Game Design & Production BS

Major: Game Design and Production

Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science (BS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 191.0
Co-op Options: Three Co-op (Five years); One Co-op (Four years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 11.0899
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 27-1014; 25-1199

About the Program

Drexel's Game Design & Production undergraduate major, nationally ranked as a top program for game design by multiple organizations, such as the Princeton Review (ranked #8 in 2024), provides students with a broad foundation in digital design and content creation skills in team project environments. In Drexel’s generalist-to-specialist approach, students experience a wide variety of roles in bringing a game all the way through production – from pie-in-the-sky idea to playable reality. Through this process of discovery, students learn about themselves and the skill focuses that they want to pursue, minors and electives they want to study, and how to create a game as part of a team throughout the program.

Drexel’s Game Design & Production program is committed to making the game development environment, and by extension the industry at large, a supportive and welcoming community for all voices. The democratization of game making tools enables anyone to tell their story in this immersive and interactive medium. We in the program are excited to guide and support the next generation of storytellers as they create new works that entertain and reflect upon the full spectrum of the human experience.

The major supports careers in every industry that utilizes real-time interactive digital experiences. Our graduates have measurable value to the entertainment sector of computer, mixed-reality, mobile, and console games industries. Beyond entertainment, our graduates are needed in countless industries, anywhere in the world, that utilize interactive digital environments for simulation, training, marketing, communication, or education. 

Our focus on project-based teamwork prepares students for cross-disciplinary work in any scale at any size of company. From big-budget AAA blockbuster game studios with team sizes in the hundreds with specialist technicians and artists, to small- and medium-sized companies where developers have broad skill bases, to small independent studios – including those founded by our entrepreneurial students. Drexel Dragons can be specialists with a strong foundation that allows them to adapt, to be flexible bridge-builders and liaisons across art and technical teams, and rugged entrepreneurs running their own start-up.

Digital content creation is a dynamically evolving industry. Certain processes and jobs that exist today may be automated within five years, with the recent developments in imitative artificial intelligence tools being the latest example. Companies small to large will use established and newly developed commercially available tools, but also build and maintain proprietary in-house tools and pipelines. 

Courses in Drexel’s program evolve in response to, and in anticipation of, industry trends and on-demand special topic courses are taught to rapidly respond to student and industry developments. Familiarity with the latest industry standard for tools is important but student skills must be transferrable and tool-agnostic – to adapt to a 3D modeling tool like Blender, 3DS Max, Maya, or proprietary in-house tools that are only accessible within the company that develops them. Drexel’s program encourages students to become adept at the core processes of digital creation, not just a single piece of software. 

Our courses are predominantly offered face-to-face on campus, but we also feature virtual courses taught by a diverse range of experts from across the nation, exposing students to a wide network of active professionals and to the evolving climate of industry work as a significant number of studios have permanently moved to be partially or completely remote, even prior to 2020.

Students start building game assets and games in their first terms as freshmen and continue to create team-based game projects both small and large throughout their plan of study. Interdisciplinary teamwork is a core skill developed in teams of two to over eighteen, often spanning multiple programs including Computer Science, Music Industry, Animation & VFX, Digital Media & Virtual Production, User Experience & Interaction Design, and more. Every project enables students to experiment and refine their experience in the numerous roles required to produce a finished game.

Drexel University offers multiple opportunities to support the entrepreneurial minded student, from Drexel’s on-campus indie game incubator, the Entrepreneurial Game Studio, to the Close School of Entrepreneurship and the Baiada Institute for Entrepreneurship.

Career building begins inside the classroom with team projects and networking, and outside the classroom with six or eighteen months of co-op experiences.

To complement the creative focus of the Game Design & Production major, a minor in Computer Science is popular, and in many cases an ideal supplement for our students. The CS minor increases programming knowledge while maintaining a creative design and production focus in the Game Design & Production major. There are more than 120 minors available at Drexel and many are easy to achieve within our plan of study using free electives. It is important for students to make their minor a personal choice to reflect their specific focus and further personalize their Drexel education experience.

