Skip to main content
The Media School

Minor in Game Design (Minors)

Students on Summer 2019, Fall 2019, or Spring 2020 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:
      • MSCH-C 220 Game Technology
      • INFO-I 210 INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE I
  2. Game Design Developmental Skills. Three (3) courses:
    • MSCH-G 300 Game Production I
    • MSCH-G 310 Game Design I
    • MSCH-G 320 Game Art and Sound
  3. Electives. One (1) course:
    • MSCH-C 200 The Videogame Industry: Systems and Management
    • MSCH-C 215 History of Videogames
    • MSCH-G 366 Narrative Design when taken Summer 2024 or later
    • MSCH-G 372 Board Game Design when taken Summer 2024 or later
    • MSCH-G 390 Topics in Game Design and Development
    • MSCH-G 421 Sound for Games and Playable Media I when taken Summer 2024 or later
    • MSCH-G 440 Game Aesthetics
  4. Minor GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
    1. 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. At least 9 credit hours in the minor must be completed at the 300–499 level.
    3. 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. 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.
    5. Exceptions to minor requirements may be made with the approval of the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.