Next fall Fitchburg State University will become the first public institution in New England to offer a bachelor’s degree in game design, preparing students with immediately marketable skills in a fast-growing industry.
The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education approved the new major at their December meeting. Applications are now being accepted for fall 2013.
The university’s first new major in more than a decade, the bachelor of science in game design will be part of the university’s heralded Communications Media Department. Members of that faculty designed the curriculum with input from colleagues in the university’s computer science, English studies and art programs.
“The video game industry is well established in Massachusetts, with dozens of game studios operating in the commonwealth,” Fitchburg State University President Robert V. Antonucci said. “Even in the midst of economic difficulties, the video game industry, in New England and nationwide, continues to grow and to search for talented and well-prepared applicants. With this new major, Fitchburg State reinforces its spirit of innovation and an emphasis on preparing students for rewarding careers.”
According to the Entertainment Software Association, computer and video game companies directly and indirectly employ more than 120,000 people in 34 states.
Fitchburg State professors Jeffrey Warmouth and Samuel Tobin, both from the communications media department, have played a major role designing the university’s game design curriculum.
“It was clear to me that for students that really wanted to do game design, we needed to build a major,” said Warmouth, adding the support from administration was key to success.
“It addresses a desire that’s been there,” added Tobin. “Students are already trying to do this, and this will allow them to do it.”
Several courses already offered on campus will count toward the major. The on-campus appetite for game design has been fueled by the highly successful GameCon event, which for six years has brought hundreds of students together for a daylong game competition and discussion of the latest technology.
"People of all genders, ages and backgrounds are playing games more and more often, and the games they are playing are also increasingly diverse," Tobin said.
The major is designed as a multidisciplinary program that will prepare students for employment in the state’s thriving game design sector. Students will explore game design and development, art and visual design, computer programming, 3D modeling and animation, level design, creative writing, and game studies. Other course topics include serious games, mobile platforms, history of games, and aesthetics. Like so many of Fitchburg State’s programs of study, the game design major will prepare students for careers in the industry.
In Massachusetts, from 2005 to 2009, the industry experienced 8.86 percent real annual growth and directly employed 1,295 people. In October 2010, referencing MassTLC’s 2009 Digital Games Cluster report, the Worcester Business Journal reported 76 firms and approximately 1,200 jobs in the industry. As of April 2011, approximately 110 companies across the state self-identify as participants in the sector, with a presence in nearly every corner of the state—from Boston to Williamstown and from Newburyport to Brockton. The top industry-oriented local site had 242 jobs listed as of June 2012.
There is also a growing student interest in the game design industry. Each year, students taking the SAT indicate their intended major. In the last year alone, there has been a 57 percent increase in the number of students nationally planning to major in game design (from 6,802 last year to 10,712 this upcoming year). In New England, the number increased from 391 to 551 students, a 41 percent increase during the same time period.
Fitchburg State will offer the first game design bachelor degree program in a public institution of higher learning in New England. Existing degrees in game design and development are located solely in private schools, where annual tuition and fees range from $30,000 to $43,800 compared to Fitchburg State’s $8,710.
Game design students will attain competency in the following concepts, practices and skills:
Analytical understanding of games, gameplay, and game designFoundations in visual art and creative writingPrinciples of game logic and programmingIndustry-standard game engines and softwareTeam-based iterative design processGames as media of communication and aesthetic expression
A unique feature of Fitchburg State’s game design program is a required one-semester 12-credit-hour internship. The internship has been a hallmark of the university’s communications media program for years, providing practical experience often cited by students – and employers – as one of the key distinguishing elements of a Fitchburg State education.
More information on the game design program can be found on the university website at www.fitchburgstate.edu/gamedesign.
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Donovan Nelson
