Bachelor of Science in Game Design and Development | American University in Dubai (AUD)
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:11
Bachelor of Science in Game Design and Development | American University in Dubai (AUD)
Campus 360 virtual tours
Scholarships
Inclusion
Research
Sustainability initiatives
Innovation
Student exchange opportunities
Library
AUD intranet
Work with us
Bachelor of Science in Game Design and Development
The Bachelor of Science in Game Design and Development positions AUD as a leader in the field of gaming education. It is an interdisciplinary program that integrates the technical aspects of game development with the creative storytelling elements of game design.
Planning your Visit to Campus?
Book an Appointment
Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication
Dean’s Message
Bachelor of Communication and Information Studies
Bachelor of Science in Game Design and Development
Master of Arts In Leadership and Innovation in Contemporary Media
Facilities
APPLY NOW!
UAE's first B.S. in Game Design & Development
Built with #1 game design program at USC
Storytelling, technology & creativity
Industry-ready interdisciplinary curriculum
The Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication at AUD partnered with the leading School of Cinematic Arts, at the University of Southern California, one of the top-ranking in the US, to build a top-notch curriculum that competes with the best programs in the world. In addition to academics and experts from the field, you will have access to workshops and lectures by USC faculty members during your four-year studies.
The UAE: A Gaming Hub
Dubai Program for Gaming 2033
30,000 jobs in the region
200B$ Global industry
MENA market to hit 6B$ by 2027
With massive initiatives like the Dubai Program for Gaming 2033 and Abu Dhabi Gaming, the UAE is set to become the Gaming hub of the region. Major software and gaming companies worldwide are building headquarters in the UAE, and job opportunities in the gaming sector are rocketing. The diverse and multicultural vibe of studying in Dubai will place you in the middle of major gaming events. It will offer you the chance to connect with key industry players and be part of the gaming ecosystem.
Program Overview
The Bachelor of Science in Game Design and Development prepares students to pursue career opportunities in the gaming industry and to contribute to a quickly evolving gaming ecosystem in the UAE and the Gulf region. Gaming is widely recognized as one of the fastest-growing sectors in the Entertainment and Media (E&M) industry worldwide, including notable developments in the UAE and wider Gulf. Graduates are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to contribute to Dubai’s vision of becoming a global gaming hub, and they will be ready to seize career opportunities in a thriving industry. The program will provide students with the creative, entrepreneurial, collaborative, and technological skills needed to design and develop products that can serve as both entertainment and educational tools.
Consisting of two concentrations, Design, and Development, the program begins with fundamental courses in gaming in the first year and, starting the second year, evolves to more creative, practical, and technical courses encompassing concept creation, art, storytelling, character creation, virtual world-building, and production, for the Design concentration, and coding, programming, software and advanced game engine courses for the Development concentration.
Upon completion of the B.S. in Game Design and Development, students are expected to be able to:
1
Apply game design and development across multiple mediums, including gamification, AI, virtual production, interactive media, and others.
2
Demonstrate expertise in core game design principles, including mechanics, dynamics, aesthetics, and narrative.
3
Evaluate the ethical, legal, and social dimensions of gaming, including issues related representation, diversity, monetization, and societal impact.
4
Create interactive and immersive game experiences across different genres and platforms by integrating both design and programming principles using industry-standard tools.
5
Collaborate effectively in multidisciplinary teams to take a gaming project from concept to completion.
6
Implement business fundamentals relevant to the gaming industry to guide the completion of game design and development projects within specified budgetary and time constraints.
Career
Game Designer
Level Designer
Game Artist
Character Designer
Game Art Generalist
Gameplay Programmer
UI / UX Designer
Technical Artist
Narrative Designer
Admissions Entry
All applying students must have:
A high school/secondary school certificate or equivalent from an institution accredited by the Ministry of Education in the U.A.E. or by the relevant national or regional institutional accrediting body;
International TOEFL®or Academic IELTSTM or the equivalent score on another internationally-recognized English exam. PBT is accepted from specific centers in the UAE.
The University administers the ACCUPLACERTM Exam (Math) to place students at the appropriate mathematics level. Students may substitute the SAT for this, depending on the score.
