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Undergraduate Bulletin College of Arts and Sciences
The Media School

Minor in Game Design – Minors

Students on Summer 2024, Fall 2024, or Spring 2025 requirements GAMEDSNMIN

Students will learn the fundamental skills of game technology and design. These include basic programming, game design principles and project development skills. Courses in the minor present a sequence of increasingly complex problems that game design students solve as they move from basic concepts to game prototypes. These include a basic literacy with different forms of games; a fundamental understanding of game engines and other software tools that enable interactivity; an introduction to the principles of game design; production and management in a multidisciplinary media creation environment; and basic asset creation in visual and auditory media. The basic skills involved in making an effective game can be applied to many different fields, including history, computer science, and education.

Requirements

The minor requires at least 18 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
  1. Game Design Foundations.
    1. Introduction to Games. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-C 210 Introduction to Games
    2. Foundations Electives. One (1) course:
      • CSCI-C 200 Introduction to Computers and Programming
      • CSCI-C 211 Introduction to Computer Science
      • CSCI-C 212 Introduction to Software Systems
      • CSCI-H 200 Introduction to Computers and Programming, Honors
      • CSCI-H 211 Introduction to Computer Science-Honors
      • CSCI-H 212 Introduction to Software Systems, Honors
      • INFO-I 210 Information Infrastructure I
      • MSCH-C 220 Creative Technologies
  2. Game Design Developmental Skills.
    1. Game Production I. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-G 300 Game Production I
      • CSCI-C 292 Introduction to Game Programming when taken Fall 2026 or later
    2. Game Design I. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-G 310 Game Design I
    3. Game Art and Sound. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-G 320 Game Art and Sound
      • MSCH-G 340 Animation for Digital Media when taken Fall 2026 or later
      • MSCH-G 390 Game Design Topics (approved topics only; see academic advisor) when taken Fall 2026 or later
      • MSCH-G 420 Game Character Art when taken Fall 2026 or later
      • MSCH-G 422 XR in Nature and BioArt when taken Fall 2026 or later
      • MSCH-G 424 Concept Art for Digital Media when taken Fall 2026 or later
  3. Electives. One (1) course:
    • MSCH-C 200 The Videogame Industry: Systems and Management
    • MSCH-C 215 History of Videogames
    • MSCH-G 340 Animation for Digital Media when taken Fall 2026 or later
    • MSCH-G 366 Game Writing
    • MSCH-G 367 Narrative Design when taken Fall 2026 or later
    • MSCH-G 372 Board Game Design
    • MSCH-G 375 Virtual Economies when taken Fall 2026 or later
    • MSCH-G 390 Game Design Topics
    • MSCH-G 420 Game Character Art when taken Fall 2026 or later
    • MSCH-G 421 Sound for Games and Playable Media I
    • MSCH-G 422 XR in Nature and BioArt when taken Fall 2026 or later
    • MSCH-G 424 Concept Art for Digital Media when taken Fall 2026 or later
    • MSCH-G 430 Introduction to 3D Modeling when taken Fall 2026 or later
    • MSCH-G 440 Game Aesthetics
    • MSCH-G 475 Game Studio when taken Fall 2026 or later
    • MSCH-G 480 Virtual Worlds Design when taken Fall 2026 or later
  4. Minor GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
    1. Minor Residency. At least 9 credit hours in the minor must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
    2. Minor Upper Division Courses. At least 9 credit hours in the minor must be completed at the 300-499 level.
    3. Minimum Grade. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the minor.
    4. Minor GPA. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the minor--including those where a grade lower than C- is earned--is required.

Minor Area Courses

  • Unless otherwise noted below, the following courses are considered in the academic program and will count toward academic program requirements as appropriate:

    • Any course contained on the course lists for the academic program requirements at the time the course is taken—as well as any other courses that are deemed functionally equivalent—except for those listed only under Addenda Requirements
    • Any course directed to a non-Addenda requirement through an approved exception

This program of study cannot be combined with the following:

  • Bachelor of Arts in Journalism [JOURBAJ]
  • Bachelor of Arts in Media [MEDIABA]
  • Bachelor of Fine Arts in Cinematic Arts [CINEARTBFA]
  • Bachelor of Science in Game Design [GAMEDSGNBS]
  • Certificate in Journalism [JOURUGACR1]
  • [Name unavailable] [PBLCRELNBS]
  • [Name unavailable] [SPTMEDIABS]

Exceptions to and substitutions for minor requirements may be made with the approval of the unit's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.