Additional Information

To find out more about this major, visit the Westphal College’s Game Design & Production Major page.

Degree Requirements 

General Education Requirements
CIVC 101Introduction to Civic Engagement1.0
COM 230Techniques of Speaking3.0
COOP 101Career Management and Professional Development *1.0
ENGL 101Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research3.0
or ENGL 111 English Composition I
ENGL 102Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing3.0
or ENGL 112 English Composition II
ENGL 103Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres3.0
or ENGL 113 English Composition III
MATH 101Introduction to Analysis I4.0
PHYS 170Electricity and Motion3.0
PHYS 171Computational Lab for Electricity and Motion1.0
PHYS 175Light and Sound3.0
PHYS 176Computational Lab for Light and Sound1.0
UNIV A101The Drexel Experience2.0
Arts and humanities elective **3.0
History (HIST) elective (100-499)4.0
Literature (ENGL) elective (100-499)3.0
Social sciences electives ***9.0
Free electives23.0
Art and Art History Requirements
Required ARTH electives (choose a minimum of 6 credits from ARTH 100-499, except ARTH 300)6.0
ARTH 300 [WI] History of Modern Design3.0
VSST 108Design I for Media3.0
VSST 109Design II for Media3.0
VSST 110Introductory Drawing3.0
VSST 111Figure Drawing I3.0
Media and Computer Science Requirements
DIGM 131Introduction to Scripting for the Digital Content Creation Pipeline3.0
FMTV 110Basic Cinematography3.0
FMTV 206Audio Production and Post3.0
GMAP 231Scripting for Game Design3.0
SCRP 270 [WI] Screenwriting I3.0
Digital Media Core Requirements
ANIM 140Computer Graphics Imagery I3.0
ANIM 145Realtime Visualization3.0
ANIM 211Animation I3.0
DIGM 105Overview of Digital Media3.0
DIGM 350 [WI] Digital Storytelling3.0
DIGM 451 [WI] Explorations in New Media3.0
DIGM 475 [WI] Seminar: The Future of Digital Media3.0
DIGM 490Digital Media Senior Project 9.0
DIGM 491Digital Media Senior Project Studio 3.0
GMAP 260Overview of Computer Gaming3.0
PROD 215Design Thinking in Product Design4.0
Gaming Requirements
GMAP 101Game Design Lab I3.0
GMAP 102Game Design Lab II3.0
GMAP 121Overview of Game Playtesting1.0
GMAP 123Basic Portfolio1.0
GMAP 211Game User Interface Design3.0
GMAP 246Advanced Portfolio (Taken three times.)3.0
GMAP 301Game History3.0
GMAP 321Advanced Game Playtesting1.0
GMAP 345Game Development Foundations3.0
GMAP 367Character Animation for Gaming3.0
GMAP 377Game Development: Workshop I3.0
GMAP 378Game Development: Workshop II3.0
GMAP 395Advanced Game Design and Production3.0
Select from the following Gaming electives12.0
Animation II
Digital Cultural Heritage
Entrepreneurial Thinking
Concept Art for Games
Entrepreneurial Game Studio Incubator Lab Project
Serious Games
Experimental Games
Game Design from the Player’s Perspective
Architecture & Game Level Design Workshop
Artificial Intelligence in Gaming
Mobile Game Development
Audio for Games
Special Topics in Game Art and Production
Special Topics in Game Art and Production
Special Topics in Game Art and Production
Special Topics in Game Art and Production
Organizational Behavior
Leadership: Theory and Practice
Team Development and Leadership
Negotiations and Conflict Resolution
Game: Universe & Story
Future of Narrative Games
Game Development Study
Game Writing Workshop I
Game Writing Workshop II
Motion Capture I
Motion Capture II
Total Credits191.0
*

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major. 

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

**

Select from 100-499 level courses, including T380-T480 in AFAS, ARCH, ARTH, COM, DANC, ENGL, FMST, GST, HIST, INTR, IST, JWST, LANG, LING, MENA, MUSC, PHIL, PHTO, PPE, PBHL, RELS, SCRP, THTR, TVST, VSCM, WGST, WRIT.

