Program Mission
The mission of the Bachelor of Fine Arts Game Art & Design program is to teach students art foundation skills, 3-D modeling, low-polygon art, game-level design, digital video and audio, and animation to help them create and design games. We seek to produce graduates who are highly skilled visual communicators and who combine artistic talent with technical competency. The program prepares graduates for careers in the game and other industries such as 2D and 3D artists, texture mappers, and project managers; with experience and advancement some graduates may become game and level designers. Graduates work as members of development teams to produce digital games, interactive entertainment, and educational and training software products.

Desired Student Outcomes
1. Communication: Graduates will be highly skilled visual communicators, will effectively collaborate with other artists and designers on a team, will be able to tell a story visually, and will possess written and oral skills that enable them to communicate effectively with prospective employers, colleagues, and clients.
2. Problem Solving: Graduates will possess the creative design skills to conceptualize, develop, and evaluate a game; and problem solving skills that result in game design solutions, modeling and animation appropriate for a client and/or target audience; and will understand the process of project management.
3. Conceptual: Graduates will have the conceptual and drawing skills to create storyboards and design characters, environments, and other visual elements.
4. Technical: Graduates will understand the elements and principles of image manipulation, 2D and 3D animation, audio production, programming, and game design including technical skills and terminology.
5. Context: Graduates will understand game art and design in social, cultural, and historical contexts; will have the research skills needed to develop game elements; will be able to apply mathematical concepts; the principles of acting and staging; and will possess an ability to apply real world observations to animation.
6. Professional: Graduates will have developed current professional awareness, a high standard of ethics, an ability to work independently, an understanding of the corporate cultures of the game industry, and a desire for life-long learning and professional growth.

Program Description
In pursuing the bachelor?s degree in Game Art & Design, students are encouraged to master traditional skills through a rich variety of fundamental art courses while learning to use 2D and 3D design tools to create characters, backgrounds, animations, and textures used in producing digital games and related interactive media. In addition, they acquire a level of awareness and knowledge of the terminology used in programming and scripting to be able to converse intelligently with programmers. The bachelor?s degree program also provides a unique learning opportunity in the management of projects and game development teams. Anticipated assignments and projects include designing gameplay and back stories; creating characters and related environments; employing 3D modeling and animation software to create game art; employing 2D image software to create backgrounds and 3D textures; and applying knowledge of games to evaluate game products.

Graduation Requirements
To receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Game Art & Design, students must complete a minimum of 180 quarter-credits with 60 quarter-credits in general education courses and 120 in the specialty area with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. Also a student must receive a passing grade or credit for all required course work, meet portfolio requirements including participation in the Senior Portfolio Show. Graduating students must pass a required course in which a portfolio is produced and satisfy all financial obligations to The Illinois Institute of Art.