Study

Undergraduate Studies

While MIT does not have a formal game development or game design degree program, the MIT Game Lab helps MIT students who are interested in games create their own program of study. By their nature, games require an interdisciplinary approach to their study. However, approaches can vary depending on what the student wants to do with games. Interested in the design and history of games and how people play and learn with games?

• Focus in game design and game studies through our parent department, Comparative Media Studies.

Interested in the computational and technical challenges of developing digital games?

• Focus in computer science through Course 6: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. A pure Computer Science major is known as '6-3'. Students can also achieve a Masters of Engineering with an additional year of study after their bachelor program is completed.

Interested in psychological games and behavioral change?

• Focus in psychology through Course 9: Brain & Cognitive Science with either a major or minor in Brain & Cognitive Science or a minor in Psychology.

Interested in the business practices required for creating your own game company?

• Focus in business through the MIT Sloan School of Management.

In all cases, students can attain a well-rounded course of study by concentrating or minoring in Comparative Media Studies by taking the four classes recommended in the list below (CMS.300, CMS.301, CMS.608, and CMS.611). This will supplement the core interests of a student with the game design, game studies, and game analysis courses offered by the department. Because MIT is a research institute, all students interested in games should take at least 1 year of UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunity) with the MIT Game Lab or with one of the many CMS research groups developing games.