Game Design and Development - Art and Media, Master of Arts (Art and Design)
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Description
Game Design and Development is a multidisciplinary major in the globally recognised Aalto School of Arts, Design and Architecture. As the top game design and development programme in Finland, the major offers a unique mix of courses exploring both the artistic and technical aspects of game development. This major produces visionary, out-of-the-box thinkers with the ambition to push the boundaries of game design.
Using a project-based, “hands-on with minds-on” approach, the major cultivates a strong community of select students from highly diverse backgrounds. The programme welcomes students with any Bachelor’s degree who have experience in game development or have other applicable skills. Accepted students have included programmers, 3D artists, animators, UX designers, creative writers and sound designers – even architects and psychologists.
Upon graduating from the Game Design and Development major, you will have:
- A wealth of skills and knowledge fuelled by the latest research, technologies and design tools. The programme’s “hands-on with minds-on” approach will deepen your existing expertise and build a strong set of cross-disciplinary skills based on your personal interests.
- A deep understanding of games and game players from a psychological and behavioural viewpoint. You will be able to analyse and design games that are entertaining and engaging from an emotional and cognitive perspective.
- A visionary and groundbreaking mindset to shape the future of games. You will build the confidence and experience needed to make your unique vision come to life and bring forth a new generation of games.
- The capability to take responsibility for various design decisions. You’ll be able to effectively adjust to unforeseeable and changing situations that may arise during game design and development processes.
- The skills to thrive in creative collaboration, concept development, design and project realisation. You will build the strong interpersonal skills developed through multiple games created in teams. You’ll be ready to carry out creative work as part of culturally diverse and transdisciplinary teams.
- The readiness to work in the Nordic game industry. During your studies, you will be introduced to the unique, low hierarchy working culture in the Nordic game industry.
- An extensive portfolio of games. You will have a strong portfolio of completed projects, which will help you break into the game industry or leverage your current career path.
Language of instruction
The language of instruction in this major is English.
Tuition fees and scholarships
The tuition fee for this programme is 20 000 euros per academic year. Citizens of European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland do not pay tuition fees. Citizens of other countries must pay tuition fees.
Aalto University offers a small number of scholarships in the form of tuition fee waivers to fee-paying students. Scholarships can be awarded to the highest-achieving applicants based on the programme's evaluation criteria. Applicants are ranked according to the criteria outlined on the programme's webpage.
More information on tuition fees and scholarships at Aalto University is available at the Scholarships and Tuition Fees webpage.
Structure of studies
The Master's Programme in Art and Media, major Game Design and Development, comprises a total of 120 ECTS credits. The two-year programme consists of:
- Major (40–65 ECTS)
- Possible minor (20–25 ECTS)
- Elective studies (25–35 ECTS)
- Master's thesis (30 ECT)
In the programme, you will have the freedom to put together a study plan based on your specific areas of interest. The compulsory courses will give you a broad understanding of game design and set the foundation for your unique expression. Optional courses will allow you to complement your core competencies with fields such as 3D animation, interactive storytelling, interaction design, and machine learning and AI tools for art and design.
Additionally, you may choose courses from all Aalto schools according to your personal study plan. We strongly suggest that you venture outside your comfort zone, as the greatest ideas often happen at the intersection of disciplines.
Throughout the courses in the Game Design and Development major, you will be immersed in a wide range of topics such as level design, game balancing, games user research, industry trends, and game design psychology. The programme’s extensive curriculum includes courses such as:
- Games Now!
- Game Design
- Advanced Topics in Game Design
- Analysis, a.k.a. The Science of Game Design
- Game Project I & II
Learning methods
The major follows a “hands-on with minds-on” approach that forms a dynamic combination of theory and practice. Through various group projects, you will develop your communication and negotiation skills as well as advanced project management skills. In the Game Project I & II courses, you will pitch, design, develop and publish games together with others.
Teaching is based on cutting-edge research and science on both game design and emerging technologies, exemplified by alumni-led startups such as Valo Motion. The teacher network includes both game industry professionals and games scholars. The programme also welcomes internationally acclaimed visiting specialists and guest speakers.
Other learning methods include regular excursions to game companies, industry and peer feedback, as well as thesis advisors from the industry. There are also multiple visits organised to international game industry events in Finland and abroad during the studies.
More information on the programme content and curriculum can be found in the Student Guide.
Specialisations
The nature of the Game Design and Development major is multidisciplinary, and you will be helped to craft a personalised study plan based on your background, goals and interests. Your study plan can also include a minor on any relevant topic such as entrepreneurship, Virtual Reality, or 3D animation.