***

Select from 100-499 level courses, including T380-T480, in AFAS, ANTH, CJS, CS, ECON, ENSS, ENVS, PSCI, PSY, PBHL, SOC, WGST.

 DIGM 490 and DIGM 491 are repeated three times each to complete the DIGM Capstone Senior Project sequence.

Writing-Intensive Course Requirements

In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.

 Sample Plan of Study

 4 year, 1 co-op (Spring/Summer)

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
DIGM 1313.0ANIM 1403.0ANIM 1453.0VACATION
ENGL 101 or 1113.0ENGL 102 or 1123.0CIVC 1011.0 
GMAP 1013.0GMAP 1023.0ENGL 103 or 1133.0 
PHYS 1703.0GMAP 1231.0FMTV 1103.0 
PHYS 1711.0PHYS 1753.0GMAP 1211.0 
UNIV A101 (Department Specific)1.0PHYS 1761.0MATH 1014.0 
VSST 1103.0UNIV A101 (Program Specific)1.0VSST 1093.0 
 VSST 1083.0  
 17 18 18 0
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
ANIM 2113.0GMAP 2313.0COM 2303.0COOP 101*1.0
DIGM 1053.0GMAP 3673.0GMAP 2461.0DIGM 3503.0
GMAP 2113.0PROD 2154.0GMAP 3453.0FMTV 2063.0
GMAP 2603.0VSST 1113.0SCRP 2703.0GMAP 3953.0
GMAP 3013.0Art History (ARTH) Elective3.0Free Elective3.0Art History (ARTH) Elective3.0
  Gaming Elective3.0Gaming Elective3.0
 15 16 16 16
Third Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
ARTH 3003.0DIGM 4753.0COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCE
DIGM 4513.0GMAP 3211.0  
GMAP 2461.0GMAP 3783.0  
GMAP 3773.0Free Elective3.0  
Arts and Humanities Elective3.0Gaming Elective3.0  
Gaming Elective3.0Social Science Elective 3.0  
 16 16 0 0
Fourth Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCredits 
DIGM 4903.0DIGM 4911.0DIGM 4903.0 
DIGM 4911.0DIGM 4903.0DIGM 4911.0 
Free Electives6.0GMAP 2461.0Free Electives5.0 
Literature (ENGL) Elective3.0Free Electives6.0History (HIST) Elective4.0 
Social Science Elective3.0Social Science Elective3.0  
 16 14 13 
Total Credits 191
*

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major. 

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

5 year, 3 co-op (Fall/Winter)

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
DIGM 1313.0ANIM 1403.0ANIM 1453.0VACATION
ENGL 101 or 1113.0COOP 101*1.0CIVC 1011.0 
GMAP 1013.0ENGL 102 or 1123.0ENGL 103 or 1133.0 
PHYS 1703.0GMAP 1023.0FMTV 1103.0 
PHYS 1711.0GMAP 1231.0GMAP 1211.0 
UNIV A101 (Department Specific)1.0PHYS 1753.0MATH 1014.0 
VSST 1103.0PHYS 1761.0VSST 1093.0 
 UNIV A101 (Program Specific)1.0  
 VSST 1083.0  
 17 19 18 0
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCEANIM 2113.0GMAP 2313.0
  DIGM 1053.0GMAP 3673.0
  GMAP 2113.0PROD 2154.0
  GMAP 2603.0VSST 1113.0
  GMAP 3013.0Art History (ARTH) Elective3.0
 0 0 15 16
Third Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCECOM 2303.0DIGM 3503.0
  GMAP 2461.0FMTV 2063.0
  GMAP 3453.0GMAP 3953.0
  SCRP 2703.0Art History (ARTH) Elective3.0
  Free Elective3.0Gaming Elective3.0
  Gaming Elective3.0 
 0 0 16 15
Fourth Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
ARTH 3003.0DIGM 4753.0COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCE
DIGM 4513.0GMAP 3211.0  
GMAP 2461.0GMAP 3783.0  
GMAP 3773.0Free Elective3.0  
Arts and Humanities Elective3.0Gaming Elective3.0  
Gaming Elective3.0Social Science Elective3.0  
 16 16 0 0
Fifth Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCredits 
DIGM 4903.0DIGM 4903.0DIGM 4903.0 
DIGM 4911.0DIGM 4911.0DIGM 4911.0 
Free Electives6.0GMAP 2461.0Free Electives5.0 
Literature (ENGL) Elective3.0Free Electives6.0History (HIST) Elective4.0 
Social Science Elective3.0Social Science Elective3.0  
 16 14 13 
Total Credits 191
*

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major. 

