Iowa State University is in the final stages of incorporating a new game design major. Originally scheduled to begin in 2024, the new major will be available for students beginning fall of 2025.
According to previous reporting from the Daily, the proposal for a game design major (GDM) received approval from the Iowa Board of Regents on Sept. 19.
The university selected game design as a new degree program to be incorporated through the Degrees of the Future incentive, a $1.5 million fund established by President Wendy Wintersteen in 2022 to encourage the creation of new bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.
The paperwork submitted to the Board of Regents estimated that the program will begin with 30 students majoring in game design in its first year and an estimated 240 students to enroll in the game design degree program within five years.
Once selected, a $50,000 award from the Degrees of the Future incentive was provided for the research and development of the major, and then a final proposal was prepared for approval.
According to the Board of Regents, “It is a multidisciplinary field that combines elements of art, storytelling, psychology and technology to craft engaging and enjoyable games.”
Classes for the major already exist, but some new courses will be available in the fall of 2025 for the major directly, covered by the College of Design and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Other curricula that fit each focus area will be covered in other departments on campus.
The three potential focus areas for game design students to choose from include the following:
-
Art and Interactive Media Design
-
Game Computing
-
Game Worlds, Narrative Design and Society
Alenka Poplin, a professor in the College of Design, was a team member who contributed to the game design program in its initial stages.
“What we understood is that local industry partners cannot find local students to hire, so one part is strengthening the local Iowa game industry to be able to hire our students,” Poplin said.
The program incorporates aspects of history, computer science, design, art and more, and the university’s coursework is specifically designed to prepare students for the workforce in a broad range of topics.
Jeremy Best, a professor of history, also participated in launching this program. Best views the new major as an opportunity to prepare students for the workforce in unprecedented ways.
“We are creating artists,” Best said. “This is a new model for Iowa State… I’m excited to see what students do, what they make.”
Many of the colleges at Iowa State act independently, but the expectations for this major are different.
Anson Call, an associate professor of graphic design, is another team member who worked hard to start this program.
“We’re excited that students are excited,” Call said. “We’re excited that the administration is excited.”
The team was the biggest contributor to the major on campus.
“Usually, a new major is coming through a combination of faculty and administration, and that was no different necessarily here, although it’s definitely a faculty-led effort,” Call said.
Jeffrey Wheatley, an assistant professor in the philosophy and religious studies department, has been part of the game design major team for two years.
“It’s been a long process,” Wheatley said. “The day it was approved by the Board of Regents was a big day of celebration for us. We were very proud.”
“I would say the game design major is the first step to creating this culture here at Iowa State and in Iowa,” Poplin said. “It’s a shared vision.”
For more information, visit the Iowa Board of Regents website or view program details on the College of Design page.
