Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · Games and Experiential Media

Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences

B.S. in Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences

Bachelor'sBSGame-focused Interactive MediaDedicated degree

Overview

An on-campus B.S. in Troy covering the technical, creative, social and cultural dimensions of games and simulation, with six concentrations that each pair with a dual major.

Official program title: Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences
Exact award: B.S. in Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences
Source: hass.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Degree level: Bachelor's
Discipline: Game-focused Interactive Media
Degree type: Dedicated degree
School and department: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute — Games and Experiential Media
Source: hass.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Location: Troy, NY
Tracks and concentrations: Computer Science (GCSI) · Electronic Arts (GELA) · Cognitive Science (GCOG) · Writing (GWRT) · Music (GMUS) · Management (GMGT)
Source: hass.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Why this program is listed

Dedicated B.S. in Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences.

Source: hass.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026

We list dedicated game degrees and officially named game concentrations at institutionally accredited US schools. Eligibility rules

Format, length and attendance

Delivery, campus attendance, schedule and study intensity are separate facts, each shown only as the school states it. Online coursework does not by itself mean there is no residency, exhibition, internship or proctored exam.

Delivery: On campusClasses meet on campus.
Source: hass.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Campus attendance: Regular campus attendanceClasses meet on campus (campus and hybrid programs).
Study intensity: Not published
Duration: Not verified
Credits: Not verified
Start terms: Fall
Source: admissions.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Entry routes

First-year entry. Open to first-time college students (freshman admission).Source: admissions.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Curriculum

What the school publishes about the program's game design, programming, art and production content. Tools and engines are listed only when the school names them — a program not listed as teaching Unity or Unreal may still use them, but we have not verified it.

Students declare one of six concentrations (Computer Science, Electronic Arts, Cognitive Science, Writing, Music or Management) within the first two semesters. Program outcomes include fluency in a programming or scripting language and expertise in at least one game development platform.

Programming content

Graduates are expected to be fluent in at least one programming or scripting language and expert in at least one game development platform.
Source: hass.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Production and team projects

Outcome: work effectively in goal-oriented game development teams.
Source: hass.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Specializations

Concentration declared within the first two semesters; each concentration pairs with a dual major.
Source: hass.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Other published details

Graduates are expected to have a portfolio of research, writing samples and/or creative works.
Source: hass.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Tracks, concentrations and specializations

Computer Science (GCSI)
Source: hass.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Electronic Arts (GELA)
Source: hass.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Cognitive Science (GCOG)
Source: hass.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Writing (GWRT)
Source: hass.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Music (GMUS)
Source: hass.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Management (GMGT)
Source: hass.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Hardware and software requirements

No hardware or software requirement published on the pages we checked.

Admissions and portfolio

Required, optional and not-required items are shown exactly as the school states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.

Portfolio

Portfolio not required (stated)

RPI requires a portfolio only for the B.Arch; for other majors the admissions process does not require or recommend a portfolio.

Official portfolio instructions

Source: admissions.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Statement / essay: RequiredGeneral essay/personal statement.
Source: admissions.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Recommendation letters: Required1 letters — Letter of recommendation from a counselor or teacher.
Source: admissions.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Interview: Not requiredRPI does not conduct interviews; optional GLIMPSE video for U.S. students.
Source: admissions.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Application fee: Required$70 — $70 nonrefundable; no fee for applications submitted by December 1.
Source: admissions.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Transcripts: RequiredOfficial high school transcript.
Source: admissions.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Tests

SAT / ACT: OptionalTest optional for Fall 2027 applicants.
Source: admissions.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances. How to prepare a game design portfolio

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the intake the school printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

Early decision
Early Decision I: November 1; Early Decision II: January 6 · for Fall 2027
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: admissions.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Year not printed
Early action
December 1 · for Fall 2027
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: admissions.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Year not printed
Application deadline
January 15 (Regular Decision) · for Fall 2027
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: admissions.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Year not printed

Tuition and costs

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.

Category	Amount	Basis and year
All students — Undergraduate, full time (up to 23 credits), per semesterFrom the school-wide rate table for this level	$33,150	per semester · 2026-2027Source: finance.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Other published fees

UG Activity Fee: $420 per semester
Source: finance.rpi.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Understanding tuition and equipment costs

Scholarships, assistantships and funding

Awards published by the school for this program or for students at this level. “Guaranteed” only when the school says every eligible student receives it. Loans must be repaid and are not scholarships. Scholarships guide

Program-specific funding: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Accreditation and authorization

Institutional accreditation covers the school. Programmatic accreditation is shown only when it is named for this program — it is never transferred from another department or degree.

Institutional accreditation

Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 12, 2026

Programmatic accreditation

None verified for this program. Game design degrees do not require one specific specialized accreditation.

International applicants

Not verified for this program.

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last checked October 12, 2026.

admissions.rpi.edu/undergraduate/apply — Official admissions page, verified October 12, 2026
finance.rpi.edu/bursar/tuition-and-fee-amounts-and-tuition-adjustments — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 12, 2026
hass.rpi.edu/departments-games-and-experiential-media/academics — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
hass.rpi.edu/gsas-concentrations — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
hass.rpi.edu/gsas/games-and-simulation-arts-and-sciences — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
DAPIP — MSCHE institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-12) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 12, 2026

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