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College of Creative Arts and Media: School of Art and Design

Game Design and Interactive Media, BA

Are you creative and love all things tech? Learn to use graphics, animation, apps and more to create interactive audiovisual media experiences, from mobile phone apps to video game production and beyond.

You’ll take both lecture and skills-based courses with ample hands-on opportunities in technology and design thinking relevant to digital, interactive platforms, like video games and narrative web experiences. Coursework will also expose you to the history, guiding principles, ethics, diversity and cultural issues related to design, technology and interactive media.

Students hone their creative and analytical skills through real world projects including publishing their original video games through MonRiverGames, the program’s non-profit game publishing studio. Graduates learn how to grow with the ever-evolving industry, and leave the program prepared for a career as a game developer, digital content producer, visual designer, project manager, interactive storyteller, media communicator or animator.

A portfolio review is not required for admission to the Game Design and Interactive Media Program.

Your Degree Plan The WVU Difference Learn by Doing Careers and Outcomes Places and Spaces Frequently Asked Questions Admission Requirements Tuition and Aid Take the Next Steps

Your Degree Plan

Intro

Student with computer screen showing a design for critique.

Game Design and Interactive Media students take a variety of art and media courses, including introduction to electronic media, game design and digital narrative, interactive audio design and coding for media applications.

Take advantage of special options related to this major:

The WVU Difference

What sets this program apart from its competitors?

  • You'll be exposed to visual design, coding, animation, game theory, digital storytelling and media ethics.
  • The major’s home in the College of Creative Arts and Media brings together the faculty and resources from both media and art.
  • Advanced students can work with MonRiverGames, a student-run non-profit game publishing studio to promote and distribute their creations.
  • Small class sizes with individualized attention and a real sense of community.
  • Funding available for study abroad and major market internships.
  • Purpose Center - Discover your values and strengths to guide your educational path and personal journey.
Scholarships

93% of WVU freshmen receive grants or scholarships (2023-24).

Learn more

Learn by Doing

Learning happens outside the classroom. Get involved.

Hands-on Learning
You will work with talented, accomplished faculty, interact with industry professionals and gain real-world experience working with MonRiverGames, a student-staffed game publishing studio created and coordinated by the game design faculty.

Capstone Courses
You will have your choice of a capstone experience. You can develop personal, narrative websites that showcase your audio-visual design skills, interactive coding techniques and advanced storytelling. Or you can work with the MonRiverGames studio to create team-focused video games. Recent game releases include Spy Cats, One Man’s Trash, Purple House, Rosco’s Adventure, Trooper Cooper’s Campsite Cleanup and many others.

Minors
Students often combine the GDIM program with a variety of minors, including Time-based Media, Photography, Sport and Adventure Media, Creative Writing, Advertising, Cybersecurity and Computer Science.

Connect with other students who share your academic interests as a member of:

View all of the student organizations you can join.

Network with professionals in your field as a student member of:

Attending college will prepare you for many things. The Game Design and Interactive Media major will give you the following skills:

  • Game development and level design
  • Narrative storytelling and character design
  • HTML, CSS and Javascript web coding
  • Digital content gathering, editing and production

Live, study and pursue outside-the-classroom learning in a residence hall community that shares your interests:

Outside of the Evansdale Crossing building.

What you learn outside of the classroom is just as important as what you learn during class. We’ll help you follow your curiosity.

Careers and Outcomes

How does this degree prepare students for a career?

Web and Digital Interface Designers

Design digital user interfaces or websites. Develop and test layouts, interfaces, functionality, and navigation menus to ensure compatibility and usability across browsers or devices. May use web framework applications as well as client-side code and processes. May evaluate web design following web and accessibility standards, and may analyze web use metrics and optimize websites for marketability and search engine ranking. May design and test interfaces that facilitate the human-computer interaction and maximize the usability of digital devices, websites, and software with a focus on aesthetics and design. May create graphics used in websites and manage website content and links.

Has a Bright Outlook

Median Salary: $98,090

Possible job titles include: Web Architect, Web Design Specialist, Web Designer, Webmaster.

