Contact Us
Curriculum Highlights
In the core curriculum, the average student completes:
- Game Prototyping
- 400+ hours of tools like Processing, GameSalad, Twine, Construct 2.
- Unity
- 270 hours of building 3D games and creating playable experiences in a production level game engine.
- Game Production Methodology
- 200+ hours of iterative design, user testing, press kit creation.
- Adobe Suite
- 180+ hours including significant Photoshop, with access and elective exposure to InDesign, Illustrator, etc.
- Game Design Methodology
- 150+ hours of personas, user stories, wireframing.
- Project Collaboration and Coordination Tools
- 100+ hours including Slack, git, Google Docs.
- Programming for Games
- 45 hours of C#
- Mobile and augmented reality tools
- 1-2 courses possible including storytelling tools like ARIS, museum exhibit systems with Raspberry Pi, smart city sensor systems (RFID, GPS, sound triggers, etc.)
- Bonus Platforms
- You’ll be exposed to an exceptionally broad range of custom platforms, from Twine to Twilio (cloud-based telephony), from LAMP to Google Analytics, survey systems like Qualtrics and more!
AU Game Lab Student Brings Avatars to Life for ETS

Kirby Cofino, SOC/MA '19
It's really about freedom and critical thinking.
During the summer of 2017, MA in Game Design student Kirby Cofino interned with the DIAMONDS research group in the San Francisco office of Educational Testing Service (ETS) on a speech system called HALEF, a "multimodal dialogue system." It's a computer program that allows a person to talk to a computer, and the computer responds. Cofino’s role in the development of HALEF was to create 3D virtual human avatars that synced up with the computer’s responses.
The AU Game Lab has a 4 to 1 Student-Faculty ratio
50 percent of Game Design students work with corporate, NGO and government partners
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is a typical Game Lab student?
There is no typical Game Lab student! Students bring their unique backgrounds and passions to the program, having addressed diverse topics such as mental health, social justice, journalism, politics, money management, and advertising. The program can lend itself to your particular area of interest.
What technical skills do I need to study Game Design at AU?
You do not need to have a background in coding to become a Game Lab student, just a love for games and the desire to learn.
How do I choose which AU Game Lab program is right for me?
Review the comparison chart below of our different degree offerings.
Program | Degree | Format | Offered | Start Date | Duration | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Game Design |
MA |
Weekday |
Full/Part-Time |
August |
2 Years |
36 |
Games and Interactive Media |
MFA |
Weekday |
Full/Part-Time |
Early August |
2-3 Years |
54 |
Film & Media Arts |
MFA |
Weekday |
Full/Part-Time |
Early August |
2-3 Years |
54 |
Computer Science |
MS |
Weekday |
Full/Part-Time |
August or January |
2 Years |
30 |
Game Design |
Certificate |
Weekday |
Part-Time Only |
August |
1 Year |
15 |
Still have questions? Send us an email:
GradComm@american.edu