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Game DesignSchools
American University campus — Front Gate at American University
Front Gate at American University. Campus photograph. · Photo: Samschoe · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
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American University

Washington, DCPrivate nonprofit MSCHEGame Center (Game Lab), American University

American University's Game Center offers two graduate game degrees in Washington, DC: a 36-credit MA in Game Design, administered jointly by the School of Communication and the Department of Computer Science, and a 54-credit MFA in Games and Interactive Media in the School of Communication.

Game degrees at American University

2 programs verified (2 master's). Dedicated game degrees and officially named game concentrations only; the school may offer related courses or minors that are not degrees.

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American University

Game Design

Master'sMA

Master of Arts in Game Design

Field: Game Design
Administering location: Washington, DC
Delivery: On campusClasses meet on campus. · Full-time and part-time
Campus attendance: Regular campus attendance
Portfolio: Portfolio optional
Duration: 2 years · 36 credits
Tuition: Tuition: $2,163 per credit · All students — Graduate students, per credit hour (on-campus and most online programs) · 2026-2027
Next deadline: Rolling admission (as published)
View program
American University logo

American University

Games and Interactive Media

Master'sMFA

Master of Fine Arts in Games and Interactive Media

Field: Game-focused Interactive Media · Game Design
Administering location: Washington, DC
Delivery: On campusClasses meet on campus. · Full-time and part-time
Campus attendance: Regular campus attendance
Portfolio: Portfolio required for some pathways
Duration: within 36 months · 54 credits
Tuition: Tuition: $2,163 per credit · All students — Graduate students, per credit hour (on-campus and most online programs) · 2026-2027
Next deadline: Rolling admission (as published)
View program

Department, studios and facilities

As the school describes them. Facilities are campus resources unless the school states that online students can use them.

Accreditation

  • Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

    Institutional accreditation — accredited · since January 1, 1928

    Recognized by: U.S. Department of Education

    Source: ope.ed.gov · verified October 12, 2026

Institutional accreditation covers the whole institution. Programmatic accreditation (for example NASAD for an art and design unit) is shown on a program page only when the school names it for that program.

Offerings we reviewed but do not list

This directory lists dedicated game degrees and officially named game concentrations. These offerings were checked against official pages and fall outside that scope (minors, certificates, degrees without a named game pathway, esports).
  • Certificate in Game DesignGraduate certificate, not a degree.Source: american.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Institution

Official name
American University
Control
Private nonprofit
Source: nces.ed.gov · verified October 12, 2026
Main location
4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016-8001
Source: nces.ed.gov · verified October 12, 2026
Students enrolled exclusively in distance education
1,122 of 13,019 students (Fall 2023)
Source: nces.ed.gov · verified October 12, 2026

Sources

Last verified October 12, 2026. Program facts and their sources are on each program page.
  1. IPEDS 2024–25 Institutional Characteristics (HD2024), via College Navigator — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 12, 2026
  2. IPEDS Fall 2023 enrollment by distance-education status (EF2023A_DIST) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 12, 2026
  3. DAPIP — MSCHE institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-12) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 12, 2026
  4. american.edu/gamelab/ma/ — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  5. american.edu/gamelab/studio.cfm — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  6. american.edu/soc/film/mfa/MFA-GIM.cfm — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026

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American University Game Design Degrees (Master's)