The Core Courses

REQUIRED COLLOQUIUM– 1 credit hour

GSD 500: Colloquium in Game Studies & Design–This once weekly orientation to graduate study in games studies and game design at the University of Illinois will be offered in fall semesters and will feature presentations of research and professional activities by faculty, advanced graduate students, and staff who will share their game-related research and design projects and provide students with a broad introduction to critical, theoretical and methodological approaches to the field. Some sessions will meet in labs and makerspaces around campus, familiarizing students with facilities and support services available to them for their own research and design projects. Students are required to take this course once for credit. Graduate students enrolled in the Graduate Minor will be expected to return to the seminar as a guest speaker near the end of their program, to share their work.

REQUIRED SEMINAR– 4 credit hours, (students choose one)

GSD 503: Seminar in Game Design-  This team-taught seminar provides students an in-depth exploration of game design methodologies across a range of modalities (board games, interactive narrative games, role-playing games, video games, escape rooms). This course is meant to create an intellectual community for game studies minors whose main interest is in the design and development of games, either by themselves, or with applications in their own disciplinary areas. Guest speakers from participating units across campus will present their work as it pertains to game design and development. Graduate level readings will address contemporary game design challenges. Students who take this course as part of their minor degree will be expected to return to the seminar as a guest speaker near the end of their program, to share their game design accomplishments or ongoing work.

GSD 504: Seminar in Game Studies– This team-taught seminar provides students an in-depth exploration of significant areas of social, psychological, historical, and critical game studies, focusing on theoretical approaches, methodological issues and aspects of contemporary game studies research. This course is intended to create an intellectual community for game studies minors whose main interest is research on or through games, rather than on the design and development of games. Guest speakers from participating academic units will help to moderate interdisciplinary a series of discussions on a range of theoretical methodological issues pertinent to contemporary academic game studies research. Graduate students who take this course as part of their minor degree will be expected to return to the seminar as a guest speaker near the end of their program, to share their research.

Elective Requirements

* If both GSD 503 and GSD 504 courses are taken the second serves as an elective in the minor 

Required Electives– 2 courses (8 credit hours)

An approved elective game studies course at the 500 level
An approved elective game studies course at the 400/500 level
A minimum of 13 total credit hours required to earn the minor

There are 10 suggested pathways to help focus the minor in an area of interest: Design, Programming, Education & Research, Film & Media, Music, Sound & Dance, Narrative, Play Studies, Theater, and Visual Arts. These pathways are suggestions; students may choose any combination of classes on the approved list.

Alternately, forge your own path by choosing from the list of approved electives.

How to Declare the Minor

The Game Studies minor program is open to undergraduates from all colleges and majors. It complements the backgrounds of those majoring in any field, whether your college is liberal arts and sciences, engineering, fine arts, applied health sciences, information science or any other! You may complete your Graduate Minor petition before, during, or after you begin courses, but you must submit a course plan with your petition. Should you change your mind about the courses you wish to take for electives, you will need to update your petition.  

Choose the courses you would like to take to create your graduate minor program
GSD 500
Either GSD 503 or GSD 504
If both courses are taken the second serves as an elective in the minor
Required Electives – 2 courses (8 credit hours)
An approved elective game studies course at the 500 level
An approved elective game studies course at the 400/500 level
A minimum of 13 total credit hours required to earn the minor
Complete the petition instructions at: https://grad.illinois.edu/current/minors.htm
IMPORTANT:  Include your chosen graduate minor courses in the “Student Statement” section of the form.
The Graduate College will convey the petition results.
If you would like an advising appointment to explore your options for course electives, please email game-studies@illinois.edu with any questions