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University of Arizona · College of Information Science

Game Design

Bachelor of Arts in Game Design

Bachelor'sBAGame DesignDedicated degree

Overview

A main-campus BA in Game Design in the College of Information Science focused on game design and its social implications, without requiring extensive programming knowledge.

Official program title
Game Design
Exact award
Bachelor of Arts in Game Design
Source: catalog.arizona.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Degree level
Bachelor's
Discipline
Degree type
Dedicated degree
School and department
Source: catalog.arizona.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Location
Tucson, AZ
Why this program is listed

Dedicated BA in Game Design (catalog code GMBVBA, formerly Games and Behavior).

Source: catalog.arizona.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.Classes meet on campus.
Source: infosci.arizona.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Campus attendance
Regular campus attendanceClasses meet on campus (campus and hybrid programs).
Study intensity
Not published
Duration
four-year undergraduate degree
Source: infosci.arizona.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Credits
120 units
Source: infosci.arizona.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Entry routes

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.

The 120-unit degree requires 24 units of core courses, 12 units of game design electives and a 3-unit engagement course (ESOC 480), plus a minor of at least 18 units or a double major. The catalog lists courses in game mechanics and systems design, interactive storytelling and world-building, and player experience.

Curriculum overview

  • 24 units of core courses, 12 units of game design electives and a 3-unit engagement course (ESOC 480).
    Source: infosci.arizona.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Game design topics

  • Courses in game mechanics and systems design, interactive storytelling and world-building, and player experience.
    Source: catalog.arizona.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Other published details

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 policy not published

The school's pages we checked do not state a portfolio policy for this program. That does not mean no portfolio is required — ask the admissions office.

Other requirement
Not requiredNo additional admission requirements beyond general University of Arizona undergraduate admission.
Source: infosci.arizona.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Tests

SAT/ACT and English-language test policy: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

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 action

    November 1 (Early Application Deadline) · for Fall (year not printed)

    The school does not print a year with this date.

    Source: infosci.arizona.edu · verified October 12, 2026
    Year not printed
  • Application deadline

    May 1 (Regular Decision) · for Fall (year not printed)

    The school does not print a year with this date.

    Source: infosci.arizona.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.
CategoryAmountBasis and year
In-state — In-state, main campus, per semester (12+ units), non-guaranteed$6,084per semester · academic year not printedSource: infosci.arizona.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Out-of-state — Out-of-state, main campus, per semester (12+ units), non-guaranteed$20,665per semester · academic year not printedSource: infosci.arizona.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Other published fees

University fees, per semester (12+ units)
$869 per semester
Source: infosci.arizona.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

  • WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) — 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.
  1. catalog.arizona.edu/programs/GMBVBA — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 12, 2026
  2. infosci.arizona.edu/ba-game-design — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  3. infosci.arizona.edu/ba-game-design/admissions-cost — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 12, 2026
  4. infosci.arizona.edu/ba-game-design/curriculum-courses — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  5. DAPIP — WSCUC 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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