Explore Career

Video Game Designers

Design core features of video games. Specify innovative game and role-play mechanics, story lines, and character biographies. Create and maintain design documentation. Guide and collaborate with production staff to produce games as designed.

Has a Bright Outlook

Median Salary: $98,090

Possible job titles include: Design Director, Designer, Game Designer, World Designer.

Explore Career

Career Options

Graduates from the GDIM program have gone on to be:

  • Game developers
  • Interactive audio designers
  • Digital media specialists
  • UX designers
  • Educators
  • Social media coordinators
  • Media buyers

Graduates have also been accepted to the Game Design master of arts program at WVU.

Game Design MA

The College of Creative Arts and Media offers a fully online MA in Game Design that provides the opportunity to design and prototype your own game and enhance your professional game design portfolio.

Graduates of the GDIM program have the option of enrolling in the Game Design MA program to continue and expand on their undergraduate studies.

FAQs

Common questions and answers about Game Design and Interactive Media.

  1. The GDIM program offers classes in audio/video design and content productions, game design, interactive coding, digital storytelling and UX design.

  2. Yes, the student-staffed video game publishing studio, MonRiverGames, provides students with a platform where they can collaborate, develop, promote and distribute their own, original video games.

  3. GDIM graduates have been hired by Blizzard Games, worked on social media campaigns for Little Caesar’s and have been hired as a game design educator for Nonpariel Institutes.

    Graduates also work as multimedia specialists, web designers, digital content producers and social media directors.

Places and Spaces

Learn about all of the places and spaces you'll learn in.

Program Facility - Creative Arts Center

Canady Creative Arts Center

The Loulie, Valerie and William Canady Creative Arts center boasts 4 exhibition spaces, 5 performance spaces, 33 individual practice rooms and 50 classrooms and studios with plenty of space to create. The loading dock at the rear of the building is a wonderful open-air space with stunning acoustics.

Explore the Canady Creative Arts Center
Featurette - Media Innovation Center - 37654 S MSS 0008 XX

Media Innovation Center

The Media Innovation Center is an open-door, cross-discipline media space that provides the latest digital and interactive tools to develop original, story-based, digital media experiences. Our co-innovation philosophy and embrace of innovation for social change leads our belief that every community should have the access, tools and skills to shape its own story, identity and future.

Explore the Media Innovation Center
  • Virtual Tour
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  • Student Life
    You will have it all here — epic traditions, quality academics and a supportive community that feels like home.
  • Visit
    Experience WVU in person and start imagining life as a Mountaineer!

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to WVU's Game Design and Interactive Media major, first-time freshmen must meet WVU's first-time freshman admission requirements. Interested in transferring? Review the transfer admission requirements.

Tuition and Aid

How much does Game Design and Interactive Media at WVU cost? And how can you save?

Tuition and Fees

Estimated rates are available on our tuition website. Anyone who is not a current West Virginia resident, including international students, will be charged non-resident rates.

View Tuition and Fees

Scholarships

Estimate your eligibility for merit scholarships at WVU Morgantown.

Find Scholarships

Net Price Calculator

Estimate your cost of attendance and eligibility for financial aid and scholarships at any WVU System campus.

Visit the Net Price Calculator

Ways to Save

Here are a few ways for you to save on the cost of attending WVU in addition to university scholarships.

Financial Aid

The most important step toward funding your future with financial aid for the Game Design and Interactive Media major is submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.

How to Complete the FAFSA

Ohio Tuition Reciprocity

As the result of a special agreement, students from Ohio who are fully admitted to Game Design and Interactive Media can enroll at WVU and pay in-state tuition rates. Students must be admitted to both the University and this major.

Learn More

Transfer Articulation Agreements

To simplify the transfer process, we have formal agreements with certain institutions. These agreements outline the courses you should take to prepare for transferring to WVU.

Review the full list of transfer articulation agreements to see if your institution is listed.

Learn How to Transfer Course Credits

Ready to take the next step?

Learn how to join the WVU family.

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Want to know more about Game Design and Interactive Media at WVU? Fill out our request form to receive more information.

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