Playful and interactive experiences make up the fastest growing segment of the entertainment industry. USC has been a pioneer in teaching the foundations of games and interactive media while also moving the field forward with innovative research concepts. The Princeton Review has ranked USC the #1 Game Design school in North America nearly every year since its ranking system began in 2009.
Our Interactive Media & Games programs fall under the following CIP codes:
BFA in Themed Entertainment - 11.0105 stem coded
BFA Game Development and Interaction Design - 09.0702 stem coded
MS in Game Design and Development - 09.0702 stem coded
BFA in Game Art - 50.0102
Stories
USC Games launches new course to train future game developers on live-service games.
Game On! Initiative
Initiative Profile
USC Ranked Number One Film School By The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
News Story
SCA Professor teams up with Scopely's Black Employee Resource Group to bring high school gamers to USC!
TreaAndrea Russworm
Faculty Profile
Student Stories
Featured Student Work
Donuts!
Potion Problems
Scare Crow
Art House
Degree Programs
UNDERGRADUATE
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Game Art)
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Art is a unique four-year program offered by the School of Cinematic Arts. Students study within the framework that combines a broad liberal arts background with specialization in a profession. Areas of concentration might include character animation, environmental design, visual effects, 3-D pipelines and interactive animation.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Game Development and Interactive Design)
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Development and Interaction Design is a unique four-year program, offered by the School of Cinematic Arts, that combines a liberal arts background with comprehensive specialization in a profession. Students study within a framework learned from the games industry, which combines a broad liberal arts background with industry specific knowledge and project based collaborative work.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Themed Entertainment)
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Themed Entertainment is a unique four-year program offered by the School of Cinematic Arts. Students study within the framework that combines a broad liberal arts background with a specialization track within the Themed Entertainment Industry. Areas of concentration might include show design, interactive arts, production, project management.
GRADUATE
Master of Arts (Cinematic Arts (Media Arts, Games and Health))
The MA degree program in Cinematic Arts (Media Arts, Games and Health) with emphasis on designing and evaluating interactive entertainment-based applications in neuroscience, public health and medicine can be completed as a traditional or progressive master's, and is designed to be combined with other programs (e.g., social work, neuroscience, physical therapy, public health) of the student's interest.
Master of Science (Game Design and Development)
The Master of Science in Game Design and Development is a two-year intensive program that requires 38 units of which 18 are required, 16 are electives chosen from a number of core area groups and 4 are the capstone requirement.
Master of Fine Arts (Interactive Media & Games)
The Master of Fine Arts is an inclusive, creative, and entrepreneurial community that is supportive of all forms of game and interactive design. Students explore experimental and artistic games as well as those with a commercial focus and are encouraged to look beyond what are called "games" today as part of a curriculum dedicated to innovating every form of interactive. This, in part, is why the Division has a distinguished record of producing work and teams that have gone on to become startup game, mobile, virtual reality, and other innovative interactive companies
Master of Fine Arts (Master of Fine Arts, Interactive Media (Games and Health))
An MFA emphasis on designing and evaluating interactive entertainment-based with applications in neuroscience, public health and medicine is for already admitted MFA students who may declare this emphasis, typically by the end of their second year . Besides completing the required coursework for the emphasis, students must also initiate, lead and complete a thesis project in this area.