Internationalisation
As the game industry in Finland and abroad is strongly international, the topics and themes in the Game Design and Development major are universal and global. The major will prepare you to thrive as a top-level expert in any country in the world, with a focus on Nordic game development culture and values such as diversity, equality, and relatively flat hierarchies. As the major attracts a high number of talented students from all over the world, you will also be a part of an international community of highly skilled students.
In addition, you can develop your global competencies by:
- spending a semester at one of Aalto University’s partner universities around the globe
- taking a summer course abroad
- carrying out practical training abroad
- carrying out master’s thesis research abroad
- acting as a tutor for first-year students
Moreover, Aalto University is international by nature, welcoming thousands of degree and exchange students from abroad every year. These students join the diverse Aalto community not only through studies but also via multiple free time events, celebrations, and extracurricular activities around the campus. Active tutoring programs and support services work hard to help international students integrate into the Nordic culture and feel at home in Finland.
Further study opportunities
Completion of the MA degree makes you eligible to apply for doctoral studies, for example, in the School of Arts, Design and Architecture at Aalto University or other universities in Finland or abroad.
Career opportunities
Students graduating from the programme are valued employees amongst Finnish and Nordic game companies as well as abroad.
Typical career paths can be divided into three main categories:
- Working in a game studio as, for example, a game designer, game artist, programmer, producer or scriptwriter.
- Taking an entrepreneurial path and starting one’s own company. Our best student games, such as Pako, Shadow Bug, and Fashion Police Squad have enjoyed worldwide success and critical acclaim.
- Following an academic path and becoming a researcher in the field.
Here’s what some notable Finnish game companies say about the program:
“I studied at Aalto University myself more than 20 years ago and now I’m very happy to see programs like Game Design and Development that provide a very relevant basis for working in the game industry. We already have several people here at Remedy who have graduated from this program such as Sebastian Eriksson (Alan Wake 2 Core Engine Lead) and Anne-Marie Grönroos (Alan Wake 2 Lead Mission Designer). Hoping to see many of you visiting our office in Espoo!” ,
Joonas Tamminen, Executive Producer of Alan Wake 2 by Remedy Entertainment
“Many of us at Valo Motion have an Aalto University background, with a notable number from our development team having graduated from the exceptional Game Design and Development program at Aalto. We’re eager to organize a live tour and game testing sessions for you during your studies. Take a peek at our office, discover what it’s like to work at Valo Motion, and see what we’re passionate about in our welcome video.
The Finnish gaming industry is full of fascinating companies, and we’re sure you’ll discover exciting opportunities here!”
Raine Kajastila, CEO of Valo Motion
Research focus
There are a number of research groups at Aalto focusing on games from different perspectives. Topics include but are not limited to gameplay innovation through emerging technologies, exergaming, motivation and emotion in games, the study of games as created (game design praxiology), and the interplay between game mechanics and game narrative. Aalto researchers are also applying and utilising games in various contexts like medical technology and design games, and many students have found internship and thesis positions in Aalto research groups.
Co-operation with other parties
Game design is a multidisciplinary field by nature, bringing together experts from various backgrounds. The programme embraces a multidisciplinary approach that supports the development of “T-shaped” skills, providing you the benefits of both specialisation and generalisation. The programme strongly embraces collaboration across disciplines, which fosters creativity and provides you with a breadth of knowledge. All students are encouraged to take on individual study paths, enabled by the large variety of elective courses available.
Overall, Aalto University is well-known for bridging disciplines of business, arts, technology and science. The lively campus and freedom of choosing elective courses across the university brings students from different fields under one roof. This spontaneous multidisciplinary environment sparks new ideas, brings enthusiasts together and gives birth to friendships, networks, and every so often, startups.
Study-option-specific Admission Procedure and Evaluation Criteria 2025
Applicants meeting Aalto’s general eligibility criteria for master's studies will be evaluated and ranked according to the evaluation criteria that has been decided in advance for each study option. The applications to Master’s Programme in Art and Media - Game Design and Development are evaluated based on the following criteria.
Phase I
| Suitability | |
| What is evaluated | Applicant’s overall suitability to the study option, based on background, experience, motivation, and commitment for studies. |
| What we look for in an applicant/Admission requirements |
|
| Method of demonstrating competence |
The phase I suitability is evaluated using the introduction videos*, that summarize the key points from the portfolios and CVs. For the applicants with the best videos, also CV and portfolio are considered in detail. Note that if you provide links in a .pdf file, the links may be broken when the files are processed by the admission system. Thus, full URLs must be visible to ensure that the evaluators can access them. Please also note that the evaluators will not be able to download and install any software. |
Phase II
| Suitability | |
| What is evaluated | Applicant’s capability for independent creative work, analytical thinking, and communicating the results. |
| What we look for in an applicant/Admission requirements |
|
| Method of demonstrating competence |
Second phase assignments The assignments are revised each year, but it is reasonable to expect, e.g., a board/card game design exercise with a given theme, and writing a short essay. |
| Suitability | |
| What is evaluated | Applicant’s further suitability to the study option, motivation, and commitment for studies/communication skills/ assessment of second phase assignments |
| What we look for in an applicant/Admission requirements |
|
| Method of demonstrating competence | Interview, portfolio |
The applicants will be first evaluated based on Aalto’s general eligibility requirements. Applicants meeting the general eligibility criteria for master's studies will be evaluated and ranked according to the evaluation criteria that has been decided in advance for each study option.
