BA in Game Design and Development

Game Design and Development

On Campus

Whether you grew up creating worlds in Minecraft or hoping to work on the next Mario or League of Legends, our BA in Game Design and Development program is a stepping-stone into the exciting field of game design and its many applications, including entertainment, education, medicine, virtual reality, esports and more.

Game design and development students use a virtual reality headset.

Apply Visit Request Info

Level-up your creativity

Game design and development student. — As a game designer, passion is your key to success in the fast-growing and fast-paced gaming industry. The skills you acquire will prepare you for a variety of fulfilling careers from designing virtual reality experiences for theme parks to developing military training simulations, creating games for the healthcare industry or even revolutionizing course delivery in schools.

Your Experience

Our BA in Game Design and Development program provides students with a comprehensive background in game and interactive media design alongside hands-on experience through game labs, research projects and internships. All students take core classes in the major and choose concentrations that allow them to focus on their skills and interests. Our concentrations include programming, technology, design process, art, game studies, game writing, business and audio. We encourage and support double majors with programs such as computer science.

A unique feature of our program is the game lab where students work in interdisciplinary teams to build game prototypes. The game lab is offered as a multi-semester sequence beginning in your sophomore year. During your senior year, the program culminates in a capstone experience when students take the Senior Project and Seminar.

Through the QU in LA program, you can spend a semester in California interning at companies such as Electronic Arts, Blizzard Entertainment and Facebook. In addition, our students have worked as counselors at iD Tech, a prestigious game design camp with sites all across America.

The Center for Game Development (CGD) supports the continued development of select student and faculty games by providing financial support and resources during the summer. CGD also fosters a shared and continuing culture of technological expertise and innovation.

Program Statistics

Top 25 Among the Best

Princeton Review ranked our GDD program #21 in the nation.

70% Success Rate

Percentage of our 2022 program graduates who are either employed or pursuing graduate study six months after graduation.

Game Design and Development Showcase

Our annual showcase and competition celebrates the work that our students have poured into developing their games throughout the year.

Experience the 2023 GDD Showcase

Student designed game M.A.C.C.S. — **2023 Best Experience Award:** M.A.C.C.S.
A VR survival game where the player must escape a decrepit cargo vessel in deep space while being hunted by an unseen threat. Using voice recognition, give commands to the ship's onboard AI and navigate your way to safety. Created by Matt Gumprecht ‘23.

Student designed game The Council of Stuff and Fluff — **2023 Best Narrative Award:** The Council of Stuff and Fluff
A short game about a child struggling with the idea of her parents getting divorced. In order to cope with this, she hosts a council meeting with her stuffed animals and cat, each symbolizing a stage of grief. Created by Amari O'Connor ‘24.

Student designed game Dance-Dance Domination — **2023 People's Choice Award:** Dance-Dance Domination

Take an arcade-style, side-scrolling beat-em-up game, mix it with a dance pad as the controller and you’ve got Dance Dance Domination! Join Zeke’s journey on the fight for recognition for his own music genre while taking on anyone that disagrees with his musical ideas. Created by Mario Egocheaga ‘24, Skye McCashion ‘23 and Jenna Saleh ‘22.

Student and professor play a virtual reality game.

Game design and development tudents play computer games.

A professor plays a game on a virtual reality headset.

Game design and development professor tests a student-created game.

Collaboration Opportunities

The Game Design and Development program collaborates with partners inside and out of the Quinnipiac community to bring innovative ways of teaching others to life.

Professor Elena Bertozzi and a team of GDD students are working with the Institute for Disease Modeling in Seattle WA on a game-based application to educate public health workers in Liberia and other African countries.

Objectives:

To teach players how to find and use epidemiological data when making decisions about health interventions.

Email Elena Bertozzi if you are interested in joining.

Collaborate with Dr. Victor Francone of the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine on educational materials to teach medical students DNA replication.

Learning objectives:

Summarize the DNA polymerases and other proteins required for DNA replication.
Summarize the mechanism of DNA replication and why discontinuous synthesis is required.
Explain the process of telomere replication and relate telomere dynamics to aging and disease.
Explain DNA polymerase proofreading and the impact on fidelity.

Email Jonah Warren if you are interested in joining.

Collaborate with Frederick Scholl, director of the cybersecurity program, on creating game scenarios where players learn how to identify and respond to email phishing scams.

Learning objectives:

Identify the principal components associated with Business Email Compromise
Describe the risks associated with BEC.
Be able to list mitigations for BEC.

Email Frederick Scholl if you are interested in joining.

Kim Hieftje and her team at XRPeds, within the department of Pediatrics at the Yale School of Medicine, focus on the use of extended reality (virtual, augmented, and mixed reality) and game technology in applications, interventions, and research with the goal of improving lives and reducing disparities among youth and their families.

Objectives:

Use game-based project management skills to coordinate teamwork
Develop ways to integrate VR and motion capture technology in pediatric care

Email Elena Bertozzi if you are interested in joining.

Student Work

The Game Design and Development website provides additional information about experiential learning opportunities for students and connections to student and alumni work.

Go to games.qu.edu

In Their Words

Ron M. Burgess ’15

“What stood out to me about the Game Design and Development program at Quinnipiac was the friendliness and openness of the professors in the classes I took. Each of the projects I worked on either helped me learn something new or served as a portfolio piece when I was looking for a career. Through many of the projects and games I created during my time with the GDD program, I gained a bunch of experience working on small teams, tracking development tasks and milestones and organizing the entirety of a project.”

Joshua Rigsby ’22

In my opinion, the most unique element of the Game Design and Development program at Quinnipiac was its open-ended nature. We all learned the skills and tools of the trade but how we applied those was entirely up to us. We were pushed to explore our creativity and treat our work like a job. Our efforts directly correlated with the quality of our projects and it was entirely applied learning. This structure gave me a very strong work ethic and the mindset I needed to explore this industry professionally.

Career Paths

Our BA in Game Design and Development positions you for a growing number of specialized and in-demand opportunities. Graduates gain valuable skills suited for a wide array of potential careers.

Animator
Art Director
Asset Design
Character Design
Concept Artist
Texture Artist

Augmented & Virtual Reality Designer
Game Designer
Level Design
Motion Capture Designer
Usability/Play Testing
Writer

AI Programmer
Audio Programmer
Engine Programmer
Graphics Programmer
Network Programmer
Programming for Game Play Design
Sound Design

Develop games for learning and education
Develop games for health
Develop modeling and simulation
Gamification

Career-Building Resources

An arts and sciences student speaks with a career adviser in the school advising commons

Design your career path

With an abundance of career-focused information and resources, the career advisers within the College of Arts & Sciences support students as they expand their professional networks and attract the attention of prestigious employers.

Learn more about career development

Living-Learning Communities

Our Living-Learning Communities offer the opportunity for first-year students to live and engage in a community of like-minded peers. Bolstered by mentorship from faculty and staff, these communities provide a strong foundation for students to develop — both academically and personally — into professionals, leaders, citizens and lifelong learners.

Engineering and Computer Science

The Engineering and Computer Science LLC is for new students in the School of Computing & Engineering interested in building academic skills, community and friendship. This LLC emphasizes hands-on activities and helps support members to become more engaged students who understand how to make a difference at QU and in the world.

Explore all Living-Learning Community opportunities

GameDevCT Game Pitch Competition

The first annual GameDevCT Game Pitch Competition took place on Saturday, April 30 at Quinnipiac University. Game types ranged from digital games to card games and board games. 37 unique teams pitched their creations, with winners earning assistance establishing their business, advice from veteran game developers and cash prizes.

Information about next year's competition will be announced in the near future.