Thesis I

Semester(s) Offered: Fall

Credits: 4

Course Call Number: GAMES-GT 1001

Prerequisite(s): None

Thesis 1 is the first of two related courses, Thesis 1 and Thesis 2, in which Game Center MFA students create their thesis projects. The thesis classes are focused on supporting the students’ work towards creating a substantial finished project during their second year. A thesis project can take many forms, including:
– a digital game.
– a game that exists off the computer, such as a card game or a sport.
– a game that combines digital and non-digital components, such as a game that is played in real spaces incorporating the use of smartphones.
– a series of smaller games that represent the exploration of a set of related ideas.

Students will be encouraged to work in groups to create their thesis projects, but the possibility also exists for students to work by themselves. Because of the wide range of forms that a thesis can take, the thesis courses do not present a specific curriculum. Instead, they provide a context and structure to support and guide the students’ research and work.

Upon completion of this course, the student will:
1) Provide a context to support the rigorous exploration of design ideas through an iterative process.
2) Understand and live through the process of planning, prototyping, and developing a year-long project.
3) Explore the relationship between research and design – not just on the level of researching ideas before design starts, but also the idea that design itself is a form of research.
4) Lay the foundation for a successful project to be brought to completion in Thesis 2.