The selection process for applicants who meet the general eligibility criteria comprises of two phases:
Phase I
In Phase I, the applicants are evaluated based on the following criteria
- Suitability
- Strong professional interest towards game design and/or game production
- Insight into new media design and research related to games
- Demonstrated competence in a skill relevant to making games, e.g., visual art, programming, sound design, creative writing.
- Fluent English (both oral & written)
These will be assessed based on the materials sent by the applicant, including a CV and an introduction video and a portfolio.
Only the applicants who fulfill the requirements/are ranked highest in the preliminary evaluation will be invited to phase II in the selection process.
Phase II
In Phase II, the evaluation is based on the following criteria
- Suitability/Second phase assignments
- Suitability/Interview, portfolio
- Strong professional interest towards game design and/or game production
- Insight into new media design and research related to games
- Demonstrated competence in a skill relevant to making games, e.g., visual art, programming, sound design, creative writing.
- Fluent English (both oral & written)
These will be further assessed based on preliminary exercises that applicants have to make in the second stage and an interview, where also a portfolio of earlier work is presented.
Part of the applicants are invited to the second phase. The invitation to the second phase is sent to the applicants at latest 7 days in advance.
In the second phase the applicants should complete a set of preliminary exercises that we send them before the interviews. To be interviewed, the applicant has to return the preliminary exercises, otherwise the interview time will be canceled. In the interview, the applicants should be prepared to present and discuss a portfolio of their previous work and projects. There will also be other questions about the applicant.
The final selection decisions will be made based on the evaluation conducted in Phase II.
The documents required from all applicants are listed on the Aalto University website (https://www.aalto.fi/en/study-at-aalto/applying-to-masters-programmes). In addition, applicants to this study-option are required to provide the following study-option-specific documents:
CV
Applications must include the applicant’s CV (single PDF-file) indicating personal data, educational background, work experience, exhibitions, publications and articles, awards and grants, study trips and positions of trust.
Introduction video
Each applicant should submit a short video (max 2 minutes) where they tell about themselves, their background, interests, and portfolio highlights in English. Please start with a brief (max 20s) shot where you introduce yourself, speaking to the camera. After that, please include and explain content such as gameplay clips of games that you have made or other relevant content that showcases your skills. Please note that in addition to your best game projects, we are interested in all forms of creativity, so you can also show other forms of art or creative work. For each project shown on the video, please clearly state or add subtitles that state the year and your role or contribution such as programming, art or design.
Note that you can film yourself using a smartphone camera—we do not expect the applicants to have professional video production equipment. For editing the video, there are free software tools such as DaVinci Resolve.
The video should be submitted as a link in a pdf file named “Introduction_Video.pdf”. The link can be to an unlisted or private YouTube video, for instance. If the video is password-protected, the password must be included in the pdf. Please make sure that the link is clickable or can be easily copied from the pdf.
The video will be only viewed by the evaluators. However, if you are selected, we will ask for your permission to share the video with other selected students.
Portfolio
Please upload a PDF named “Portfolio-lastname-firstname.pdf” (max 1.0GB). The PDF can be one of the following:
- A link to an online portfolio (this is the preferred option)
- If you don’t have an online portfolio, you may submit a traditional PDF portfolio. Please include links to videos or playable games when possible.
For each project included, please clearly state the year and your role or contribution.
An online portfolio is highly preferred, as if you are selected, we will ask your permission to share your portfolio and contact information with other selected students to facilitate networking and community building.
Language of application documents
The application documents must be written in English.
The next gaming revolution
Beyond the confines of the commercial gaming industry exists a diverse and thriving gaming culture offering virtually unlimited possibilities and potential.
Webinar | Game Design and Development
Want to hear more about Game Design and Development? Watch the webinar recording from fall 2020 where programme representatives and students tell more about the studies and answer some of your questions.
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Contact information
Learning services of the School of Arts, Design and Architecture
For enquiries regarding programme-specific application documents or studies in the programme, please contact Aalto ARTS Learning Services.
Admission Services
For enquiries regarding the application process, obligatory application documents or English language proficiency, please contact Admission Services.