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We're Different

Quinnipiac Game Design and Development students

There are other game programs out there, and you should know what makes our program different. All GDD students graduate with the foundational skills needed to make games and other interactive media products. We ensure that you know how to brainstorm, plan, build, and assess games by putting you in Game Labs your sophomore year where you will work on individual games, and then form teams to make larger projects. Each following year you customize your learning plan by selecting the classes to build the skills you are most passionate about and then you bring those to the Game Labs and make better games. By the time you graduate, you have a solid portfolio of work to launch you on your career.

The game industry is very volatile and from year to year there can be big rounds of layoffs and hiring. Skills learned in our program are very transferable and we encourage all students to explore beyond the entertainment games industry to areas such as: serious and applied games, interactive media in education the arts, the medical sciences, augmented and virtual reality, and increasingly common uses of game engines in other fields such as film, architecture, and product design.

Your Work is Yours

Many other game programs do not allow students to retain the Intellectual Property in the games that they create. It is QU policy that students retain all the rights to their own work. If you make a great game, it is yours. Several of our students have published their games to Steam and other platforms. Our goal for you is your goal. If you launch a game company with work you started at QU, we couldn't be happier. If you work on a game with a faculty member or a partner through our experiential learning platform, we retain the IP so that the project can be distributed.

Learn by Doing

We feel strongly that students learn best by working on real world problems with partners who will push them to broaden the scope of their minds and their ambitions. As you develop your game development skills, we will provide you with opportunities to partner with institutions who have problems they would like to have solved with games, game-like experiences and gamification. Working collaboratively with others, you can see all the different ways that your skills can be used in real-world settings. Look here for our current partners.

Small Classes

90% of GDD classes are capped at 18 students. Many of the classes you take will be smaller. Our faculty work with you one-on-one to make sure that you are acquiring the skills you need to be successful. Our lab is equipped with desktop computer stations or you can work on your laptop, as you prefer.

Social Life

Our incoming cohorts range from 17-22 students so each class forms a tightly-knit community of people who support each other. The GDD community as a whole gets together during Game Club, League of Legends, Fortnite, and other gaming opportunities. Join our E-sports teams and have a whole other level of interaction. Our graduates form a network of people already employed in a variety of fields who are more than willing to help give you a leg up and good advice for your post-QU career.