Bachelor of Arts in
Game Design

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN?(Required)

Silicon Valley Campus

Online

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Program of Interest (Online)(Required)

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Where Your Endgame Begins

Ready.
Headset.
Go!

In our Bachelor of Arts in Game Design degree program, we’ll take you on an epic journey through hands-on, collaborative adventures.

PROGRAM OFFERED ON-CAMPUS OR ONLINE

Learn the secrets of logic, balance, storytelling, programming, and level design. It’s all about practical experience with game engines, project management, and rocking awesome projects with your fellow students. Your final challenge? A mind-blowing two-semester capstone project where interdisciplinary teams create gaming magic. With a range of electives, you can further develop your programming, game writing, marketing, user experience, art, or audio skills. Get ready to unleash your creativity and become the ultimate game design hero!

Game Design Degree Highlights & Outcomes

Articulate and demonstrate game design principles and best practices through the development of engaging, interactive media.

Demonstrate understanding of proven game storytelling principles while employing narrative-related tools, techniques, and best practices.

Implement, test, and critique user-centered design experiences and interfaces within interactive media.

Collaborate effectively and ethically as part of multidisciplinary projects and demonstrate professionalism in diverse team environments.

Demonstrate a career-ready understanding of game design and production through a published portfolio and professional identity.

Join Our Alumni Ranks

USV Bachelor of Arts in Game Design alumni have gone on to work at some of the most prestigious studios in the video game industry.

Option: Get Your Game On with USV's Game Writing Focus

Hey, future game changers! Ready to dive deep into the heart of storytelling in video games? Our Game Writing focus is where the magic happens. Guided by a rockstar industry veteran, you’ll learn the ropes of game writing and narrative design – the hottest roles in game dev today.

Success Stories? We've Got Plenty!

Some Game Writing grads are now rocking narrative roles at studios like Blizzard, Magic Tavern, and even FableLabs. Our Game Writing champs have been owning the GDC Game Narrative Review competition for six years, snatching five Gold-level awards!

What Will You Learn? Oh, So Much Fun!

Dive into game story and narrative analysis. Craft epic cutscenes. Plan and write those iconic game "barks." Craft branching dialogues and gripping stories. Create your own intellectual property (I.P.). Work within existing I.P. Direct voice talent like a pro. Develop your very own narrative-driven game. Learn the art of crafting a killer game writing portfolio site.

More Perks? You Bet!

Get personal mentorship from Professor Skolnick himself. Field trips to top game studios (when available). Connect with at least eight industry pros beyond USV (think design, narrative, game writing).

The Game's Afoot!

In a world of gaming programs, we're the rare breed with a whole track dedicated to this red-hot game development discipline. Don't just make games – write 'em like a pro!

Electives crafted for future digital storytellers. The mastermind behind it all? Evan Skolnick!

Meet Your Game Writing Professor

Evan Skolnick: The Game Wizard Behind Blockbusters

Evan Skolnick? He’s not your average storyteller. With a whopping 25 years of combined experience in crafting stories and game development, this guy’s been everywhere – from Marvel to Activision to Lucasfilm. He’s not just a writer; he’s a game writer and an international speaker, sharing his wisdom with over a thousand game development pros.

But that’s not all – Mr. Skolnick’s got some serious game credits under his belt. Think Cuphead, Star Wars: Battlefront, The Walking Dead: A New Frontier, Mafia III, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, and a whole lot more!

Oh, and did we mention he’s an author, too? Yep, you can find his book Video Game Storytelling published by Penguin Random House.

And here’s the kicker – at USV, he’s the brains behind the Game Writing concentration, the hottest program on the West Coast. Evan Skolnick – where storytelling meets gaming innovation!

Tech Pack™
Your Essential Creative Toolkit

Picture this: Your files, multimedia masterpieces, and coursework are all at your fingertips, 24/7. That’s the magic of Tech Pack™.

