BA vs BS vs BFA in Game Design: What the Degree Award Tells You

The letters after "Bachelor of" are one of the few things every game degree page states clearly, and they do carry information. Broadly, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) leaves more room for general education and electives, a Bachelor of Science (BS) tends to add math, computing or technical requirements, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) puts more of the degree into studio work. But these are tendencies, not rules. Schools decide what each award means, and the same title can carry different awards at different schools, or even at the same school. This guide shows what the award tells you, what it does not, and how to compare credit structures fairly.

What each award usually signals

The rest of this guide tests those tendencies against real catalogs.

One school, two awards: SCAD and WPI

The best evidence comes from schools that offer two awards in the same subject.

At the Savannah College of Art and Design, the BFA in Game Development and the BA in Game Development both total 180 quarter hours and both have a 75-hour major. The difference is in the rest of the degree and the major's shape. The BA lists 85 hours of general education, more than the BFA, and 20 hours of foundation studies against the BFA's 25. The BFA runs Game Development Studio I and II and Game Development Postproduction; the BA instead has students choose between Applied Principles: Game Design and a Game Development Portfolio course. That matches the textbook pattern: more general education in the BA, a longer studio sequence in the BFA.

At Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the department describes its two undergraduate options as "IMGD Technology (Bachelor of Science) and IMGD Art (Bachelor of Arts)." The BS has a computer science requirement of at least 11/3 units and ends in a Major Qualifying Project. The BA offers concentrations in visual art, design, technical art, writing, and audio and music, and requires an IMGD focus pair. Here, the BS really is the technical degree.

Same school, different degrees: DigiPen

DigiPen Institute of Technology shows how far the award can move a program. Its BA in Game Design requires at least 129 semester credits and includes a required introductory programming course alongside design tracks such as systems, narrative, level and UX design. Its BS in Computer Science and Game Design requires at least 133 credits and starts with C and C++ alongside design, mathematics and physics courses. Admission differs too: BA applicants must submit a design portfolio of written and creative work, while DigiPen says its computer science bachelor's degrees "do not require a portfolio or additional requirements."

When the award does not mean what you expect

Several catalogs break the usual pattern, which is why you should never judge by the letters alone.

• A BS without a computing core. Indiana University Bloomington's BS in Game Design sits in the Media School and "takes a social systems approach to game design." It requires at least 54 credit hours in the major, a portfolio review before the advanced design and production courses, and a three-course Game Workshop sequence that ends in a published game. Miami University's BS in Games + Simulation has a 76-semester-hour major that spans game studies, writing for games, 3D modeling and animation, and Introduction to Game Programming.
• A BFA without an admission portfolio. Lawrence Technological University's BFA in Game Design states that "Portfolios are not required." Its 120 credits center on game systems design, level design and Unreal Engine development.
• A BFA with a strong technical core. NYU's BFA in Game Design (128 credits) includes Intro to Programming for Games and introductory and intermediate game development, alongside game studies and a full-year senior capstone. Northeastern's BFA in Game Design (130 semester hours, 94 in the major) includes Prototyping with Code and Level Design and Game Architecture.
• One major, two awards. Bradley University lists its Game Design major as "BA or BS," with the same 53-hour major including Game Design I and II, Game Production I and II, scripting and a two-semester capstone. If a school offers a choice like this, ask the department what changes outside the major.
• An applied degree. Ferris State University's Bachelor of Applied Science in Digital Animation and Game Design requires 120–122 credits, with a 49-credit major core, a 21-credit concentration (such as Game Development) and an Applied Internship.

Comparing credit structures fairly

Credit totals look comparable until you check the unit. Many catalogs count semester credits (120 to 134 in the examples in this guide). Others count quarter hours: DePaul's BS in Game Design requires 192 quarter hours and SCAD's bachelor's degrees 180. A total of 180 or 192 quarter hours is not directly comparable with 120 semester credits, so compare like with like.

The share of credits in the major is more revealing than the total. A few published examples:

• DePaul BS in Game Design: 104 quarter hours of major requirements and 76 of liberal studies, out of 192.
• Northeastern BFA in Game Design: 94 of 130 semester hours in the major.
• NYU BFA in Game Design: 50 credits of major requirements out of 128.
• Bradley BA or BS in Game Design: a 53-hour major.

A high major share usually means more game courses and fewer free electives. A lower share leaves room for a minor, which some schools require: the University of Arizona's game BA and BS both call for a minor or double major.

Questions to ask before you choose

1. What share of the degree is in the major, and what share is general education?
2. Which courses differ between this award and any other award the school offers in the same subject?
3. Is there a required programming or math sequence, and how far does it go?
4. Is there a studio sequence or team capstone, and how long is it?
5. Does admission require a portfolio, and for which award?
6. Does the award matter for later plans, such as a graduate program that expects a technical background? Check that program's own admission page; see MA vs MS vs MFA.

The bottom line

The award is a useful first filter: BA for breadth, BS for technical or analytical depth, BFA for studio-heavy study. Then read the catalog, because a BS can be a media degree, a BFA can teach code, and two awards at one school can share the same major. Use the bachelor's directory to see the awards side by side, and read game design vs game development if the field name is the harder question.