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.
$77.7K
Average First-Year Salary of RIT Graduates from this degree
#4
Top 25 Game Design BS Degrees
#5
Best Game Design and Development Programs
#6
Top 50 Game Design Programs: Undergraduate Category
#6
Top 50 Game Design Schools and Colleges
Overview for 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
This depth of course work enables you to build a robust portfolio of games and other interactive projects.
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 accelerated BS/MS pathway in game design and development provides you with the skills and hands-on experiences you need to develop and release your own games. Both the BS and MS degrees are Top-10 nationally-ranked programs, and our students are attractive recruits to major games studios, or independent upstarts. Following a foundation in game design and development and experiences working in professional facilities like MAGIC Spell Studios, you will focus on nurturing and growing new companies and publishing and distributing your own 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.
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Meet us on campus
Learn about academics, co-op and internships, financial aid, and more at one of our on-campus open houses.
October 13 | October 25 | November 8
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
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.
Featured Work and Profiles
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The Joy of Being a Game Dev Student
Mubanzi is a second-year Game Design and Development student with a fiery passion for the world of games.
Read More about The Joy of Being a Game Dev Student -
First-year game design and development ‘wonders’ win hackathon category
Game design and development students Abby Rochelle, Katie Yates, and Bella Miller teamed up for Women in Computing’s WICHacks 2025 in hopes of having fun weekend plans with one another. What...
Read More about First-year game design and development ‘wonders’ win hackathon category -
Build new worlds in our GDD program
RIT empowers students to feel confident in their skills and abilities in order to best market their accomplishments.
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Publish your games and present them at top conferences
Nuha Syed, Sean Foley, Mason Hayes, Destiny Treptau, Ajay Ramnarine ’23 RIT prepares students with the tools necessary to succeed.
Read More about Publish your games and present them at top conferences -
What Lurks in Space
Boxi Feng, Rinnie Bi, Taode Ogden ’25 What Lurks in Space is a sci-fi stealth/horror game based on space exploration and cosmic horror.
Read More about What Lurks in Space -
UnHoly Roller
Ramon Miland, Jeff Chen, Gunnar Dickey, Tony Qiu ’27 Unholy Roller is an action-packed roguelike where you play as the weapon, launching yourself around the map and knocking over pins!
Read More about UnHoly Roller
Curriculum for 2025-2026 for Game Design and Development BS
Current Students: See Curriculum Requirements
Game Design and Development BS
The curriculum below outlines the typical course sequence(s) for this program.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| IGME-105 | Game Development and Algorithmic Problem Solving | 4 |
| IGME-110 | Introduction to Interactive Media | 3 |
| MATH-131 | Discrete Mathematics (fulfills General Education: Mathematical Perspective A) | 4 |
| General Education: First Year Writing (WI) | 3 | |
| General Education: Social Perspective | 3 | |
| YOPS-10 | RIT 365: RIT Connections | 0 |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| IGME-106 | Problem Solving with Data Structures and Algorithms for Games | 4 |
| IGME-119 | 2D Animation and Asset Production | 3 |
| MATH-185 | Mathematics of Graphical Simulation I (fulfills General Education: Mathematical Perspective B) | 3 |
| PHYS-111 | College Physics I (fulfills General Education: Natural Science Inquiry Perspective) | 4 |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| IGME-99 | Co-op Preparation Workshop | 0 |
| IGME-202 | Interactive Media Development | 3 |
| IGME-219 | 3D Animation and Asset Production | 3 |
| IGME-235 | Introduction to Web Technology for Game Developers | 3 |
| MATH-171 or MATH-181 | Calculus A or Calculus I | 3 |
| General Education: Ethical Perspective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| IGME-209 | Development for Real-Time Simulations and Games I | 3 |
| IGME-220 | Game Design & Development I | 3 |
| IGME-236 | Experience Design for Games & Media (WI-PR) | 3 |
| General Education: Artistic Perspective | 3 | |
| General Education: Scientific Principles Perspective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Summer | ||
| IGME-499 | Undergraduate Co-op | 0 |
| Hours | 0 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| IGME-309 | Development for Real-Time Simulations and Games II | 3 |
| IGME-320 | Game Design & Development II | 3 |
| General Education: Global Perspective | 3 | |
| General Education: Elective | 3 | |
| General Education: Immersion 1 | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| IGME-330 or IGME-330H | Rich Media Web Application Development I or Honors Rich Media Web Application Development I | 3 |
| IGM/GDD Advanced Elective (1) 1 | 3 | |
| General Education: Immersion 2 | 3 | |
| Open Electives | 6 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Summer | ||
| IGME-499 | Undergraduate Co-op | 0 |
| Hours | 0 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| IGM/GDD Advanced Elective (2) 1 | 3 | |
| IGM/GDD Advanced Elective (3) 1 | 3 | |
| General Education: Immersion 3 | 3 | |
| General Education: Elective | 3 | |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| IGM/GDD Advanced Elective (4) 1 | 3 | |
| General Education: Electives | 6 | |
| Open Electives | 6 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 121 | |
Notes:
- All students pursuing a bachelor’s degree are also required to complete two different Wellness courses.