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

5 year, 3 co-op (Spring/Summer)

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
DIGM 1313.0ANIM 1403.0ANIM 1453.0VACATION
ENGL 101 or 1113.0ENGL 102 or 1123.0CIVC 1011.0 
GMAP 1013.0GMAP 1023.0COOP 101*1.0 
PHYS 1703.0GMAP 1231.0ENGL 103 or 1133.0 
PHYS 1711.0PHYS 1753.0FMTV 1103.0 
UNIV A101 (Department Specific)1.0PHYS 1761.0GMAP 1211.0 
VSST 1103.0UNIV A101 (Program Specific)1.0MATH 1014.0 
 VSST 1083.0VSST 1093.0 
 17 18 19 0
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
ANIM 2113.0GMAP 2313.0COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCE
DIGM 1053.0GMAP 3673.0  
GMAP 2113.0PROD 2154.0  
GMAP 2603.0VSST 1113.0  
GMAP 3013.0Art History (ARTH) Elective3.0  
 15 16 0 0
Third Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
COM 2303.0DIGM 3503.0COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCE
GMAP 2461.0FMTV 2063.0  
GMAP 3453.0GMAP 3953.0  
SCRP 2703.0Art History (ARTH) Elective3.0  
Free Elective3.0Gaming Elective3.0  
Gaming Elective3.0   
 16 15 0 0
Fourth Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
ARTH 3003.0DIGM 4753.0COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCE
DIGM 4513.0GMAP 3211.0  
GMAP 2461.0GMAP 3783.0  
GMAP 3773.0Free Electives3.0  
Arts and Humanities Elective3.0Gaming Elective3.0  
Gaming Elective3.0Social Science Elective3.0  
 16 16 0 0
Fifth Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCredits 
DIGM 4903.0DIGM 4903.0DIGM 4903.0 
DIGM 4911.0DIGM 4911.0DIGM 4911.0 
Free Electives 6.0GMAP 2461.0Free Electives5.0 
Literature (ENGL) Elective3.0Free Electives6.0History (HIST) Elective4.0 
Social Science Elective 3.0Social Science Elective3.0  
 16 14 13 
Total Credits 191
*

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major. 

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

Co-op/Career Opportunities

Drexel students have broad training in all areas of game design and production, and our students have career opportunities in both entertainment gaming and broader simulation/training industries, and anywhere interactive gaming technology is applied - a growing segment in all industries.

Co-op Experiences

Building a career often begins with a few key contacts - especially through alums already working professionally - and the co-op program gives Drexel students the chance to meet professionals, make their skills known, and build their personal network. 

In addition to small and large entertainment companies, students have opportunities to explore how game design is applicable to many local and international industries ranging from aerospace to pharmaceuticals to home and yacht design. 

Recent co-op opportunities include game and digital media jobs in Philadelphia region companies like Art Sphere, Big Moxi Games, Comcast, DVNC Tech, eNable Games, Entrepreneurial Game Studio, GLIDE Lab, Gossamer Games, iD Tech Game Design & Development Academy, IDEA, Night Kitchen Interactive, Penn Medicine, PHL Collective, QuadraTron Games, Skyless Game Studios, Tipping Point Media, and Virtual Health.

Students also secured game and digital media co-ops at national and international companies, like Activision in Los Angeles, Amazon Robotics remotely, EA Games remotely, Infinity Ward remotely, Rockstar Games in San Diego, Treyarch remotely, Twisted Ark in Helsinki, and Inter Media Japan in Tokyo.

