STJ Game Development & Emerging Media Program
About Us
The Game Development and Emerging Media program at St. John's University prepares you to enter the booming video game industry, rich with career opportunities in entertainment, simulation, and visualization. Our innovative, practice-based curriculum equips you with creative skills and advanced technologies to create compelling playable media and become an inventive storyteller.
Program Courses
The Video Game Development program prepares students to design and build interactive experiences across games and emerging media. Students begin with foundational courses such as Introduction to Mass Communication (COM 1001), Visual Aesthetics (CUS 2500), Introduction to Game Programming (CUS 1100), Introduction to Video Games and the Gaming Industry (VGD 1001), and Principles of Game Design (VGD 1002). As they progress, students can deepen their skills through courses like Storytelling and Character Development in Video Games (VGD 2300), Interactive Storytelling (VGD 3301), Game Engines (VGD 3204), Character Design for Video Games (VGD 3202), and Environment Design for Video Games (VGD 3203), along with electives in programming, animation, digital media, and design such as Computer Programming Fundamentals (CUS 1115/1116) and 3D Animation (TVF 3211). The program also incorporates industry-focused learning through Business of Games and Entrepreneurship (VGD 2401) or Esports Administration and Management (SPM 1038), and culminates in a two-part senior project, Capstone I & II (VGD 4001/4002), where students apply their technical, creative, and critical skills to develop a complete interactive project.