
- Visual Design: 2D and 3D animation, graphic design, and art direction
- Audio Design: Music, sound effects, and audio programming
- Game Business: Marketing, revenue models, and the game industry
Capstone
During the final year, in addition to other advanced-level courses, each student will complete a senior capstone project. A Game Design BFA Capstone can take a variety of forms, from an individual or group game to a game-related research paper or exhibition.
A Liberal Arts Education
At the Tisch School of the Arts, there is a strong belief in the importance of a well-rounded undergraduate education. The Game Design BFA builds into the curriculum a firm foundation in the liberal arts. All Game Design students must complete a significant number of credits in a combination of expository writing, humanities, and social or hard sciences. Students are also required to take a production class in another Tisch department, to build familiarity in other styles of creative production.
Who Should Apply and How Much Does it Cost
Some applicants come with experience in making their own games, but it is not necessary to be a life-long gamer or a programmer to apply. The most important thing for the BFA program is a passion for games and the dedication to turn that passion into something real.
- The application process involves applying to New York University and submitting a portfolio for review.
- The portfolio can be anything that shows off creativity for games, such as a film, a story, the rules for a card game, or a prototype computer game.
- Information about tuition and fees can be found through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
Facilities and Resources
In the fall of 2019, 370 Jay Street became the new home of the Tisch departments Game Center, Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, and ITP & AMA, alongside programs from Steinhardt in Games for Learning, Tandon School of Engineering in Integrated Digital Media and Computer Engineering, Courant Institute of Mathematics, and the Center for Urban Science and Progress. The space includes state-of-the-art classrooms and studios, several black box theaters, recording studios, 3D and large format printers, and the Game Center Open Library, all of which are available to Game Design BFA students.
Life After the Game Center
The NYU Game Center focuses on ensuring that students find internships and jobs during and after the BFA program, setting them up to create their dream career in games. This includes:
- Workshops and events, such as the annual “Strategy Guide: Breaking into the Game Industry” panel discussion and job fair.
- Making connections through industry speakers, guest critics in classes, and local developers playtesting their games on site.
- The Game Center Incubator, which provides space, funding, and expertise for graduating students to develop their projects.
- Support from NYU’s Wasserman Career Center and the Tisch School of the Arts’ Office of Career Development.