The programs in the Department of Media Studies (DMS) at University at Buffalo (UB) explore games, film and documentary production, sound, among other types of media. Pathways to study game design include a BA in Media Study with a Production Concentration, a Minor in Media Study, and the Undergraduate Certificate in Game Studies.
Programs are interdisciplinary and connect students with the Departments of Computer Science, Theatre, Architecture, English. And Anthropology, among others. Other DMS benefits include small class sizes, courses taught by industry professionals, participation in the UB DMS Student Showcase, and access to state-of-the-art computer labs, a large production studio, smart classrooms, and a 200 a seat venue with hi-def projection and sound. Students also have access to more than 400 overseas academic program options, along with many summer and semester-long internship opportunities.
UB DMS has partnerships with many local companies and studios. UB DMS students have interned at MTV, NYC-TV, TriCoast Studios, Human Code, and Fireant Studio, among others.
The BA in Media Studies allow students to focus in one or more areas in coursework offered at the intermediate and advanced levels. Sample course offerings include Game Design, Virtual Worlds, Sound Design, Electronic Literature, Physical Computing, and Programming for Digital Art. The Minor in Media Studies consists of six classes (24 credits). Students may focus in games through electives and production courses.
The 36 credit hour Game Studies Certificate requires courses such as Games, Gender, and Society, and Game Design. Students will have the option to take Designed Play, Performative Action, Electronic Literature, or Locative Media. Electives provide the opportunity to focus in an area of interest. Elective examples include Game and Animation Workshop, Programming Graphics I-II, Interactive Fiction, Virtual Worlds I-II, Advanced Modeling, and Interactive Computer Art. The Game Studies Capstone Project allows students to create an original game or research paper.
All Games Studies Certificate students benefit from the program’s partnership with the off-campus Buffalo Game Space (BGS), which provides training workshops, co-working spaces, and game jams. On-campus, Games Studies students may join the Strategists and Role Players Association, which hosts the more than 30-year-old annual UBCon.
University at Buffalo is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), and it is a member of the Association of American Universities. Founded in 1846, University at Buffalo is a flagship institution in the State University of New York System (SUNY). The school serves nearly 32,500 students, making it the largest and most comprehensive campus in the 64-campus SUNY System. University at Buffalo offers more than 500 programs in 13 colleges and schools. With more than 1,000 study abroad opportunities across seven continents, UB has one of the largest overseas education programs in the U.S.