MA in New Media, Games Design and Production

MA in New Media is a 2-year degree programme focusing on design for interactive digital media. From the fall2010 on we offer two specialisation areas: New Media and Game Design and Production. The education is project-oriented, combining practice with theory, hands-on with minds-on. The project modules emphasise interdisciplinary and collaborative work, while individual skills are studied in the tools & skills modules, in workshops and through tutored studio work.

This two-year programme provides unique possibility for building game design skills while building theoretical and conceptual undertanding on games. The education is project-oriented, combining practice with theory Student will deepen their existing skills in the areas of game design and productions based on a personal study plan. In addition to game design and production courses, the studies can be complemented with courses from related fields such as 3d animation, interactive storytelling, and interaction design.

The structure of MA degree studies, Game Design and Production specialization area, 2011-12

Studies begin with an orientative starting block entitled Understanding Media and Design. After completing that, through tutoring students choose their focus areas and start to participate in courses, seminars, workshops and study projects. Individual study planning for new students is tutored by a teacher one-on-one, in great detail.

Obligatory Studies Advanced Studies Optional studies BA level language studies
20 ECTS 60-100 ECTS 0 - 40 ECTS 6, 9 or 12 ECTS

Understanding Media, Art and Design 5 ECTS

New Media Exam 1 ECT

Software Studies for Media Designers 3 ECTS

Introduction to Media Art and Culture 3 ECTS

Media Design Research 1 3 ECTS

Academic Writing 3 ECTS

Master's Thesis Seminar 4 ECTS

The obligatory Ability to conduct research (tutkimusvalmiudet) 5 ECTS is included into the Media Design Reserach and Master's Thesis Seminar.

Please see the equivalent alternative courses in the Study Guide 2011-12 book.

The Advanced Studies in Game Design and Production include the courses:

  • Game Design (5 ECTS)
  • Game Analysis (5 ECTS)
  • Game Project (6-15 ECTS)
  • Masters Thesis (40 ECTS)

at least 2 courses selected from the following list:

  • Advanced Topics in Game Design (6 ECTS)
  • Understanding Games (6 ECTS)
  • Game Research Project (6 ECTS)
  • Playability Evaluation (3 ECTS)

Advanced Studies from MA New Media, New Media, Curriculumn

Courses from the School of Economics, the department of Information System Science, and from School of Science and Technology, the department of Media Technology as agreed in the study plan.

Master's Thesis (40 ECTS) The master's thesis in Game Design and Production should be a game and a written part.

Studies from other universities or institutions

Individually specified according to the personal study plan (HOPS)

The BA level language studies are compulsory if they are not included in earlier studies. The credits of the language courses cannot be included in the MA degree.

For Finnish students:

  • Mother tongue (Finnish/Swedish) 3 ECTS
  • Second domestic language (Swedish/Finnish) 3 ECTS
  • Other language 6 ECTS

For international students:

  • Language studies, 6 ECTS
  • more information: Pulmu Föhr-Siltavuori: 09 470 30215, pulmu.fohr-siltavuori@taik.fi.

More information about studies can be found at Oodi from Game Design and Production and New Media curricula as well as from Study Guide 2011-12, also known as degree requirements.

Courses

The courses listed in our curriculum are open to all Media Lab Helsinki students. From time to time, there is room for a student or two from the other schools here at the Aalto University - please contact us for more info on how to apply.

Application

Admissions for our different programs are open at differing times, mainly in spring. There's no application to the games area during spring 2011.