MA Game Design

Program Overview

The MA Game Design program at BSBI is an 18-month program that equips students with the technical skills, project management knowledge, and research abilities necessary for a career in the digital game industry. The program combines creative practice, academic research, and EDI principles to cultivate specialists in game design. Students will develop a demonstrable body of work and a polished digital game product upon completion.

Program Outline

MA Game Design - BSBI: A Comprehensive Breakdown

Degree Overview:

The goal is to cultivate specialists within the exciting field of game design through advanced study, sharpening research skills, and fostering a robust visual communication language. The program combines:

• Creative Practice: Hands-on experience in game development through individual and collaborative projects.
• Academic Research: Building a foundation in theoretical frameworks and critical analysis skills.
• The final outcome: A demonstrable body of work and a polished digital game product.

Outline:

• Structure: Three terms of study + six months for dissertation
• Modules:
• Term 1 & 2:
lectures, seminars, creative exploration (informs development of project proposal for later terms)
• Term 3:
MA project development, evaluating aims of the proposal through self-directed study
• Final Stages:
Apply research to creating final project (generic approach OR specialization in Graphics Design, Illustration, Animation)
• Content: Game development principles and techniques, genre and affect research, prototyping lab experience, applying research methods to analyze video game form and content, project development, realization, dissemination

Assessment:

• Formative: ongoing feedback during lectures, seminars, workshops and project work
• Summative: Final project - digital game product (generic OR specialized), evaluated through a rigorous process which may involve presentations, play-testing and assessment against various criteria

Teaching:

• Teaching Methods: Lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials, independent study
• Faculty: Industry experts and academics with extensive game design and research experience
• Pedagogy: Collaborative, interdisciplinary, practical and research-driven

Careers:

• Potential Avenues:
• Concept designer
• Game designer
• Games developer
• Multimedia programmer
• Multimedia specialist
• Software engineer
• VFX artist
• Progression Support: BSBI’s dedicated Careers Service - personalized consultations, workshops, employer networking, job board, CV improvement, interview guidance
• Student Successes: Alumni secure positions with leading companies and independent studios

Other:

• Intakes: October
• Entry requirements: Technical & portfolio components, online application portal

• International students Price: €13,250
• EU students Price: €8,450
Find out more here.