Footnotes:
- 1
Students must complete four (4) Advanced Electives selected from the list below for a total of twelve (12) credit hours. At least half of the required Advanced Electives must be IGME offerings. Students can take any combination of two (2) Production and/or Research Studios to count towards their Advanced Electives. A student may choose to take additional Production and/or Research Studios, but these would count towards their Open Electives.
Advanced Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GCIS-410 | Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) for Computing II | 1-3 |
| GCIS-610 | Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) for Computing - Graduate | 1-3 |
| IGME-340 | Multi-platform Media App Development | 3 |
| IGME-350 | International Game Industry | 3 |
| IGME-382 | Maps, Mapping and Geospatial Technologies | 3 |
| IGME-384 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| IGME-386 | Spatial Algorithms and Problem Solving | 3 |
| IGME-420 | Level Design | 3 |
| IGME-422 | Level Design 2 | 3 |
| IGME-423 | Games for Change | 3 |
| IGME-424 | Tools and Techniques for Video Game Modification | 3 |
| IGME-430 | Rich Media Web Application Development II | 3 |
| IGME-431 | Multiplatform Interactive Video | 3 |
| IGME-450 | Casual Game Development | 3 |
| IGME-451 | Systems Concepts for Games and Media | 3 |
| IGME-460 | Data Visualization | 3 |
| IGME-470 | Physical Computing & Alternative Interfaces | 3 |
| IGME-480 | Current Topics in Interactive Development | 3 |
| IGME-484 | Geographic Visualization | 3 |
| IGME-529 | Foundations of Interactive Narrative | 3 |
| IGME-531 | Aesthetics and Computation | 3 |
| IGME-540 | Foundations of Game Graphics Programming | 3 |
| IGME-542 | Game Graphics Programming II | 3 |
| IGME-550 | Foundations of Game Engine Design and Development | 3 |
| IGME-560 | Artificial Intelligence for Game Environments | 3 |
| IGME-570 | Digital Audio Production | 3 |
| IGME-571 | Interactive Game Audio | 3 |
| IGME-580 | IGM Production Studio | 3 |
| IGME-588 | New Media Interactive Development Capstone II | 3 |
| IGME-589 | Research Studio | 3 |
| IGME-590 | Undergraduate Seminar in IGM | 3 |
| IGME-599 | Independent Study | 1-6 |
| IGME-601 | Game Development Processes | 3 |
| IGME-602 | Game Design | 3 |
| IGME-603 | Gameplay and Prototyping | 3 |
| IGME-621 | Board and Card Game Design and Development | 3 |
| IGME-622 | Game Balance | 3 |
| IGME-623 | Theory and Design of Role Play and Interactive Narrative | 3 |
| IGME-624 | Tabletop Role-Playing Game Design and Development | 3 |
| IGME-670 | Digital Audio Production | 3 |
| IGME-671 | Interactive Game Audio | 3 |
| IGME-680 | IGM Production Studio | 3 |
| IGME-689 | IGM Graduate Research Studio | 3 |
| IGME-690 | IGM Seminar | 1-6 |
| ISTE-230 | Introduction to Database and Data Modeling | 3 |
| ISTE-454 | Mobile Application Development I | 3 |
| ISTE-456 | Mobile Application Development II | 3 |
Admissions and Financial Aid
This program is STEM designated when studying on campus and full time.
First-Year Admission
First-year applicants are expected to demonstrate a strong academic background that includes:
- 4 years of English
- 3 years of social studies and/or history
- 4 years of mathematics is required and must include algebra, geometry, algebra 2/trigonometry, and pre-calculus. Calculus is preferred.
- 2-3 years of science is required and must include chemistry or physics; both are preferred.
- Computing electives are preferred.
Transfer applicants should meet these minimum degree-specific requirements:
- A minimum of precalculus is required. Calculus is preferred.
- Chemistry or physics is required.
- Computing courses are preferred.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
100% of all incoming first-year and transfer students receive aid.
RIT’s personalized and comprehensive financial aid program includes scholarships, grants, loans, and campus employment programs. When all these are put to work, your actual cost may be much lower than the published estimated cost of attendance.
Learn more about financial aid and scholarships
Related News
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August 14, 2025
RIT cited as a top university for career outcomes by The Princeton Review
RIT once again made The Princeton Review “Best Colleges” list, recognized for its career outcomes for its students and superior game design programs in the Best 391 Colleges 2026 edition. -
July 8, 2025
Game-changer Stephen Jacobs retires after 30 years
After three decades of teaching, mentoring, and pioneering academic and research programs at RIT, Professor Stephen Jacobs is retiring.
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May 29, 2025
RIT student video game creations take top prizes at GameFest 2025
When RIT students create video games, they don’t just mail it in. A team of students recently won the Grand Prize at GameFest 2025 for developing Pelican Post. The game is about a pelican mailman delivering mail to a small town of unique characters.
Contact
School of Interactive Games and Media