Game Design and Development (Bachelor of Science Degree)

Rit’s game design bs is ranked 6th among top 50 undergraduate game design degrees, according to the 2024 international rankings from the princeton review. 

Overviewfor Game Design and Development BS
Why Study Game Design and Development at RIT

• Gain Real-World Experience: Two blocks of cooperative education provide you with full-time, paid experience in the games industry.
• Specialization Opportunities: Pursue advanced studies that can be customized to suit your individual interests and career goals.
• Industry Connections: Take advantage of Creative Industry Day, hosted by RIT’s Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education hosts, which connects students majoring in art, design, film and animation, photography, and select computing majors with companies, organizations, creative agencies, design firms, and more.
• Studio Access: Create and commercialize your own games at RIT’s MAGIC Spell Studios.
• Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Available: Earn both your bachelor’s and your master’s in less time and with a cost savings, giving you a competitive advantage in your field.
• STEM-OPT Visa Eligible: The STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) program allows full-time, on-campus international students on an F-1 student visa to stay and work in the U.S. for up to three years after graduation.

RIT’s Game Design and Development Major

• The game design bs emphasizes game programming within a core computing education to prepare you for careers in the game, simulation, modeling, training, and visualization industries. The emphasis on computing fundamentals gives you more career options and prepares you for graduate school.

In the context of computational game development, you gain a breadth of knowledge in:

• Game design
• Interactive media
• User interaction
• Animation
• Modeling
• Math
• Science
• Design

In addition to the core of required course work in the game design bs, you can pursue advanced studies that can be customized to your individual interests and career goals. 

You can further specialize by taking electives in areas such as:

• Game design
• Production
• Engines and systems
• Graphics programming and animation
• Mobile
• Web
• Audio

Furthering Your Education in Game Design
Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees

• Today’s careers require advanced degrees grounded in real-world experience. RIT’s Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as little as five years of study, all while gaining the valuable hands-on experience that comes from co-ops, internships, research, study abroad, and more.
• Game Design and Development/Game Design and Development MS: The BS/MS pathway in game design and development provides students with everything they need to develop and release their own games. Both our BS and MS programs are nationally-ranked in the Top 10, making our students attractive recruits to major games studios, or independent upstarts. Following a foundation in game design and development and experiences working in our professional facilities like MAGIC Spell Studios, students will focus on nurturing and growing new companies and publishing and distributing their projects.
• +1 MBA: Students who enroll in a qualifying undergraduate degree have the opportunity to add an MBA to their bachelor’s degree after their first year of study, depending on their program. Learn how the +1 MBA can accelerate your learning and position you for success.

Careers and Experiential Learning
Typical Job Titles

• Associate Front End Engineer
• Associate Game Designer    
• Associate UI Engineer
• Developer
• Engineer Programmer
• Game Designer
• Game Developer
• Junior Software Engineer
• Level Designer
• Mobile Developer
• Programmer
• Quality Assurance Engineer
• Software Developer
• Software Development Engineer
• Software Engineer
• Tech Artist
• UI/UX Designer
• Web Developer

Industries

• Aerospace
• Defense
• Electronic and Computer Hardware
• Health Care
• Internet and Software
• Journalism, Media, and Publishing
• Movies, TV, and Music

Cooperative Education

• What’s different about an RIT education? It’s the career experience you gain by completing cooperative education and internships with top companies in every single industry. You’ll earn more than a degree. You’ll gain real-world career experience that sets you apart. It’s exposure–early and often–to a variety of professional work environments, career paths, and industries.
• Co-ops and internships take your knowledge and turn it into know-how. Your computing co-ops will provide hands-on experience that enables you to apply your computing knowledge in professional settings while you make valuable connections between classwork and real-world applications.
• Students in the game design degree are required to complete two blocks of cooperative education experience. This may start after their second year of study. Although students usually complete co-ops during the summer term, they may also be completed during the academic year.

Creative Industry Day

• RIT’s Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education hosts Creative Industry Day, which connects students majoring in art, design, film and animation, photography, and select computing majors with companies, organizations, creative agencies, design firms, and more. You’ll be able to network with company representatives and interview directly for open co-op and permanent employment positions.