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Develop Your 'A' Game at Webster
Webster University’s Bachelor of Arts in Games and Game Design features comprehensive, real-world learning to prepare you for an exciting career in the game industry. With our video game design degree, you’ll develop skills in game design and implementation across all platforms, including computer and video games, mobile games and analog games. As a Games and Game Design major, you’ll explore the world of video and traditional games from multiple perspectives.
Webster’s bachelor’s in Game Design will immerse you in the practices of team-focused game development. You’ll collaborate with fellow students to create games in every genre and style. This approach will give you a deep understanding of the principles, tools and techniques critical to creating captivating games. In addition to hands-on game development courses, you’ll also explore the business of games, game design ecosystems and the principles of gamification.
Our video game design program provides you with insights into the social responsibilities of game designers. In addition, throughout your bachelor’s in Game Design program, you’ll build a strong portfolio of creative works to impress prospective employers.
A Comprehensive and Collaborative Program
Webster University’s Bachelor of Arts in Games and Game Design features comprehensive, real-world learning to prepare you for an exciting career in the game industry. With our video game design degree, you’ll develop skills in game design and implementation across all platforms, including computer and video games, mobile games and analog games. As a Games and Game Design major, you’ll explore the world of video and traditional games from multiple perspectives.
Transcript
Text on screen: Program Spotlight: Games and Game Design (BA)
[Footage of game being designed by student on computer screen]
Student Brian Pham: Game Design at Webster is both doing the development, coding and art and also designing video games. What stories should we tell? What mechanics should we make? So we kind of encompass everything at Webster, and it's all under the Game Design program, and it's just the art of making video games.
Student Jon Honeycutt: Gaming definitely pulls together all sorts of other arts and visual media, cinematography, sound design, and you have your 2D art, 3D art. It all comes together and coalesces in an interactive media.
[Footage of Webster’s film soundstage, audio studio and students working on storyboards and game design]
Text on screen: Cutting-Edge Facilities: Professional Labs Built for Learning and Collaboration
Student Andrea Hammond: As a game major, the School of Communications makes it really easy to help me collaborate with film majors, audio majors and animators.
[Footage of Andrea working in Webster’s film studio with other students]
I work with film teams to film in front of the LED video wall, and it's very, very amazing to work with them and you learn so much. And now that we can get that, it's so cool to see everyone's work in a final product, be it a film, an audio project or a game.
Honeycutt: The new big gigantic LED screen, all the new computers in the computer lab over here, the new sound design lab downstairs.
[Footage of Webster’s various media studios, including film and audio studios, with students working on projects}
Pham: So you can encompass more than just games, but you also do a lot of game making.
Text on screen: Hands-On Experience: Learning Industry Standard Game Design from Expert Faculty
Pham: So here at Webster, you learn Unity and Unreal Engine, the two biggest industry standard software for game development. You have a lot of classes where you're very free and you're very open. You just get the space to just make things.
Hammond: My professors for the Game Design department are all really, really fun to work with and they all are very much specialized.
[Footage of Hammond working with a professor]
I feel that whenever you ask them questions, they can offer you their own experiences, as well as advice on how to continue to further your own career.
Honeycutt: Some of the professors have been in the gaming industry for decades, so there's a lot of like knowledge over a wide variety of gaming topics. I know that I can learn from and that I want others to learn from.
[Footage of Honeycutt working on a video game with an instructor overseeing]
Hammond: I think the unique thing about this gaming program is the sense of community you have. You're not really competing with anyone. You're more or less just pushing each other to grow your own skills and toolsets.
[Footage of Hammong collaborating with other game design students]
Pham: I've made several games at Webster and each time I've made a game I could see myself getting better. After spending so much time practicing here and having that space, I feel like I can go out and I would be able to learn anything I don't know and just keep making games.
Text on screen: Webster University, webster.edu/soc
[Fade to black]
Stand Out
“Webster has connected me with my current company; I am grateful as I will have a good amount of experience upon graduation. The school puts effort into getting students into their careers.”
Brian Pham
BA in Games and Game Design, ’24
Read More: How Webster Helped Brian Design His Future
Brian Pham started his college career playing it safe.
As a kid, Brian’s dream was to become an author and write fantasy and science fiction novels that incorporated his love of anime. He also enjoyed technology and spent a lot of time online. Brian saw computer science as a "safe bet" and eventually chose it as his major.
