Bachelor of Science Degree
The IMGD program focuses on the design, development, and business of interactive media with opportunities to create interactive content and entertainment, and the chance to join and participate in media’s largest, fastest growing, industry. Students will learn by doing, creating projects to add to a digital portfolio and working with industry-standard software and design suites.
Students will take courses in areas like gamification, machinima, and a progression of studio design courses. Students will also choose to concentrate in one of three areas:
- Software Development and Interaction Design
- Marketing and Entrepreneurship
- Art and Asset Production
Graduates of the IMGD program can look forward to careers as lead designers, concept artists, script writers, and project managers.
B.S. in Interactive Media & Game Design (IMGD) – 124 total credits
To earn a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Interactive Media & Game Design, a student must fulfill the following requirements:
- Satisfactory completion of at least 124 semester hours of college level work, including credits in the following areas:
1. General Education Requirements
2. SUNY Poly Degree Requirements
3. Program Requirements
4. General Electives
- Satisfactory completion of at least 45 semester hours of upper division course work, at least 30 of which must be taken at SUNY Poly.
- Achievement of at least 2.00 cumulative quality point average in course work taken at SUNY Poly, and a “C” or better in all Interactive Media & Game Design Core courses.
I. SUNY General Education Requirements
At least 30 credits must be earned by completing SUNY approved General Education Courses.
All students must take at least one course in:
- Mathematics
- Basic Communication (ENG 101 or equivalent)
All students must complete courses in at least five (5) out of the following eight (8) SUNY General Education categories:
- Natural Science
- Humanities
- The Arts
- Social Science
- American History
- Western Civilization
- Other World Civilization
- Foreign Languages
NOTE: You may take more than one course in a given category to complete this 30 credit hour requirement, but you must also satisfy the appropriate number of categories.
II. SUNY Poly degree requirements
- Natural Sciences : one course which may also be a General Education Natural Science course.
- Upper-Division Writing Course: may be satisfied by an appropriate course in the program core.
III. Liberal Arts Requirements
All students are required to earn a total of 60 credits in the Liberal Arts. Students majoring in Interactive Media & Game Design fulfill this requirement through courses satisfying General Education and Program requirements.
IV. IMGD Program Requirements – 57 credits
Program Core
- COM 108 or COM 375 – Introduction to Media Theory
- COM 302 – Professional Presentations
- COM 320 – Information Design
- COM 350 – Visual Thinking and Writing
- COM 380 – Critical Perspectives on Digital Culture
- COM 499 – Portfolio Review and Professional Development
Career Concentration
- COM 219 – Introduction to Video Game Design and Culture
- COM 239 – Gamification Theory
- COM 309 – Machinima and 3D Animation
- COM 319 – Asset Production
- COM 419 – Video Game Design Studio
- COM 429 – Professional Game Production
Professional Skills
Students select three courses in one of the following professional skills clusters:
Software Development and Interaction Design (additionally requires MAT 115)
Must take:
- CS 108 – Computing Fundamentals
- CS 240 – Data Structures and Algorithms (prereq CS 108 and MAT 115)
Take one of the following:
- CS 249 – Object Oriented Programming
- CS 350 – Information and Knowledge Managements
- CS 450 – Computer Graphics
Marketing and Entrepreneurship
- MKT 301 – Marketing Management Principles
- MKT 312 – Marketing Management Problems
- MKT 321 – Advertising Management
- ENT 375 – Introduction to Entrepreneurship
Art and Asset Production
- ART 110 – 2D Design or ART 135 – Drawing
- COM 213 – Animation and Vector Graphics
- COM 414 – Advanced Digital Graphic Design
- COM 416 – Interactive Animation
General Electives – 30-34 credits
A “C” or better is required in all core classes and a 2.00 in the major as a whole.
Game Design and Development Minor
The College of Arts and Sciences offers a minor in Game Design and Development. The minor is valuable to students pursuing studies in fields such as computer science or business who wish to enhance their design and communication skills and make themselves more marketable in the interactive entertainment and video game industry.