University of Silicon Valley · Game Design and Development Department

Game Design

Bachelor of Arts in Game Design

Bachelor'sBAGame DesignDedicated degreeOnline

Overview

A BA in Game Design offered on campus in San Jose or 100% online, covering game design principles, narrative design, prototyping, level design and studio project management, with a Game Writing focus.

Official program title: Game Design
Exact award: Bachelor of Arts in Game Design
Source: usv.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Degree level: Bachelor's
Discipline: Game Design
Degree type: Dedicated degree
School and department: University of Silicon Valley — Game Design and Development Department
Source: usv.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Location: San Jose, CAFor an online program this is where the school is based — not a residency requirement, and not proof that students in every state may enroll.
Tracks and concentrations: Game Writing
Source: usv.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Why this program is listed

Dedicated BA in Game Design.

Source: usv.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: Fully online (verified)All coursework is online and the institution states that no on-site attendance is required.
Source: usv.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Campus attendance: No required physical attendance (verified)The institution states that the program can be completed without coming to campus.
Campus visits: Campus visits: not verified
Class schedule: Synchronous / asynchronous not verified
Study intensity: Not published
Duration: Not verified
Credits: Not verified

Entry routes

First-year entry. Open to first-time college students (freshman admission).Source: usv.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Transfer entry. Admits students transferring credits from another college.Source: usv.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Transfer credit: Required for some applicantsUndergraduate transfer courses need a minimum grade of C.
Source: usv.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.

Course highlights include Game Prototyping, Narrative Design and Level Design; students take three courses per term and work on interdisciplinary USV Studios projects. A dedicated Game Writing track is offered.

Curriculum overview

Narrative Design: branching dialogue, cutscenes and worldbuilding.
Source: usv.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Game design topics

Game Prototyping: concept to playable prototype.
Source: usv.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Level Design: plan, build and playtest levels.
Source: usv.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Production and team projects

USV Studios client-driven projects with peers in design, audio and engineering; 3-5 shipped projects by graduation.
Source: usv.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Academic calendar

Students take 3 courses per term instead of 4.
Source: usv.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Other published details

Offered on campus in San Jose or 100% online.
Source: usv.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Tracks, concentrations and specializations

Game Writing
Source: usv.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)

No portfolio required for first-time applicants.

Official portfolio instructions

Source: usv.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Recommendation letters: Not requiredNo letters of recommendation.
Source: usv.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Interview: RequiredSpeak with an admissions advisor as the third application step.
Source: usv.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Transcripts: RequiredOfficial high school transcripts (transfer students: high school and college transcripts).
Source: usv.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.

Application deadlines: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

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, on-campus, per credit	$895	per credit · academic year not printedSource: usv.edu · verified October 12, 2026
All students — Undergraduate, online, per credit	$674	per credit · academic year not printedSource: usv.edu · verified October 12, 2026
All students — Full program total, BA/BS, on-campus (program cost snapshot)	$114,400	entire program · academic year not printedSource: usv.edu · verified October 12, 2026
All students — Full program total, BA/BS, online (program cost snapshot)	$87,880	entire program · academic year not printedSource: usv.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Other published fees, including equipment and software

Campus/Technology Fee (per term): $500 per term
Source: usv.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.

State authorization for online students

Approved/exempt for distance education in AK, AZ, CA, CO, FL, HI, ID, IL, IA, LA, ME, MO, NV, ND, NH, NJ, OH, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT and WA. Official pageSource: usv.edu · verified October 12, 2026

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.

DAPIP — WSCUC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-12) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 12, 2026
usv.edu/academics/ba-game-design — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
usv.edu/academics/bs-game-engineering — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
usv.edu/admissions/freshmen — Official admissions page, verified October 12, 2026
usv.edu/admissions/transfers — Official admissions page, verified October 12, 2026
usv.edu/admissions/tuition-fees — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 12, 2026

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