Program Overview

Game Design (MFA)

Overview

The NYU Game Center MFA is a 2-year Master of Fine Arts degree in Game Design. Located within NYU's famous Tisch School of the Arts, the program stands shoulder-to-shoulder with other forms of art, media, and culture. Students study the design and development of games in a context of advanced critical literacy, becoming game designers and developers, artists and curators, critics and scholars.

Program Description

The curriculum includes classes in the following areas:

• Game Design – the fundamentals of how games work and how to create meaningful interactive experiences on and off the computer.
• Game Production – oriented towards the creation of digital games, such as the Code Lab series of game programming courses.
• Game Studies – critical theory and scholarship around the idea of games as a form of designed human culture.
• Game History – including the foundational Games 101 class, which traces the history of games from ancient board games to today's video games.
• Studio Courses – where the emphasis is on the collaborative group creation of digital games.
• Thesis – the focus of the program's second year, where students work alone or in groups on a project of their choosing.
• Play Labs – classes that take a deeper dive into the play of a particular game genre or designer's work – such as indie tabletop RPGs or tournament Starcraft play.
• Electives – a wide range of classes that explore everything from games journalism to the psychology and emotions of game play.

Admissions

All graduate applicants to the Tisch School of the Arts are required to submit the General Graduate Application, as well as a department-specific portfolio or creative supplement. Each of these can be submitted online. For international applicants, additional requirements may apply, including verifying that their credentials are equivalent to an American Bachelor's degree.

Program Requirements

The program requires the completion of 60 credits, comprised of the following:

• Major Requirements:
  • GAMES-GT 101: Games 101 (4 credits)
  • GAMES-GT 150: Game Design I (4 credits)
  • GAMES-GT 120: Game Studio I (4 credits)
  • GAMES-GT 300: Code Lab 0 (4 credits)
  • GAMES-GT 200: Visual Lab 0 (2 credits)
  • GAMES-GT 121: Game Studio II (4 credits)
  • GAMES-GT 110: Game Studies I (4 credits)
  • GAMES-GT 500: Survival Skills (2 credits)
  • GAMES-GT 1001: Thesis I (6 credits)
  • GAMES-GT 1002: Thesis II (8 credits)
• Electives: 18 credits chosen in consultation with an academic adviser.

Sample Plan of Study

The sample plan of study is outlined over four semesters: 1st Semester:

• GAMES-GT 150: Game Design I (4 credits)
• GAMES-GT 120: Game Studio I (4 credits)
• GAMES-GT 101: Games 101 (4 credits)
• GAMES-GT 300: Code Lab 0 (4 credits)
• GAMES-GT 200: Visual Lab 0 (2 credits) Total: 18 credits 2nd Semester:
• GAMES-GT 121: Game Studio II (4 credits)
• GAMES-GT 110: Game Studies I (4 credits)
• Elective Course (4 credits)
• Elective Course (4 credits) Total: 16 credits 3rd Semester:
• GAMES-GT 1001: Thesis I (6 credits)
• GAMES-GT 500: Survival Skills (2 credits)
• Elective Course (4 credits)
• Elective Course (4 credits) Total: 16 credits 4th Semester:
• GAMES-GT 1002: Thesis II (8 credits)
• Elective Course (2 credits) Total: 10 credits Total Credits: 60

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:

1. Play videogames in a critical manner, analyzing and articulating their formal, thematic, cultural, and expressive qualities.
2. Work in collaborative, interdisciplinary teams in the creation of digital and non-digital games.
3. Understand the historical development of the videogame as a cultural form, placing it within the larger context of games and play in society.
4. Master the art of game design and development as a creative practice, developing a unique personal vision and voice within games as a cultural form.

Policies

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages. Additional academic policies can be found on the Tisch academic policy page.