Career Experiences

Our network of successful game development alum work in leading entertainment companies including 343 Industries, Activision, AvalancheBlizzard, Disney, EA Games, Epic Games, Filament Games, Firaxis Games, Gearbox Software, Ghost Story Games, Industrial Light & Magic, Infinity Ward, Insomniac, Irrational Games, Level Ex, Magic Fuel Games, Microsoft Studios, Microsoft Xbox, Midway, Mojang, NCsoft, NeatherRealm Studios, Nexon, Oculus VR, Raven Software, Riot Games, Rockstar Games, Rovio, Running With Scissors, Schell Games, Sony SCEA, Spry Fox, The Coalition, Turn 10 Studios, Volition, ZeniMax Online, and Zynga.

Other students chose small-to-mid-size studios or launch their own digital media enterprises, like Tom Fulp (BS '02), founder of Newgrounds.com, or indie game companies, like Dan Fornace (BS '11), creator of Rivals of Aether, Greg Lobanov (BS '14), creator of Wandersong & Chicory, or Tom Sharpe (BS '16), director of Gossamer Games and their award-winning title, Sole. Students also chose to work outside of entertainment by applying their game production skills to training, simulation, marketing, or education endeavors with companies including Amazon Robotics, BRDG Studios, Comcast Labs, Fred Rogers Productions, Lockheed Martin, Tipping Point Media, and Vanguard.

Jobs titles include Art Director, Art Producer, Animator, Associate Producer, Character Animator, Cinematic Lead, Cinematics Animator, Community Manager, Digital Project Coordinator, Director of Virtual Production, Facial Capture Artist, Game Designer, Lead Cinematic Animator, Lead Technical Director, Lead Virtual Production Manager, Localization Producer, Marketing Manager, Motion Capture Technician, Previsualization Supervisor, Production Coordinator, Program Manager, Programmer, Senior Animator, Senior Artist, Senior Community Manager, Simulation Developer, Technical Artist, and Virtual Production Engineer and Manager.

Visit the Drexel Steinbright Career Development Center page for more detailed information on co-op and post-graduate opportunities.

Dual Accelerated Degrees

BS/MS in Digital Media

The accelerated degree programs enable academically qualified students to earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree in five years instead of six — graduating sooner than they would in traditional programs. In addition, the graduate-level courses students take in their junior and senior years are included in their undergraduate tuition, which saves almost a year's worth of their MS tuition.

Current Drexel students in the 4-year/1-Co-Op and 5-year/3-Co-Op programs may apply for an accelerated degree programs after completing 70.0 credits, but no more than 120.0 credits. Many of our accelerated students have gone on to careers at leading companies including Disney, Dreamworks, Industrial Light & Magic, Microsoft Studios, NCSoft, Netflix, and Pixar.

Program  Level Outcomes

  • Create playable digital games, available on current platforms and technology
  • Understand the key concepts of the rules of play, and their implications in a game environment
  • Gain a working knowledge of the entire game design pipeline
  • Interact successfully on multidisciplinary teams

Game Design and Production Faculty

Paul Diefenbach, PhD (University of Pennsylvani). Associate Professor. Game development, real-time rendering
Frank J. Lee, PhD (Carnegie Mellon University). Professor. Human-computer interaction; cognitive engineering and science, intelligent software agents for games and education.
Robert Lloyd, MFA (Temple University) Program Director, Game Design & Production. Associate Teaching Professor. Game development, themed entertainment and motion simulation
Emil Polyak, MDCArtDes (University of New South Wales) Program Director, Master's in Digital Media. Associate Professor. Cross-disciplinary art and design
Daniel Rose, BS (Purdue University). Assistant Teaching Professor. AAA and freelance game developer and environmental artist
Tony A. Rowe, BS (Drexel University) Associate Program Director. Assistant Teaching Professor. AAA game designer, writer and historian.
Michael Wagner, PhD (Vienna University of Technology) Program Director, Digital Media. Professor. Educational use of digital media and computer games.

Emeritus Faculty

Theo Artz, BFA (Tyler School of Art, Temple University). Associate Professor. Digital media.