The Master of Science (MS) in Game Science and Design is a program that seeks to give students a comprehensive understanding of how successful game products are created in a player-centric environment. Successful graduates who wish to become professional game developers or game user research experts should be able to collaborate effectively in this dynamic and burgeoning field of practice and research. Focusing on the science of game development, students have an opportunity to learn the design and technological skills needed to build a game and develop a deep understanding of playability and analytics that makes products successful in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
The game industry has expanded to include social and mobile gaming; augmented and virtual reality; as well as games in health, education, and training. Rapid innovations are happening in player psychology, middleware, graphics and authoring tools, game mechanics, and artificial intelligence and narrative techniques. It has become an increasingly competitive space.
The selectiveness of the industry and the diversity of the skills required mean that students seeking entry need both broad and deep skills. As an emergent industry using diverse technology and collaborative practices, the game industry needs professionals with interdisciplinary skill sets who can blend knowledge about development with knowledge about evaluation methods and players’ behavior and psychology.
Jointly offered by Northeastern’s College of Arts, Media and Design and Khoury College of Computer Sciences, the Master of Science in Game Science and Design is a one-of-a-kind interdisciplinary program that seeks to prepare students to meet this need by weaving together science and design. This is a two-year, 34-credit-hour program.
All admitted students will be assigned to an advisor who will help them select a pathway with a coherent set of electives depending on their career goals. The advisor will also monitor their progress through the master’s degree.
Complete all courses and requirements listed below unless otherwise indicated.
Core Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Required Core | ||
GSND 5110 and GSND 5111 and GSND 5112 | Game Design and Analysis and Seminar for GSND 5110 and Recitation for GSND 5110 | 5 |
GSND 5122 | Business Models in the Game Industry | 1 |
GSND 5130 and GSND 5131 | Mixed Research Methods for Games and Recitation for GSND 5130 | 4 |
Thesis | ||
GSND 6330 and GSND 6331 | Player Experience and Recitation for GSND 6330 | 4 |
GSND 7990 | Thesis | 4 |
Electives
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Game Design or Development | ||
Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
Game Artificial Intelligence | ||
Building Game Engines | ||
Advanced Topics in Game Design | ||
Exploratory Concept Design | ||
Spatial and Temporal Design | ||
Generative Game Design | ||
Game User Research or Analytics | ||
Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
Computer/Human Interaction | ||
Advanced Topics in Game Science | ||
Psychology of Play | ||
Biometrics for Design | ||
Data-Driven Player Modeling |
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Other Electives List | ||
Complete any two of the previously listed courses or from the following (courses not listed below may be completed in consultation with your program coordinator). | 8 | |
If ARTG 5000 or GSND 6000 or GSND 6001 is completed more than once, the additional completions may be allowed toward the electives. | ||
Elective courses outside of CAMD are subject to availability and registration policy of the home college. | ||
Topics in Design | ||
Visual Communication for Information Design | ||
Visual Cognition | ||
Visualization Technologies 1: Fundamentals | ||
Design Systems | ||
Prototyping for Experience Design | ||
Design for Behavior and Experience | ||
Mobile Application Development | ||
Web Development | ||
Collecting, Storing, and Retrieving Data | ||
Introduction to Data Mining/Machine Learning | ||
Advanced Topics in Game Design | ||
Advanced Topics in Game Science | ||
Information Design and Visual Analytics | ||
Telling Your Story with Data |
Program Credit/GPA Requirements
34 total semester hours required
Minimum 3.000 GPA required
Sample Two Years, One Co-op (Optional) Plan of Study
Year 1 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer Full Semester | Hours |
GSND 5110 and GSND 5111 and GSND 5112 | 5 | Elective | 4 | Co-op (optional) | 0 |
GSND 5130 and GSND 5131 | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||
9 | 8 | 0 | |||
Year 2 | |||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
GSND 5122 | 1 | GSND 7990 | 4 | ||
GSND 6330 and GSND 6331 | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||
Elective | 4 | ||||
9 | 8 | ||||
Total Hours: 34 |
Note: Co-op or Thesis Co-op is optional in consultation with faculty advisor.