College of Education and Human Development - George Mason University

Sport and Video Game Design Program Prepares Students for New Careers

August 14, 2014

U.S. News and World Report University Directory recently published an article about the emergence of video game design programs in university curricula.

Game design is a perfect example of STEM application, the article noted, requiring both technical expertise and exceptional creativity.  It is also an industry of staggering value, with $21.53 billion spent on video games in 2013.

The article, excerpted below, highlights the new minor offered by the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism at George Mason University.

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...CNN Money listed video game designer among the best emerging jobs in America, reporting an impressive 10-year job growth rate of 32.4%.

Download

This downloadable flyer describes George Mason's Sport and Computer Game Design minor, the first in the country.

As interest in these programs escalates, more schools are jumping on board.

Last spring, George Mason University unveiled plans to introduce an innovative minor in sport and computer game design, the first of its kind. A fusion of the school's sports management and computer game design programs, it's a unique offering that the school believes may give graduates a professional edge. Craig Esherick, an assistant professor in the College of Education and Human Development, stressed in a news article on the school's website that students who pursue this program could face promising job prospects after graduation.

"It's an area where businesses are hiring," he stated. "All sorts of students are interested in gaming. People love sports. There's a large group of students who love computers and game design. This hits all those groups."

Other schools are taking these efforts to a new level by dedicating an entire major to the subject.

Just this year, New York University began offering a master's degree in Game Design, with the first class earning their diplomas in May.

More recently, NYU's Game Center announced a new Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Design, which was just approved by the New York Education Department last month, according to The New York Times. Hopeful applicants face stiff competition, however, as just 20 students will be accepted into NYU's program in January, and another 40 in the fall of 2015.

 

See the full article at: http://www.usnewsuniversitydirectory.com/articles/work-hard-play-hard-schools-introduce-video-game-d_14234.aspx

Also see Mason News: http://newsdesk.gmu.edu/2014/05/mason-offer-countrys-first-sport-computer-game-design-minor/ 

 


About CEHD

George Mason University's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) includes two schools: the Graduate School of Education, one of the most comprehensive education schools in Virginia, and the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism. CEHD offers a full range of courses, certificates, and degree programs on campus, online, and on site to more than 4,000 students each year. CEHD is fully accredited by NCATE and all licensure programs are approved by the Virginia Department of Education.

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