What’s in the box? A sleek laptop and media creation software tailored to your program, keeping you in sync with the ever-evolving industry standards. And it’s yours to keep after you graduate, setting you up for success in the future. Whether you’re crafting the next big game or working on mind-blowing multimedia projects, Tech Pack™ has your back.

The exact components of your Tech Pack™ might vary based on what’s available when we ship it out. No worries – it’s all part of your total education cost. Oh, and about the software? You’ll need to do a quick download using your USV email. Just a heads-up, there might be a small cost involved. Check it out!

What's included*:

Dell G15 Gaming Laptop (Intel® Core™ i7-13650HX, NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 4060, 16 GB DDR5, 1 TB SSD, 15.6" 1080p Display, Windows 11 Home) — Dell Gaming Laptop

HUION Inspiroy H1060P Graphics Drawing Tablet

*Pricing and package specifications are subject to change.

Game Design Student Work

Create Projects
for the Pros

Play

Potential Game Design Career Options

Your Experience Just Got Real

Game Designer
Level Designer
Narrative Designer
Game Writer
Content Editor
Producer
Quality Assurance (QA) Tester

Want to make the characters you'd like to play as?

USV's Learning Approach

At USV, full-time students take 3 courses per term versus the traditional 4 courses per term. Why is this important to our students? Our learning approach allows our students to have improved retention and increased engagement of course material, better work-life balance, reduced stress, and a more successful path to graduation.

That’s the USV difference.

The University of Silicon Valley:
The USV Difference

3 COURSES / TERM
(12 Credits)

Cognitive

Deeper learning.
Improved retention and increased engagement with material.

Well-Being

Reduced stress and a better schoolwork-life experience.

Success

Better opportunity to complete your degree and be prepared for employment opportunities.

Other Universities:
The Traditional Approach

4 COURSES / TERM
(12 Credits)

More courses means the possibility for more stress, less time for hobbies or other responsibilities, and a greater effort to retain course material.

Students may not graduate on time or be as successful in their classes.

Learn On-Campus
or Online

Our Bachelor of Arts in Game Design degree program is available on-campus or 100% online. Whether taking classes at the USV campus or learning from the comfort of your own home, you will experience multiplayer support of our award-winning curriculum.

Learn more about our Game Design School

Party up and join the quest

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN?(Required)

Silicon Valley Campus

Online

Name(Required)

Email(Required)

Phone(Required)

Grad Year(Required)

Program of Interest(Required)

Program of Interest (Online)(Required)

Phone

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Learn from the Best

"USV's level of staff is one of the highest in the Bay Area. My game design classes were taught by some of the best in the industry, and it felt like our instructors knew exactly how to guide us for our careers."

"Hands-on projects and access to faculty with deep industry experience provide our students with an array of valuable skills, whether they are interested in becoming a game designer, artist, writer, or programmer."

"The only thing more fun than playing games is making them. All it takes is some time, a willingness to learn, and a passion to create."

Real World Learning.
For Reels.

In Game Studio, students work in teams for external clients, adding actual games that ship to their portfolio. Project-based learning leads to real-world results.

Bachelor of Arts in Game Design

Ready. Headset. Go!

Game Design Degree Highlights & Outcomes

Join Our Alumni Ranks

Option: Get Your Game On with USV's Game Writing Focus

Success Stories? We've Got Plenty!

What Will You Learn? Oh, So Much Fun!

More Perks? You Bet!

The Game's Afoot!

Meet Your Game Writing Professor

Evan Skolnick: The Game Wizard Behind Blockbusters

Tech Pack™ Your Essential Creative Toolkit

Game Design Student Work

Potential Game Design Career Options

USV's Learning Approach

Learn On-Campus or Online

Learn more about our Game Design School

Learn from the Best

Real World Learning. For Reels.

Bachelor of Arts in
Game Design

Ready.
Headset.
Go!

Tech Pack™
Your Essential Creative Toolkit

Learn On-Campus
or Online

Real World Learning.
For Reels.