Because Brian had graduated from high school early and earned credits from community college, he took a few courses for fun.
After one class in the Games and Game Design program, Brian realized he found his calling.
“I had no idea game design was a major. I needed to switch immediately.”
Though Brian grew up playing video games (Pokémon was a favorite), he never considered a career in gaming.
“I like the fact that it’s a medium that can incorporate everything — graphics, music, story,” Brian says. “You can do anything with a video game.”
He immediately immersed himself in the world of game design and development in the classroom and beyond. Like many of the programs offered at Webster’s School of Communications, the Games and Game Design program is designed to give students hands-on learning experiences and access to the latest technology and equipment. Game students work in teams to develop projects — mirroring the process of industry professionals. And they learn from professors, who also work as designers or developers.
“It's important for professors to understand current gaming tech and trends, so they can provide students with hands-on experiences using the latest tools, foster industry connections, encourage innovation, and prepare students for the ever-changing landscape of game development,” Professor Martt Burton says. “This knowledge facilitates adaptability, exposes students to emerging technologies, and offers real-world examples, enhancing their readiness for the dynamic gaming industry.”
Burton used his connections in the industry to help Brian find a part-time job at a St. Louis area company that designs virtual reality for apps. Having professional experience on his resume will help Brian stand out among the competition.
“Webster has connected me with my current company, and I am grateful as I will have a good amount of experience upon graduation,” Brian says. “The school puts effort into getting students into their careers.”
And since gaming is an international business, Webster students can study abroad in Japan. During spring break of his junior year, Brian worked with a group of students to develop a game and present it to development company in Japan. Exposure to an international company gave Brian even more professional-level experience.
“Being able to work on a project as a class that we could present to people from another culture was an amazing time,” he says.
Interacting with professional game designers made Brian nervous, but also helped him improve his craft. He was able to see the game through another lens. Understanding how other users play a game is critical to becoming an effective designer. For him, gaming is not just a career path — it is personal.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, gaming helped Brian get through isolation and challenging times. He had an emotional breakthrough while playing a game.
“When I make games in the future, I want people to be able to connect with the games I make,” he says. “I want them to become invested in the story, care about the characters.”
Brian’s goal is to work his way up in the gaming industry and become a creative director at a video game company, which will combine his passion for storytelling and tech skills. His experience at Webster went full circle: A moment of curiosity led him to his passion and gave him the experience he needs to succeed.
“I didn’t have to settle in anything I wanted to do.”
Game Design Reel
Watch our Games and Game Design Degree students' reel from the 2021 - 2022 academic year.
Transcript
[Beginning with a black display, text appears on screen using a glitch transition.]
Text on screen: WEBSTER GAME DESIGN
[Electronic dance music begins slowly, ramping up to full volume.]
[The text on screen fades as a first-person shooter video game appears, the player making their way down a dark, futuristic hallway, shooting at obstacles.]
[The music continues as the video begins to cut to 3-5 second intervals of different video games:
- Using the entire screen as field of view, a laser brings a coffee mug closer and then smashes it on the ground.
- A track-and-field platform game located in ASTRO KITTY STADIUM with the player jumping over hurdles.
- An old, cliché two person fighting game with players’ HP draining after each hit — one wins as they knock the other out ‘KO’.
- A colorful platform game with ascending levels where the player blows up objects for items inside or to destroy an enemy turret.
- A humanoid shaped black figure runs around searching a neutral-colored area.
- A player-controlled airplane fights against other jets and enemies from a bird’s eye view of a pink, purple and blue city.
- A shooting gallery type game, the player controls a space craft trying to avoid oncoming asteroids.
- A racing game with a futuristic jet flying through a desert map taking harsh turns and drifting.
- Another shooting gallery, an object with two arms moves side to side and twists to avoid oncoming spheres.
- A “shoot ‘em up” game, the spaceship centered in the screen produces a trail as it continually turns, eventually capturing an enemy ship.
- Another shoot ‘em up game, the player is a stationary child shooting at zombies with a slingshot in a school setting.]
[The example clips of student-made video games speeds up, leaving approximately two seconds between each cut.]
[A colorful platform jumping game with a dwindling timer cuts to another platform game, this time with two lives and no timer.]
[The video changes to a side-scrolling game with a player walking on a path using arrow keys before cutting back to another platform game as the player jumps and shoots lasers at a large horse-like enemy.]
