Department Website
Program Description
This 36-credit Master of Science program in Games for Learning prepares students to design, implement, and evaluate serious games for learning and social change. Students learn about the role of social, emotional, cultural, and cognitive aspects of learning and issues of game design; game design models and developmental practices; the value of narrative features of game design; and research methods aimed at improving and evaluating the design of games for learning.
Admissions
Admission to graduate programs in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development requires the following minimum components:
- Résumé/CV
- Statement of Purpose
- Letters of Recommendation
- Transcripts
- Proficiency in English
See NYU Steinhardt's Graduate Admissions website for additional information on school-wide admission. Some programs may require additional components for admissions.
See How to Apply for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.
Program Requirements
Internship
Students may also participate in an optional 3-credit internship.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:
- Demonstrate competency in one of the following areas: the technical development of digital games for learning; the learning design of digital games; the methods for research and evaluation of games for learning; or in a related area as deemed appropriate by program faculty.
- Apply theories in the learning sciences and cognitive science that are relevant to effective game design for learning, for a broad range of learners, using theory in both formal and informal settings; and drawing implications from these theories, in the form of instructional and learning strategies and principles, to design effective games for learning.
- Demonstrate competency in conducting design-based research to support the development of effective games for learning, including usability research, playtesting and various approaches to evaluation.
- Explain the potential values and limitations of the use of digital games for learning, and for what kinds of learning, what types of learners, in what content domains, and in what settings games have the potential to support learning, as supported by current theory and research.
- Discuss the role and function of play in games for learning and, in that context, the contribution of diverse features of games, such as role playing, immersion, narrative, feedback, situated experience, distributed cognition, lower consequences of failure, etc.
- Apply the social, cognitive, emotional and cultural dimensions of factors that influence learning, in game design.
Policies
NYU Policies
University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.
Steinhardt Academic Policies
Additional academic policies can be found the Steinhardt academic policies page.