FACULTY
Associate Dean of the Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication and Associate Professor of Leadership and Innovation in the Creative Industries
Marta Rebolledo De La Calle
Biography
Program Coordinator, Bachelor of Science in Game Design and Development, and Assistant Professor of Game Design
Iyad Alsabouni
Biography
STAFF
Executive Director - Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication
Sophie Boutros
Biography
Administrative Assistant – Mohamed Bin Rashid School for Communication
Ma. Carmina Lamadrid Flores
Biography
Campus 360 virtual tours
Scholarships
Inclusion
Research
Sustainability initiatives
Innovation
Student exchange opportunities
Library
AUD intranet
Work with us
Bachelor of Science in Game Design and Development
The Bachelor of Science in Game Design and Development positions AUD as a leader in the field of gaming education. It is an interdisciplinary program that integrates the technical aspects of game development with the creative storytelling elements of game design.
Planning your Visit to Campus?
Book an Appointment
Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication
Dean’s Message
Bachelor of Communication and Information Studies
Bachelor of Science in Game Design and Development
Master of Arts In Leadership and Innovation in Contemporary Media
Facilities
APPLY NOW!
UAE's first B.S. in Game Design & Development
Built with #1 game design program at USC
Storytelling, technology & creativity
Industry-ready interdisciplinary curriculum
The Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication at AUD partnered with the leading School of Cinematic Arts, at the University of Southern California, one of the top-ranking in the US, to build a top-notch curriculum that competes with the best programs in the world. In addition to academics and experts from the field, you will have access to workshops and lectures by USC faculty members during your four-year studies.
The UAE: A Gaming Hub
Dubai Program for Gaming 2033
30,000 jobs in the region
200B$ Global industry
MENA market to hit 6B$ by 2027
With massive initiatives like the Dubai Program for Gaming 2033 and Abu Dhabi Gaming, the UAE is set to become the Gaming hub of the region. Major software and gaming companies worldwide are building headquarters in the UAE, and job opportunities in the gaming sector are rocketing. The diverse and multicultural vibe of studying in Dubai will place you in the middle of major gaming events. It will offer you the chance to connect with key industry players and be part of the gaming ecosystem.
Program Overview
The Bachelor of Science in Game Design and Development prepares students to pursue career opportunities in the gaming industry and to contribute to a quickly evolving gaming ecosystem in the UAE and the Gulf region. Gaming is widely recognized as one of the fastest-growing sectors in the Entertainment and Media (E&M) industry worldwide, including notable developments in the UAE and wider Gulf. Graduates are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to contribute to Dubai’s vision of becoming a global gaming hub, and they will be ready to seize career opportunities in a thriving industry. The program will provide students with the creative, entrepreneurial, collaborative, and technological skills needed to design and develop products that can serve as both entertainment and educational tools.
Consisting of two concentrations, Design, and Development, the program begins with fundamental courses in gaming in the first year and, starting the second year, evolves to more creative, practical, and technical courses encompassing concept creation, art, storytelling, character creation, virtual world-building, and production, for the Design concentration, and coding, programming, software and advanced game engine courses for the Development concentration.
Upon completion of the B.S. in Game Design and Development, students are expected to be able to:
1
Apply game design and development across multiple mediums, including gamification, AI, virtual production, interactive media, and others.
2
Demonstrate expertise in core game design principles, including mechanics, dynamics, aesthetics, and narrative.
3
Evaluate the ethical, legal, and social dimensions of gaming, including issues related representation, diversity, monetization, and societal impact.
4
Create interactive and immersive game experiences across different genres and platforms by integrating both design and programming principles using industry-standard tools.
5
Collaborate effectively in multidisciplinary teams to take a gaming project from concept to completion.
6
Implement business fundamentals relevant to the gaming industry to guide the completion of game design and development projects within specified budgetary and time constraints.
Career
Game Designer
Level Designer
Game Artist
Character Designer
Game Art Generalist
Gameplay Programmer
UI / UX Designer
Technical Artist
Narrative Designer
Admissions Entry
All applying students must have:
A high school/secondary school certificate or equivalent from an institution accredited by the Ministry of Education in the U.A.E. or by the relevant national or regional institutional accrediting body;
International TOEFL®or Academic IELTSTM or the equivalent score on another internationally-recognized English exam. PBT is accepted from specific centers in the UAE.
The University administers the ACCUPLACERTM Exam (Math) to place students at the appropriate mathematics level. Students may substitute the SAT for this, depending on the score.
FACULTY
Associate Dean of the Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication and Associate Professor of Leadership and Innovation in the Creative Industries
Marta Rebolledo De La Calle
Biography
Program Coordinator, Bachelor of Science in Game Design and Development, and Assistant Professor of Game Design
Iyad Alsabouni
Biography
STAFF
Executive Director - Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication
Sophie Boutros
Biography
Administrative Assistant – Mohamed Bin Rashid School for Communication
Ma. Carmina Lamadrid Flores
Biography