Master of Fine Arts in Interactive Media & Game Design (MFA)

Master of Fine Arts
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Develop your creative practice and personal voice as an artist in IMGD. The Master of Fine Arts program offers a terminal degree through WPI’s renowned IMGD program where our academic approach, resources, and connections will refine your artistic practice and innovate using new creative technologies with WPI’s new MFA in IMGD.

This art- and studio-based master’s program gives students space, time, and resources to develop their creative practice. As a terminal degree, this three-year MFA program helps independent artists establish their creative voices. Integrated into the degree are career-development opportunities including training in teaching methods and networking with industry and academic leaders through a regular colloquium.

Professionals who hold an MFA in interactive media & game design have a focus that’s expanded above game design MFA concepts and are prepared for tenure-track academic roles, teaching positions, and also for careers the wide variety of industries that rely upon professional design sensibilities including corporate and cultural organizations, experience-based product corporations, or full-body immersive game experiences. WPI is an institutional partner with the Worcester Art Museum and the Worcester Center for Crafts, and has extensive connections with established industry organizations and startups.

Global Industries and economies rely on professional design sensibilities. WPI’s new master of fine arts in interactive media & game design is focused on filling that industry need and preparing students for myriad design opportunities and careers.

IMGD MFA
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Curriculum

The MFA in interactive media & game design is a 51-credit hour program. Courses are studio-based, classroom-based, and career-focused. A final project requires students to show a game in a public setting—a full portfolio is required for degree completion. The range of skills required for the final project is broad and based on the chosen project. Potential IMGD MFA projects could range from digital games to interactive theatre, so each academic plan is customized to the student.

Requirements for the MFA in interactive media & game design:

  • Design studio (12 credits)
  • Core courses (21 credits)
  • Professionalization (6 credits)
  • Elective courses (3 credits)
  • Project (9 credits)
  • Statement of purpose
  • Portfolio

Similar Majors

Student working on Interactive Media and Game Development art on computer
Master's in Interactive Media & Game Development
Learning Sciences & Technologies
Master’s in Learning Sciences & Technologies
PhD in Computational Media

Research

Students in the MFA program will work with IMGD faculty members and industry partners to produce a distinct body of work and to develop a personal artistic style.

Our faculty expertise spans these diverse research areas:

  • animation
  • 3D modeling
  • artificial intelligence
  • computer graphics
  • figurative painting
  • networking and multiplayer games
  • illustration
  • electronic music and music composition
  • artistic / musical robotics
  • interactive museum exhibits
  • location-aware media
  • procedural content generation
  • mobile gaming
  • serious games
  • virtual and augmented reality

As a studio-based degree program, students in WPI’s MFA program have access to resources in the Worcester Art Museum and the Worcester Center for Crafts. WPI offers an ideal combination of arts education with cutting-edge interactive media & game design resources.

If art, gaming, experience design, and creative computing are among your passions, this program will give you the freedom to develop your personal artistic style while gaining the professional acumen to be successful in academia, the game industry, and other industries. Not quite ready to pursue an IMGD MFA? Explore our Interactive Media & Game Development master of science. This technical master’s in game development has an emphasis on design, technology, and the development of interactive environments.

Research & Facilities
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Earn a BS in Game Development Beforehand

Need to complete your bachelor of science degree first? Check out our BS in IMGD at WPI. We also offer an artistic bachelor’s degree in game development which challenges students to reinvent and create forms of media. Do you want to gain a technical understanding of IMGD without completing a full degree program? You can choose to minor in IMGD to understand the basic technical concepts of interactive media & game development. Whether you’re looking for a technical BS, artistic BS, or a minor in game development, we are here to help steer you in the direction most suitable for your future career.

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