What Can I Do With This Major

Game Design

Game Design is the study and process of developing, coding, and creating video games. Coursework often includes 3D animation, storytelling, coding, programming, graphic design, and art.

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Game Play Design

Common Career Paths

  • Game developing
  • Game marketing/sales
  • Game testing
  • Game reviewer
  • User experience programming

Employers

  • Software developers
  • Toy and game companies
  • Start-up companies
  • Game review websites

Strategies

  • Seek knowledge in philosophy, psychology, marketing, and sociology that increase understanding of human behavior, attention, and engagement.
  • Gain experience in understanding game balance and mechanics by developing your own game or getting an internship with a gaming company.
  • Consider having a working knowledge of basics of programming languages, vendors, innovations, and platforms if desiring to develop, test, or review video games.
  • Develop attention to detail, logical thinking, and communication skills.
  • Learn to work effectively independently and with teams working towards deadlines.
  • Earn a master’s degree in computer science, business, or other related areas for upper level positions.

Art and Video Design

Common Career Paths

  • 3-D modeling
  • Digital audio production
  • Game art and animation
  • Advertising
  • Web page designing

Employers

  • Software developers
  • Toy and game companies
  • Advertising firms
  • Design firms
  • Web-design companies
  • Virtual-reality developers
  • Education and entertainment (e.g., museums, zoos)
  • Film studios

Strategies

  • Develop competence with a variety of graphic and design software.
  • Take courses in graphic design, cinema, and television production.
  • Gain experiences through internships, part-time work, free-lance work, or volunteer work to build a portfolio.
  • Volunteer to develop websites for campus organizations or local community groups.
  • Gain experiences working in teams, effectively communicate ideas, and working on a deadline.
  • Learn to take specifications of a project and work to develop within those specifications and to continue to revise your work based on the needs of the project.

Industrial Psychology

Common Career Paths

  • Human resources
  • Training specialist
  • Project design
  • Management
  • Consultant

Employers

  • Most areas of business, government and non-governmental organizations:
    • Financial institutions
    • Insurance companies
    • Consulting firms
    • Manufacturers
  • Computer companies
  • Telecommunications companies
  • Retailers
  • Healthcare organizations
  • Hotels and restaurants
  • Entertainment companies
  • Environmental management firms
  • Transportation companies
  • Education institutions
  • Research institutions
  • City, state, and federal government

Strategies

  • Seek work experience through related part-time jobs or internships in business settings.
  • Consider graduate work in human resources or industrial psychology.
  • Develop effective analytical, communication, and problem solving skills.
  • Learn to be able to present in large groups as well as manage conflict in groups.
  • Gain expertise in analyzing processes and determining problem areas.
  • Utilize knowledge around how to engage people in tasks to “gamify” aspects of processes.

Educational Psychology

Common Career Paths

  • Adult education
  • Higher education administration
  • Curriculum design

Employers

  • K-12 schools
  • School districts
  • Community colleges, vocational schools, and universities
  • Curriculum publishers

Strategies

  • Consider course work in educational theory, developmental psychology, and curriculum design.
  • Pursuing graduate work in educational psychology, teaching, or a related field may be needed for certain jobs.
  • Seek experiences tutoring, working, or volunteering in schools.
  • Develop effective analytical, communication, and problem solving skills.

Programming

Common Career Paths

  • Software design
  • Web design/maintenance
  • Platform developing
  • User experience programming

Employers

  • Internet service providers
  • Software vendors
  • Internet-related companies:
    • Browsers
    • Search engines
    • Web design services
    • Business
    • Government
    • Nongovernmental organizations
  • Consulting firms
  • Self-employed

Strategies

  • Supplement major with courses in web design, graphic design, internet development, or computer languages.
  • Gain experience as a webmaster through part-time jobs, internships, or volunteering to design web pages for student organizations.
  • Develop excellent communication skills and prepare to work on teams which may include content authors, graphic artists, programmers, etc.
  • Maintain current knowledge of web-based programming languages.

Getting Started and Advancing in Major

  • Consider earning a minor or a second major in computer science, graphic design, music production, or other major related to your specific area of interest.
  • Develop strong interpersonal, communication, and teamwork skills. Patience and perseverance are essential for computer science professionals.
  • Because game design positions can be competitive, you may consider parallel paths that may help you work into a game design position.
  • Obtain an internship, co-op, or part-time job in a relevant area to increase employ ability. Because a game design company uses a variety of skill sets to produce games, seeking related experiences in the areas you are interested in if you are not able to be directly in game design is helpful.
  • Obtain an area of specialization and portfolio to be able to exemplify your work.
  • Prepare to learn new information on a regular basis through online postings, conferences, and periodicals to learn about innovations and new concepts.
  • Because of the competitiveness of positions in large gaming companies, if you are interested in working in start-ups, you may consider a minor or dual major in Business Administration.
  • To enter the gaming industry, investigate training programs specific to game design and seek as much exposure to designing as possible. Pursue entry-level opportunities, such as tester, to gain experience.

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