Art & Design: Games + Playable Media B.A.

Information and Policies

Introduction

The Art & Design: Games + Playable Media (AGPM) Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree at the University of California, Santa Cruz, focuses on the creation of novel game systems, spaces, and configurations that can produce broad ranges of player experiences, for a wide variety of purposes. It does this through:

• courses in related theory, history, and critical interpretation;
• courses that take a practice-based approach to experimental game creation;
• courses that provide a foundation in working with game media forms;
• courses that provide a foundation in working with game technical materials.

This degree complements the Computer Science: Computer Game Design (CSGD) Bachelor of Science (B.S.), which focuses particularly on the technical aspects of game development. The B.A. focuses more on experience design (in particular) as well as on history, theory, and media creation—while still taking advantage of courses developed for the B.S. and creating a shared community with those students.

Students in the AGPM major learn to understand game design as an art in and of itself, positioned within the context of a number of more disciplinary approaches. Furthermore, students understand game design as a practice of creation, within a much larger and deeper social and historical context.

The AGPM B.A. in the Arts Division ensures that students have the needed programming skills- and, equally importantly, that they meld such technical skills with critical and historical understanding, which is essential for the production of socially-conscious, inclusive, and emotionally engaging games.

Upper-division studio courses require coursework to be completed on computers. All students in the B.A. program are strongly encouraged to own a laptop computer. This expense is separate from the cost of tuition and other fees. There is not really a particular laptop that we recommend for AGPM since it really depends on what courses you take. Please take a look at the linked system requirement information below for the various programs that you might use when taking our courses:
• Adobe Photoshop (other Adobe Creative Cloud programs)
• Autodesk Maya
• Blender
• Unity

While pursuing coursework in the major, all students are to encouraged to build portfolios that showcase their growing body of work, with an emphasis on material from courses such as ARTG 80I and ARTG 120.

AGPM Program Values

As a community we are committed to equity, inclusion, social and environmental justice. As an intersectional feminist program, we recognize this is a process that must be grounded in shared leadership and radical gentleness.

In our work as students, faculty, and staff we embody the values of honesty, kindness, and critical thinking while maintaining a nurturing environment with a specific focus on health and well-being, critical consciousness, and growth. 

We are committed to sustaining a program that is pro-LGBTQ+, anti-racist, and anti-oppression. This work requires a proactive approach to sustainability and accountability, and ultimately relies on our shared experience and solidarity.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who earn a B.A. in Art and Design: Games and Playable Media gain the skills, knowledge, and understanding that enable them to:

Program Learning Outcomes (PLO)

PLO 1: Demonstrate understanding of the connections between technical commitments and game system design, on one hand, and player experience and cultural communication goals, on the other.

PLO 2: Demonstrate the ability to define, develop, and communicate artistically innovative game ideas—situated historically and employing the methods of multiple art practices.

PLO 3: Demonstrate the ability to design and build a technical system in response to an artistic goal for audience experience that employs a fundamental understanding of algorithms and data structures.

PLO 4: Demonstrate an understanding of game history and interpretation sufficient to do independent research on a topic, identify relevant games and secondary literature, think critically about a particular games-related topic, and make a convincing, research-based argument about games.

PLO 5: Demonstrate the ability to collaboratively plan, organize, and execute complex, team-oriented projects, using appropriate communication and coordination techniques.

PLO 6: Demonstrate the ability to effectively use techniques for understanding how players experience a game system, and to compare this with a project's artistic goals—then successfully iterate and revise project shape, scope, and function based on external feedback and personal/team constraints.

Academic Advising for the Program

Please refer to the AGPM advising page for the most up-to-date information on drop-in hours and appointments.

You can reach the AGPM office via phone by calling (831) 459-1919.

If you are a prospective junior transfer hoping to join AGPM, please be sure to carefully read the section below titled Transfer Information and Policy.

Getting Started in the Major: Frosh

Students are admitted to UC Santa Cruz with a "proposed major" in most cases, and later petition to officially declare the major. Admission to UCSC does not guarantee acceptance into a particular major. Students must be declared in a major by the end of the second year (or equivalent), so learning about and preparing for a major is a primary goal for first-year students.

Students interested in entering the Art + Design: Games + Playable Media (AGPM) program as frosh can do so as long as they are admitted into UC Santa Cruz.

Incoming frosh do not need to satisfy any programming or art requirements prior to arriving at UCSC.

While frosh may not need to satisfy specific requirements, they are urged to make games—using any materials, from Javascript to cardboard—and carefully study game systems. Developing an arts practice in any medium is also helpful, including drawing, writing, music, sculpture, filmmaking, and others. Finally, deepening your understanding of technology is good preparation, including computer programming, participating in maker groups, or whatever else grabs your interest.

Transfer Information and Policy

Transfer Admission Screening Policy

In preparation for transfer to AGPM, students are required to demonstrate proficiency in design and visual art topics. Broadly this includes courses in 2D and 3D concepts, forms, or production; and specific art and design topics such as color theory, typography, interaction design, motion graphics, and performance.

The following courses or their equivalents are required prior to transfer, by the end of the spring term for students planning to enter in fall.  Check assist.org for a list of courses at your community college that fulfill these areas.

