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Academic Catalog 2021-2022

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  • Game Design, BFA

Game Design, BFA

2021-2022 Edition

  • Undergraduate
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    • University Academics
    • College of Arts, Media and Design
      • School of Architecture
      • Art + Design
        • Art, BA
        • Design, BFA
        • Game Design, BFA
        • Media Arts, BFA
        • Studio Art, BFA
        • Behavioral Neuroscience and Design, BS
        • Business Administration and Design, BS
        • Computer Science and Design, BS
        • Computer Science and Game Development, BS
        • Computer Science and Media Arts, BS
        • Communication Studies and Graphic and Information Design, BA
        • English and Graphic and Information Design, BA
        • Game Art and Animation, BFA
        • Architectural Studies and Design, BS
        • Game Design and Music with Concentration in Music Technology, BS
        • Graphic and Information Design and Mathematics, BS
        • Journalism and Interaction Design, BS
        • Media and Screen Studies and Media Arts, BA
        • Media Arts and Communication Studies, BA
        • Theatre and Interaction Design, BA
        • Theatre and Interaction Design, BS
        • Mechanical Engineering and Design, BSME
        • Animation, Minor
        • Art, Minor
        • Art History, Minor
        • Creative Fabrication, Minor
        • Experience Design, Minor
        • Game Art, Minor
        • Game Design, Minor
        • Graphic and Information Design, Minor
        • Immersive Media, Minor
        • Interaction Design, Minor
        • Photography, Minor
        • Photojournalism, Minor
        • Video Arts, Minor
      • Communication Studies
      • School of Journalism
      • Music
      • Theatre
      • Interdisciplinary
      • Accelerated Bachelor/​Graduate Degree Programs
    • D'Amore-​McKim School of Business
    • Khoury College of Computer Sciences
    • College of Engineering
    • Bouvé College of Health Sciences
    • College of Science
    • College of Social Sciences and Humanities
    • Faculty
    • Appendix
  • College of Professional Studies Undergraduate
  • Graduate
  • Course Descriptions
  • Catalog Archives
  • Overview
  • Program Requirements
  • Plan of Study

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Design is designed to provide students with the skills to communicate ideas and emotions through interactive media. The focus of the BFA degree is exploring games as an aesthetic and expressive form through critical analysis and creative, reflective practice. Anticipating emerging trends in the video and analog game industries—including broader platforms, audiences, and distribution channels—students will be oriented toward developing games and playful media in an independent creative context. Curriculum is geared to cultivate students’ unique creative voices through courses that apply theoretical analysis to game-development practices across a range of media. Students are exposed to a wide variety of genres and contexts, as well as alternative ways of thinking about games content, platforms, and asset production.

Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.

University-Wide Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the University-Wide Requirements.

NUpath Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.

NUpath requirements Creative Expression/Innovation (EI), Formal and Quantitative Reasoning (FQ), and Analyzing/Using Data (AD) are met through the major course requirements. All other NUpath requirements must be met through electives.

Required Courses

Course List
Code Title Hours
Art and Design at Northeastern
ARTF 1000Art and Design at Northeastern1
Game Studies
GAME 1110Games and Society4
GAME 2650Introduction to Game Research Methods4
Game Design
GAME 2500Foundations of Game Design4
GAME 2950Game Studio4
GAME 3700Rapid Idea Prototyping for Games4
Game Development
ARTG 2260Programming Basics4
GAME 3300Game Interface Design4
GAME 3400Level Design and Game Architecture4
GAME 3800Game Concept Development4
Game Aesthetics
ARTF 1122Color and Composition (with optional ARTF 1124 )4
ARTF 1124
and ARTF 1125
Form and Structure
and Form and Structure Tools
5
ARTF 2220Movement and Time (with optional ARTF 2221 )4
ARTD 2370Animation Basics (with optional ARTD 2371 )4
Critical Play
GAME 2010The Business of Games4
Capstone
A grade of C or higher is required:
GAME 4700Game Design Capstone4

Electives

Course List
Code Title Hours
Game Design and Development
Complete two of the following as long as prerequisites have been met:8
GAME 1850
Experimental Game Design
GAME 1999
Principles of Board Game Development
GAME 2991
Research in Game Design
GAME 3055
Playful Design
GAME 3800
Game Concept Development
GAME 4460
Generative Game Design
GAME 4600
Game Production
Game Aesthetics and Critical Play
Complete two of the following as long as prerequisites have been met:8
GAME 2355
Narrative for Games
GAME 2750
Games Criticism and Theory
GAME 2755
Games and Social Justice
GAME 4155
Designing Imaginary Worlds
Art + Design
Complete three of the following as long as prerequisites have been met:12
ARTF 1120
Observational Drawing
ARTF 2223
Experience and Interaction (with optional ARTF 2224)
ARTD 3470
Animation 1
ARTD 3472
Character Design for Animation
ARTD 3473
Animation for Games
ARTG 3250
Physical Computing
Art History
Complete one art history course within the ARTH subject code. 4

Game Design Major Credit/GPA Requirement

Complete 92 semester hours for the major with a 2.000 GPA.

Program Requirement

128 total semester hours required

Sample Four Years, Two Co-ops

Year 1
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
ARTF 10001GAME 25004Art + Design Elective4Art + Design Elective4
GAME 11104GAME 26504Art History Elective4Elective4
ARTF 1122 (with optional 1123)4ARTD 2370 (with optional ARTD 2371)4  
ARTF 2220 (with optional 2221)4ARTF 1124
and ARTF 1125
5  
ENGW 11114   
 17 17 8 8
Year 2
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
GAME 29504Co-opCo-opElective4
GAME 33004  Elective4
ARTG 22604   
EEAM 20001   
Game Aesthetics and Critical Play Elective4   
 17 0 0 8
Year 3
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
GAME 34004Co-opCo-opElective4
GAME 37004  Elective4
Game Design and Development Elective4   
Art + Design Elective4   
 16 0 0 8
Year 4
FallHoursSpringHours  
GAME 38004GAME 47004  
Game Design and Development Elective4GAME 20104  
Game Aesthetics and Critical Play Elective4Elective4  
Elective4Elective4  
 16 16  
Total Hours: 131
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