Can you double major in Game Design and Game Development?

It is technically possible, yes. Students may receive two Bachelor degrees only by meeting the individual requirements of both degrees, and only when the second degree requires a minimum of 24 credits of additional study beyond that required for the first.

Will I need a certain type of computer?

We do not list one set of computer specs as they will literally change each year. However, yes, we require a laptop that meets specific standards based on software requirements. The students will receive a mailer upon committing to the program with that information. Students should be aware of the date of any online content since, again, it changes each year.

Are there certain programs that I will need on my computer to take the game design/development classes?

There is unique software, however, this changes each year as well. Currently we only list software that students will use in class, not software that they must purchase.

That software which students will use includes Game Maker, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Dreamweaver & Premiere),  Autodesk Maya, 3ds Max, ZBrush, Hammer, DirectX SDK, iPhone SDK, XNA SDK, Microsoft Visual studio, Unity, and Pro-Tools.

What clubs and activities are offered on campus that are related to this major?

Every semester we host two game parties, one gamers’ fair, one 24 Hour Game Jam, and one or two guest speakers. There is a Game Design Club, a Game Development Club, and an Anime Club.

What background do the professors have in the gaming field?

Our professors have worked on a wide variety of game titles providing programming, design, writing, art, audio, modeling, and animation for a total of over 60 years of experience.

Where are students getting jobs once they graduate?

Post-graduate outcomes samples:
Blue Fang Games – Waltham, MA
Turbine, Inc. – Westwood, MA
Seven45 Studios – Boston, MA
Blizzard Entertainment – Irvine, CA

What sort of internships are students doing their senior year?

Internship samples:
Blue Fang Games – Waltham, MA
Nukefile Games – Braintree, MA
Umass Memorial - Worcester, MA
Danforth Museum – Framingham, MA
Old Sturbridge Village – Sturbridge, MA

Interesting Facts

Ranked #3 in New England- As ranked by The Princeton Review, Becker is the number three Game Design program in New England and number 10 in the US and Canada.

Fastest Growing - Game Design and Game Programming are the fastest growing academic programs at Becker and now enroll 128 students.

Becker College is the home of Massachusetts Digital Games Institute.

Surpassing music and film industries by 2014- The video game industry represents $52.5 billion in worldwide sales, and expects to reach $86.8 billion by 2014; tripling the music and surpassing the movie industries. Salaries: starting salaries for game design graduates average in the mid- $40,000s and rise quickly to the industry-wide average of $89,000.

Today´s games have transitioned well beyond entertainment into a wide-array of other intersecting industries. Thirty percent of the Fortune 500 companies are utilizing video games to train employees.  Becker graduates are finding employment not only at video game companies, but also at companies where they are developing health care, education, and training software. Some graduates are starting their own new businesses.

Seventy-six video game companies employ more than 1,200 people in Massachusetts, representing the fourth largest video game industry cluster in the U.S.  Well-known titles like Rock Band, BioShock and Zork were all developed in Massachusetts.

On October 19, 2010, Becker College hosted MASS Impact , where video game CEOs, educators and government officials will gather for a discussion centered on the video games industry, job creation and economic development. Design is one of the pillars of the creative economy in Massachusetts, and one of Becker College´s goals to support that is the eventual creation of a video game design incubator on campus.