Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Arts
Nature of the Program
The Game Design and Interactive Media major provides students with the skills and knowledge needed to create engaging interactive experiences including video games, dynamic websites, and interactive experiences. The program begins with foundational skills in art and design in traditional media and introduces coding and interactive design using digital tools and software. Core classes encompass 2D and 3D video game design, coding for web interactivity, and digital narrative production, with a choice of capstone experiences in narrative web design or advanced game design. A diverse selection of electives allows for specialization in areas such as digital art and animation, user-experience design, interactive audio, and physical interactive objects. Students can gain real-world experience in project development and management through our community-based, not-for-profit game studio, where interdisciplinary teams of students and members of the public conceive, design, develop, playtest, and publish original video games. Students must earn a C- or higher in all major required coursework.
Admissions for 2026-2027
Admission requirements for the Game Design and Interactive Media program are the same as to the university. Visit the WVU undergraduate admissions page for details on general WVU admission.
Students not meeting the above requirements will be admitted to WVU as either a pre-Art or pre-Media student through CLASS.
Major Code: 3751
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 60 | |
| Interactive Design for Media Program Requirements | 27 | |
| Interactive Design for Media Major Requirements | 33 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 8 | 25 | |
| ART 191 | First-Year Seminar | 2 |
| General Electives | 33 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
Game Design and Interactive Media Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum grade of C- or better is required in all program coursework. | ||
| ARHS 120 | Survey of Art History 1 | 3 |
| ARHS 160 | Survey of Art History 2 | 3 |
| ART 121S | Visual Foundations 1 | 3 |
| ART 122S | Visual Foundations 2 | 3 |
| ART 270S | Introduction to Electronic Media 1 | 3 |
| ART 287 | Coding for Media Applications | 3 |
| MDIA 101 | Media and Society | 3 |
| MDIA 215S | Media Writing | 3 |
| MDIA 328 | Media Ethics and Law | 3 |
| Total Hours | 27 | |
Game Design and Interactive Media Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum grade of C- or better is required in all major coursework. | ||
| Art Requirements | ||
| ART 272S | Designing for Multimedia | 3 |
| ART 273S | Beginning 3D Animation | 3 |
| ART 285S | Interactive Audio Design | 3 |
| ART 286S | Layout for Digital Media | 3 |
| ART 372S | Interactive Design | 3 |
| ART 472S | Advanced Interactive Design (Capstone) | 3 |
| or ART 487S | Advanced Game Design | |
| Media Requirements | ||
| ART 386S | Gaming Design and Digital Narrative | 3 |
| ART 387 | UI/UX Design for Media Applications | 3 |
| ART 486S | Intermediate Game Design | 3 |
| MDIA or ADV or JRL or ART or ARHS elective at 200 level or higher | 3 | |
| MDIA or ADV or JRL or ART or ARHS elective at 200 level or higher | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ART 191 | 2 | MDIA 215S | 3 |
| MDIA 101 (GEF 4) | 3 | ART 122S | 3 |
| ART 121S | 3 | ARHS 160 (GEF 8) | 3 |
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | GEF 2 | 4 |
| ARHS 120 (GEF 6) | 3 | Elective or Minor | 3 |
| 14 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ART 287 | 3 | ART 270S | 3 |
| ART 272S | 3 | ART 286S | 3 |
| ART 285S | 3 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| GEF 3 | 3 | Elective or Minor | 3 |
| Elective or Minor | 3 | Elective or Minor | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ART 386S | 3 | MDIA 328 | 3 |
| ART 273S | 3 | ART 486S | 3 |
| ART 372S | 3 | ART or ARHS or MDIA or JRL elective at 200 level or above | 3 |
| GEF 5 | 3 | GEF 7 | 3 |
| Elective or Minor | 3 | Elective or Minor | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ART 487S (or General Elective) | 3 | ART 472S (or General Elective) | 3 |
| GEF 8 | 3 | ART 387 | 3 |
| ART or ARHS or MDIA or JRL elective at 200 level or above | 3 | GEF 8 | 3 |
| Elective or Minor | 3 | Elective or Minor | 3 |
| Elective or Minor | 3 | Elective or Minor | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||
Accelerated Program
Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's BA in Game Design and Interactive Media and MA in Game Design
Students must fulfill all degree requirements for the B.A .in Game Design and Interactive Media and all the requirements for the M.A. in Game Design. Students must also meet all the requirements of the A.B.M. in Game Design.
ABM Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Coursework | 111 | |
| Shared B.A. / M.A. Coursework | 9 | |
| Graduate Coursework | 21 | |
| Total Hours | 141 | |
Shared Bachelor's/Master's Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum grade of C- or better is required in all major coursework. | ||
| ART 502S | Game Design | 3 |
| ART 503 | Game Theory | 3 |
| ART 505S | Game Production | 3 |
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Suggest Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ART 191 | 2 | MDIA 215S | 3 |
| ART 121S | 3 | ART 122S | 3 |
| MDIA 101 (GEF 4) | 3 | ARHS 160 (GEF 6) | 3 |
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | GEF 2 | 4 |
| Elective or Minor course | 3 | Elective or Minor course | 3 |
| 14 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ART 287 | 3 | ART 286S | 3 |
| ART 270S | 3 | ART 285S | 3 |
| ART 272S | 3 | ART 387 | 3 |
| GEF 3 | 3 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| Elective or Minor course | 3 | Elective or Minor course | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ART 273S | 3 | MDIA 328 | 3 |
| ART 372S | 3 | ART 486S | 3 |
| ART 386S | 3 | ART 503 | 3 |
| GEF 5 | 3 | GEF 7 | 3 |
| Elective or Minor course | 3 | Elective or Minor course (GEF 8) | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ART 485S | 3 | ART 472S | 3 |
| ART 502S | 3 | ART 505S | 3 |
| ART 487S | 3 | ARHS elective | 3 |
| Elective or Minor course | 3 | Elective or Minor course | 3 |
| Elective or Minor course (GEF 8) | 3 | Elective or Minor course (GEF 8) | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fifth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ART 507, ART 608, or Electives | 6 | ART 606S | 3 |
| ART 603S | 3 | ART 607S | 6 |
| ART 604S | 3 | ||
| 12 | 9 | ||
| Total credit hours: 141 | |||
Major Learning Outcomes
Game Design and Interactive Media
Upon completion of the Game Design and Interactive Media major, graduates must have attained the following;
- Apply basic principles of two and three-dimensional design, color theory, and concept development to various media types and digital formats, with a specific aesthetic and conceptual intent.
- Analyze and integrate key elements of digital media, including visual, spatial, sound, motion, and interactivity, with an emphasis on understanding narrative and temporal structures.
- Develop and refine expertise in game design principles, such as mechanics, sound, level-design, and playtesting, to build engaging, narrative-driven games.
- Foster collaborative development of interactive experiences by engaging in iterative workflows with individuals from diverse disciplines who bring specialized skill sets.
- Critically examine the history and evolution of game design and audiovisual art to create works that are responsive to technological, social, and cultural systems.