Northeastern University Graduate Progrm Game Design

The Master of Science in Game Science and Design gives students a comprehensive understanding of how successful game products are created in a player-centric environment.

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Overview

The Master of Science (MS) in Game Science and Design seeks to give students a comprehensive understanding of how successful game products are created in a player-centric environment. 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 make products successful in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

The game industry has expanded to include social and mobile gaming; games in health, education, and training; and innovations in play psychology, middleware, graphics tools, game mechanics, game evaluation methods, and advanced 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 meld 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.

More Details

Unique Features

Learn the design and technological skills needed to build a game
Develop a deep understanding of playability and analytics that make products successful in an increasingly competitive marketplace
An advisor will help students select a pathway with a coherent set of electives determined by students' career goals

Admissions

A graduate degree or certificate from Northeastern—a top-50 university—can accelerate your career through rigorous academic coursework and hands-on professional experience in the area of your interest. Apply now—and take your career to the next level.

Requirements

Application form
Application fee
Resumé
Transcripts for all institutions attended
TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo exam scores for international applicants

Personal statement
Three letters of recommendation
Portfolio (optional)
Official Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General Test scores (optional)
Learn more about our admissions process from the College of Arts, Media, and Design

Admissions Details Learn more about the College of Arts, Media, and Design admissions process, policies, and required materials

Admissions Dates


Priority deadline for scholarship consideration:	February 1
Final deadline for international applicants:	May 1
Final deadline for domestic applicants:	August 1

Curriculum

Core Requirements

Master of Science in Game Science and Design General Requirements

Required Core

GSND 5110 - Game Design and Analysis

4.00

GSND 5111 - Seminar for GSND 5110

1.00

GSND 5112 - Recitation for GSND 5110

0.00

GSND 5122 - Business Models in the Game Industry

1.00

GSND 5130 - Mixed Research Methods for Games

4.00

Thesis

GSND 6330 - Player Experience

4.00

Electives

Game Design or Development

Complete one of the following:

CS 5150 - Game Artificial Intelligence

4.00

CS 5850 - Building Game Engines

4.00

GSND 6240 - Exploratory Concept Design

4.00

GSND 6250 - Spatial and Temporal Design

4.00

Game User Research or Analytics

Complete one of the following:

CS 5340 - Computer/Human Interaction

4.00

GSND 6320 - Psychology of Play

4.00

GSND 6340 - Biometrics for Design

4.00

GSND 6350 - Data-Driven Player Modeling

4.00

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 faculty advisor):

ARTG 5130 - Visual Communication for Information Design

4.00

ARTG 5330 - Visualization Technologies 1: Fundamentals

4.00

ARTG 5610 - Design Systems

4.00

ARTG 5640 - Prototyping for Experience Design

4.00

ARTG 6310 - Design for Behavior and Experience

4.00

CS 5520 - Mobile Application Development

4.00

CS 5610 - Web Development

4.00

DA 5020 - Collecting, Storing, and Retrieving Data

4.00

DA 5030 - Introduction to Data Mining/Machine Learning

4.00

INSH 5302 - Information Design and Visual Analytics

4.00

JRNL 6341 - Telling Your Story with Data

4.00

Please note: This curriculum is for marketing purposes only and is subject to change. Official curriculum can be found within the course catalog.

Experiential Learning

Northeastern's signature experience-powered learning model has been at the heart of the university for more than a century. It combines world-class academics with professional practice, allowing you to acquire relevant, real-world skills you can immediately put into action in your current workplace. This makes a Northeastern education a dynamic, transformative experience, giving you countless opportunities to grow as a professional and person.

Faculty

Our Faculty

Our faculty represents a wide cross-section of professional practices and fields ranging from finance to education to biomedical science to management to the U.S. military. They serve as mentors and advisors and collaborate alongside students to solve the most pressing global challenges facing established and emerging markets.

Magy Seif El-Nasr

Associate Professor- College of Arts, Media, and Design & Khoury College of Computer Sciences

Students

By enrolling in Northeastern, you gain access to a network of more than 275,000 alumni and 3,350+ employer partners, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and global nongovernmental organizations. Our current students and faculty across strategically located regional locations further foster a lifelong, global community of learning and mentoring.

Below is a look at where our Digital Media & Design alumni work, the positions they hold, and the skills they bring to their organization.

Where They Work
- Harvard
- MIT
- ViralGains
- Google
- Cognizant
What They Do
- Art and Design
- Engineering
- Information Technology
- Marketing
- Media and Communication
What They're Skilled At
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Social Media
- CSS
- Digital Media
- Marketing

Learn more about Northeastern Alumni on Linkedin.

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