Game Studies at Illinois – Game Studies Programs and Research at the University of Illinois

Games Studies Programs at ILLINOIS

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Game Studies Programs at ILLINOIS

The Game Studies programs at Illinois are designed around the Playful By Design curriculum model. The model incorporates Gaming Technologies, such as Mixed Reality (VR/AR/XR), AI, and other interactive and immersive technologies within the game space. Game Studies and Game Design involve the critical interdisciplinary study of gaming, game design practices, and the gaming industry. Gameful Pedagogy incorporates these studies and design principles into the classroom for immersive learning.

Game Studies and Design Minor

The Game Studies and Design minor includes the study and design of games, gaming, and game development that incorporates a wide array of digital technologies, such as extended and virtual reality (XR/VR) and AI, involved with the crafting of interactive systems and interfaces relevant to the game, film, education, and media industries, as well as a range of other emerging professions. The MS in Game Development provides a comprehensive blend of foundational theory, technical skills-building, creative exploration, and professional development for students interested in working in professional game studios, game-adjacent industries or other businesses where game-related skills are increasingly in demand. Through this minor, students will learn to think critically about the history, cultural meaning, social impact, ethics, and increasingly significant role of games, gaming, and interactive media in a diverse society; they will develop the logical, algorithmic, narrative, and design capacities needed to make games, interactive narratives, and simulations; and they will become prepared for graduate work, if desired, on a path to pursuing a career in the game industry or in academic game studies research.

Undergraduate Minor Details

Game Studies and Design Graduate Minor

The Game Studies Graduate Minor serves students whose graduate research or professional interests intersect with the study and design of games, gaming, game design, digital narratives and storytelling, and the digital, VR/XR and AI technologies involved with the crafting of interactive systems and interfaces relevant to the game, film, education, and media industries, and a range of other emerging professions. The minor will foster critical thinking and research on the history, cultural meaning, social impact, ethics, educational uses, theoretical basis, and increasingly significant role of games, gaming, and interactive media in an inclusive and diverse society, as well as advanced methodological, computational, aesthetic, and design aspects of games broadly defined. This versatile minor is intended to offer interdisciplinary support for game-related research being done within students’ primary disciplines. Students whose work is unrelated to games will also benefit from this minor, since it offers training in and experience with cutting edge technologies and design processes as well as a critical lens through which to understand these new technologies.

Graduate Minor Details

MS Game Development

The MS Game Development Program provides a comprehensive blend of foundational theory, technical skills-building, creative exploration, and professional development for students interested in working in professional game studios, game-adjacent industries or other businesses where game-related skills are increasingly in demand. The curriculum provides both a strong theoretical framework and hands-on project experience. While designed to be completed in two years, the online program will have a flexible timeline to accommodate both full-time students and working professionals. In the second year of the program, students will gain real-world experience by working on actual video games with industry partners. They also will gain vital, applied knowledge about collaboration, communication, and professional business practices in interdisciplinary studio-based classrooms.

Graduate Major Details