B.A. in Games & Interactive Media
We get it: to us, video games are not just a hobby or a way to let off steam. A major in Games and Interactive Media introduces students to the dynamic and thriving fields of interactive media, game studies, and game design and development from the inside out. Video games generate more revenue than both the television and music industries combined, and esports have opened new employment avenues.
Course Requirements
Students majoring in Games and Interactive Media have the option of earning a concentration in the following areas:
As a major in Games and Interactive Media, you will study video games as an art form, a business, and an increasingly popular form of entertainment.
Your courses will give you experience in areas such as psychology, kinesiology, art, and communication as you learn how interactive media applications engage users. Your studies include an examination of the philosophy of play, what it takes to be an elite performer, how media and digital technologies work, the psychology and theory that game designers draw on to get players to come back for a replay and ways that game companies make their profits, the relations between game design and development, and the role of publishers in producing AAA games. Students study and practice the principles of game storytelling, game journalism, and the business of gaming.
The influence of digital gaming and “serious games” in the workplace is already evident on a global scale. This major offers a balanced study of the intersections among media studies, communication, and gaming. Career preparation is a focal point in this major, so students should be open to doing internships with a variety of companies.
Your coursework will integrate all the things you love to do and think about:
- Discover the secrets that game companies use to keep you coming back for more play
- Study esports tournaments and artful casting of the competitions
- Critically examine how different genres of games–RPG, FPS, MMORPG, platformers, adventure, puzzle, interactive narrative, and more–appeal to different users
- Create and develop your own characters and levels
- Do collaborative projects that develop teamwork, which is a key skill in most professions, and especially in the game industry
- Learn why game and software companies use project management techniques such as Agile and SCRUM
- Learn more about how games are designed and developed
- Explore the world of transmedia storytelling by studying non-game assets, such as books (concept art, walkthroughs with Easter eggs, game lore), music, voice acting, game-specific communities, game cons, and more
- Consider the business, ethical, psychological, and performance aspects of gaming and interactive media
Why Choose This Degree?
Earning a B.A. in Games and Interactive Media leads to flexible career paths and allows you to:
- Secure a position in online game community management
- Become a game journalist or reviewer
- Become an esports caster or commentator for Twitch, YouTube, or other media platforms
- Develop game narratives and work on character development for a game company
- Work for a game publisher to market and advertise games
- Take a job in a field adjacent to the gaming industry, such as social media management, sports media, web development, advertising, media production, writing, or editing
- Get a start as an AAA game developer as a game tester or quality assurance expert
- Apply to a graduate program in communication, interactive media, digital media or journalism
Why Earn it at Greensboro College?
At Greensboro College, earning a B.A. in Games & Interactive Mediameans you’ll have unique opportunities to:
- Personalize your major by selecting one of five tracks as your specialty:
- Game design and development
- Game storytelling
- Marketing communication
- Design
- Performance
(As an option, you can replace a track with a full minor from another discipline.) - Explore the cutting-edge developments in the real world, such as, blockchain gaming (P2E, M2E, and more), along with NFTs and crypto contexts
- Get career preparation in your internships, your capstone project, and your coursework
- Learn with others through collaborative projects that develop your teamwork skills, which employers look for in their new hires
- Develop your skills through projects and simulations
- Play games as you learn about the principles of gameplay
- Publish game stories and reviews independently and collaboratively; students in the course, “ECM 2270 Games/Media,” collaboratively wrote an article that was published in the campus newspaper
- Work alongside equally driven and like-minded individuals who share your interests
- Build your oral communication skills through a speaking requirement because good speaking skills will help you land a job and advance your career; you can satisfy this requirement in different ways
- Play for the esports team at Greensboro College if competitive gaming is also one of your interests
What Can I Do After Graduation?
Interactive media is a multibillion-dollar industry. With your B.A. in Games and Interactive Media, you can move on to additional certifications and graduate education or you can begin your career right away:
- Streamer and producer of creative content
- Game tester
- Quality assurance specialist
- Blockchain gaming reviewer
- Game journalist
- Esports caster
- Media production technician
- Media editing
- Game writing (game narrative, character development and dialogue, game lore)
- Editor
- Writer
- Publisher
- Game community management
- Esports management
- Marketing assistant
- Social media specialist