[Another first-person shooter appears, using a scope to see through a dumpster in a badly lit alley and fades into a second first-person shooter. This game has a handgun as the player approaches a skeleton and shooting at it.]
[The skeleton begins to move toward the player who moves backward. The skeleton then glows red and flies through the field-of-view as the game transitions to a black screen.]
[Text appears on screen with a glitch transition as the music fades out.]
Text on screen: WEBSTER-GAME-DESIGN.ITCH.IO
[The text disappears using another glitch transition and the video ends with a black screen.]
Play Games by Our Game Design Majors
Browse through the selection of games designed and developed in our classes by our students. All are available for play online.
Choose Webster for Your Bachelor’s in Games and Game Design
Earn a Top-Ranked Game Design Degree
When you choose Webster, you can be confident that you’re joining a program recognized for its excellence in preparing students for success in the thrilling world of video game design. In fact, as of 2023, we’re ranked No. 2 for video game design colleges in Missouri, according to Animation Career Review, an online resource dedicated to providing aspiring animation students with information on the best schools in the field.
Benefit From Best-In-Class Facilities
Our School of Communications complex houses a state-of-the-art media production and education facility. This includes the first virtual cinema wall in the region, which our game development courses use to create virtual backdrops within Unity and Unreal. Studio facilities include an audio and video production/recording suite, sound stage, workshop space, photography studio, gallery and labs for animation, game design and video post-production, as well as flexible teaching spaces.
Develop Your Individual Aesthetic
As a Webster Game Design major, you’ll have the opportunity to cultivate and refine your own unique artistic style and creative vision. Through hands-on experience, you will not only learn the fundamental principles of game design, but also have the freedom to explore and develop your individual aesthetic to graduate with a broad portfolio of game design work.
Learn From Industry Experts
Webster’s Game Design degree program is led by industry professionals who bring real-world experience to the classroom. Our instructors have backgrounds in both analog and digital games, specializing in narrative design, video game design, programming, level design, sound design, art and animation. And with class sizes limited to 15 students, you’ll receive the personalized attention you deserve. Additionally, our game development courses host visiting game designers — like Connor Brown, senior-level designer for “The Last of Us, Part II” and “God of War: Ragnarok” — to share practical insights for successful careers in the game industry.
Personal Career Advising
All Game Design majors have a full-time faculty adviser to guide them through their Webster career. With experience in the game industry and connections to game companies, your game design college adviser will provide you with the support you need to reach your goals in the classroom and in your career.
Bachelor of Arts in Games and Game Design
Find out more about the overall curriculum, electives, learning outcomes and more.
Program Details
Explore our catalog for more details about courses and admission requirements for our Games and Game Design degree.
Locations
Our BA in Games and Game Design program is offered at our main campus in Webster Groves, Missouri. Our Geneva, Switzerland campus offers a minor in Game Design.
What Can You Do With Your Games and Game Design Degree?
Webster’s bachelor’s in Games and Game Design opens up a world of exciting career possibilities. With the booming growth of the gaming industry, there is a high demand for skilled professionals in various areas. Thanks to this demand, graduates have a bright future, including salary. In May 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics listed the median salary for special effects designers and animators as $99,060 per year.
Opportunities for graduates are promising, as well. Graduates can pursue careers as game designers, where they conceptualize and create innovative gameplay experiences, or become video game developers, who are responsible for programming and coding the mechanics of games.
Post-graduation, our game design program students can work in the industry with companies such as Riot Games, Insomniac Games and Activision. Webster alumni include Zach Ridings, Another Reality Studio (AR and VR apps); Sean Mercer, FedEx (designs employee team-building games); Gabrielle Novak, Pixel Press; and Keiran Falvey, lead artist at Lost Light Games.
With new technologies and platforms constantly emerging, the gaming industry offers a wide range of job opportunities such as:
- Game Designer
- Game Developer
- Level Designer
- Narrative Designer
- Character Artist
- Animator
- Sound Designer
- Quality Assurance Tester
Related Degree Programs
Get Started on Your BA in Games and Game Design
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Apply
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Contact the Admissions Office to Find Out More
If you have more questions about the program, your application or other enrollment-related inquiries, contact our Admissions Office.
Call 314-246-7800 or 800-753-6765 or send an email to admit@webster.edu.