ALFRED - From video games, to websites, to applications, Alfred State College’s new game & interactive design programs will expose students to many different facets of interactive media, and prepare them for a number of rewarding careers in this field.
Classes for these new Associate of Science (AS) and Bachelor of Science (BS) programs will begin in the fall 2019 semester. Students will receive a hands-on, studio-based approach to design, programming, and storytelling.
Course work in these majors will cover the breadth of interactive design from AAA (triple A) game titles to the interactions of application interfaces. Skills developed are applicable to the growing fields of user experience (UX) design, application design, web design, data visualization, and interactive entertainment.
Graduates of the AS program will be able to continue their education in the BS program. For those looking to enter the workforce, a number of occupational opportunities exist, including game design, UX (user experience design), interactive entertainment, application design, data visualization, and web design.
Jeremy Speed Schwartz, associate professor in the Digital Media and Animation Department and the coordinator of the two programs, noted that the game and interactive design majors are interdisciplinary and project-based.
“Students begin with robust foundations in both programming and digital art, and proceed to classes where they will design games, websites, and interactive installations from the ground up,” he said. “By the time students graduate, they will have a portfolio of projects and a broad base of experience in interactive media, which can be applied professionally in many fields, from game and web design to user experience and interface design.”
Tammy Brackett, chair of the Digital Media and Animation Department, said the department’s programs are designed to develop versatile and flexible graduates, and that the game and interactive design programs are no exception.
‘Students will emerge capable of working in both the design and development of interactive media,” she said. “Game design, experience (UX) design, application design, web design, data visualization, and interactive entertainment are only some of the areas we expect our graduates to be working in. There simply is no other SUNY program like game and interactive design.”
Dr. Skip Sullivan, president of Alfred State College, said, “We are excited to add two new programs in game and interactive design to our academic offerings. Students in these majors will receive a well-rounded education in their field and become prepared for a wide variety of rewarding careers. I thank all of the employees who made these new programs possible.”
Dr. Kristin Poppo, provost, said, “Alfred State is continually at the forefront in creating programs to meet new fields. The collaboration between our Digital Media and Animation Department and our Computer Information Technology Department to create these cutting-edge programs to meet industry need is phenomenal.”
