Game Arts Option - 3D Digital Design BFA
Pursue a game art design degree that focuses on the innovative creation of assets for a wide range of game platforms.
Overview for Game Arts Option - 3D Digital Design BFA
Why Study the Game Arts Design Degree at RIT?
- Game Arts Lecturers: Game arts professionals are invited to RIT to lead lectures, discussions, and demos that give you an informed industry perspective.
- Industry Networking: Take part in Creative Industry Day, which allows you to connect with professionals in your field of study.
- Strong Career Paths: Graduates have been hired by leading studios, such as Insomniac Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment, to work on games for all platforms.
The game arts design degree allows you to pursue creative interests in game arts, from designing virtual elements and lighting to animated characters and backgrounds. An innovative and adaptive curriculum prepares you for a career in the emergent fields associated with games culture while encouraging critical analysis of these fields through the dynamic courses offered throughout RIT. Visit the 3D digital design BFA program page for information on curriculum and elective courses for this option.
RIT’s Game Arts Design Degree
The game arts degree offers an innovative and adaptive curriculum that prepares you for a career in emergent fields associated with games culture, exposing you to the advanced technologies, interactive interfaces, and explorative processing necessary in game arts. While technologies constantly change, this option focuses on teaching lifelong skills of critical and design thinking and collaboration through a game arts focus.
In your 3D game design courses, you will explore:
- 3D modeling
- Sculpting
- Lighting
- Materials
- Effects
- Real-time game engines
- AR, VR, and XR
- Pre-visualization
- Virtual production
In this video game art degree, you will have opportunities to regularly collaborate with game developers. The game arts option complements RIT’s nationally recognized game design and development BS, offered by the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences and ranked 4th nationally among Princeton Review’s “Top 50 Game Design Programs: Undergraduate Category” (2022).
Access to Invaluable Digital Design Industry Technology and Resources
RIT provides game art design majors with resources and facilities where they can get hands-on experience with real-world industry technology.
- MAGIC Spell Studios, a state-of-the-art media production facility, is a creative hub where artists and programmers work together to research and develop imaginative game projects.
- Computer labs in the College of Art and Design will provide you with access to professional-level 3D and animation software.
- RIT’s virtual production curriculum is driven by the use of large LED walls installed in MAGIC Spell Studios and made possible with support from an Epic Games grant.
- The Strong National Museum of Play, the world’s largest collection of historical materials related to play, is located 15 minutes from campus.
Game Arts Degree Careers
You will graduate well-positioned to pursue careers in the game arts industry. Alumni and faculty are the creative minds behind the environments, characters, and objects in games you know and love. Graduates have been hired by leading studios to work on games for all platforms. Hiring partners include Bethesda, Insomniac Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and Workinman Interactive.
Act Sooner. Know Earlier.
First-year students can apply Early Decision by Jan. 1 to get an admissions and financial aid estimate by mid-January.
Careers and Experiential Learning
Cooperative Education and Internships
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.
Co-ops and internships take your knowledge and turn it into know-how. Your art and design co-ops will provide hands-on experience that enables you to apply your artistic capabilities in dynamic professional settings while you make valuable connections between classwork and real-world applications.
Students in the game arts option are strongly encouraged to complete a cooperative education or internship experience.
Creative Industry Days
Connect with Design Industry Leaders
RIT’s Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education hosts Creative Industry Days, which connects students majoring in art, design, film and animation, photography, and select computing majors with companies, organizations, creative agencies, design firms, and more. Creative Industry Days are a series of events that allow you to network with company representatives and interview directly for open co-op and full-time employment positions.
Featured Work
3D Digital Design Reel
A compilation of student work from the last few years.
School of Design Reel
Samples of work from each BFA program in RIT's School of Design — 3D digital design, graphic design, industrial design, interior design and new media design.
The Camera that Bleeds
Mark Lipina, Davis Snider, Michal Zadok, Leah Tyler, Victoria Lofaro, Eric Burby, Tae Won Chung, Ryan Welsh, Jacob Irizarry, Arthur Tisseront
A noir mystery-horror game where you solve ghostly mysteries using an instant camera that can see into the supernatural world.
Featured Profiles
Building a Virtual Production Curriculum
Supported by MegaGrant from Epic Games, MAGIC Spell Studios has brought groundbreaking research and filmmaking techniques to RIT.
Alumni Spotlight: Marty Pietras '17
As a 3D material artist for Sony, Pietras textures environments for PlayStation titles — including "The Last Of Us Part II."
Pre-College Portfolio Prep Workshop
RIT's annual Pre-College Portfolio Preparation Workshop offers students an engaging and rewarding experience. The course, taught by our School of Art's drawing and painting faculty, is a visual arts...
Admissions and Financial Aid
This program is STEM designated when studying on campus and full time.
This option is part of the 3D digital design BFA. Please visit the degree program page for admission requirements.
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
Latest News
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November 16, 2023
![CAD faculty and staff at Johnson Space Center.]()
Student on a mission to merge art with science for NASA
In a space known for innovative science and technology, Paige Manley '24 (3D digital design) is demonstrating the value of art as an aid to science through opportunities with NASA.
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November 6, 2023
![A student has her artwork reviewed by faculty member Don Arday.]()
Prospective students explore RIT art and design programs at National Portfolio Day event
The College of Art and Design welcomed 226 young artists to campus for its National Portfolio Day event, where prospective students met one-on-one with faculty about their artwork and different programs.
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August 30, 2023
![Wall signage with College of Art and Design in big, silver letters.]()
New School of Design director, faculty hires ready for 2023-24 academic year
The College of Art and Design welcomes new hires to its faculty roster while longtime faculty Alex Lobos assumes a role as director of the School of Design.