Complete one courses or its equivalent from each of the following areas:

Intro to 2D Concepts

Intro to 3D Concepts

Art and Design Topics

Additional Suggested Courses

In addition, the following courses are recommended prior to transfer to ensure timely graduation:

• Community college courses that are articulated for credit with courses in the Foundational Courses and Lower-Division Arts Requirements and Electives courses listed in the Requirements and Planners tab.
• Transfer students who meet the requirements above and complete general education requirements will be able to complete the major in two years as shown in the academic plan in the Planners section of the Requirements and Planners tab on this page. Because of the number of credits required by the B.A., transfer students who have general education requirements remaining may need to take summer session courses and/or additional courses over the academic year to allow graduation in two years. 
• Prospective students are encouraged to prioritize required and recommended major preparation, and may additionally complete courses that articulate to UC Santa Cruz general education requirements as time allows.

Getting Started in the Major: Transfer Students

Students are admitted to UC Santa Cruz with a "proposed major" in most cases, and later petition to officially declare the major. Admission does not guarantee acceptance into a particular major, although transfer students' records are screened for preparation for many majors at the time of admission. Junior transfer students must be formally declared by the deadline in their second quarter of enrollment.

Junior transfers fulfill the lower-division arts elective requirement as part of the transfer requirements.

Transfer students are strongly advised to attend a UC Santa Cruz summer orientation session for transfer students. Transfer students should consult with an AGPM academic advisor prior to enrolling in classes to determine their status and to begin the declaration of major process as soon as possible.

Please see a recommended academic plan for junior transfer students in the Planners section of the Requirements and Planners tab on this page.

Major Qualification Policy and Declaration Process

Major Qualification

To qualify for the AGPM major, students must complete the following Major Qualification courses:

Students need to complete these major qualification courses early in their studies so that the petition to major status is accomplished by the end of their sophomore year.

Junior transfers should submit a major declaration form by the campus deadline in their second quarter.

Transfer students who are proposed in a different major and have advanced standing when they enter UC Santa Cruz require permission from the department to change into the major at any point after admission. Students who would not have met the transfer screening requirements at the time of admission will not be granted permission to change into the major

Appeal Process

Denials of admission to the major may be appealed by submitting a letter to the AGPM advising staff, addressed to the chair of Performance, Play & Design within 15 days from the date the notification was mailed. The appeal letter must describe why the prior performance is not an accurate reflection of the student's potential. Within 15 days of receipt of the appeal, the AGPM advising staff will notify the student and their college of the decision.

How to Declare a Major

Students should submit a petition to declare as soon as they complete the major qualification requirements or reach their declaration deadline quarter (whichever comes first).

The Petition for Major/Minor is available in MyUCSC. Go to your Student Homepage and select the Undergraduate Student eForms tile > Petition for Major/Minor.

Students petitioning when the campus declaration deadline is imminent (i.e., in their sixth quarter, for students admitted as frosh), will either be approved, denied, or provided with conditions (e.g., completion of some courses with certain grades) that will be resolved within at most one more enrolled quarter, even if they have not completed major qualification (MQ) courses.

Students double majoring in AGPM and Computer Science Game Design must take the ARTG Senior Capstone series (ARTG 170, ARTG 171, ARTG 172) and the CMPM Capstone series (CMPM 170, CMPM 171, CMPM 172) in separate years to fulfill the Senior Comprehensive Requirement for each major.

Letter Grade Policy

All courses used to satisfy any of the Art & Design: Games + Playable Media major requirements can be taken for a letter grade or as Pass/No Pass. This includes both introductory lower-division and advanced upper-division requirements.

Course Substitution Policy

Students are able to petition a course to count as a substitute for any given elective requirement via the AGPM Course Substitution Petition form. Once submitted, requests are reviewed by the program chair. After they come to a decision, the AGPM advisor will reach out to the student and let them know whether their petition was approved or not. 

Double Majors and Major/Minor Combinations Policy

Students may choose to do a double major or minor along with the AGPM program, but are advised that AGPM has a high number of course requirements. As a result, students may be required to petition for a later graduation date in order to complete a double major or minor.

Students double majoring in AGPM and computer science game design must take the ARTG Senior Capstone series (ARTG 170, ARTG 171, ARTG 172) and the CMPM Capstone series (CMPM 170, CMPM 171, CMPM 172) in separate years to fulfill the Senior Comprehensive Requirement for each major.

Requirements and Planners

Course Requirements

The AGPM major requires a minimum of five lower-division and 11 upper-division courses in residence and satisfaction of the senior comprehensive requirement. The elective options for the major are grouped according to a student's desired career path at the AGPM Class Cluster website.

Lower-Division Courses

Foundational Courses

Complete the following three courses:

Lower-Division Arts Elective

Complete one lower-division course from the following:

(Check with the Art Department and the General Catalog for restrictions or prerequisites on art courses.)

*Junior transfers fulfill the Lower-Division Arts Elective requirement as part of the transfer screening requirements*

History of Art and Visual Culture Requirement

Complete any one 5-credit History of Art and Visual Culture (HAVC) course. This can be either a lower- or upper-division course.

Upper-Division Courses

Game Design Requirements

Complete all the following courses:

Electives

Upper-Division Electives

Click through to classes below and check with course home departments for availability, prerequisites, or enrollment restrictions. ART, CMPM and CSE courses may have restrictions or prerequisites. FILM courses have prerequisites and/or require an application, and are generally restricted to Film and Digital Media majors. MUSC courses are restricted to students in the electronic music minor.

Complete six courses from the following list:

Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement

Students of every major must satisfy that major's upper-division disciplinary communication (DC) requirement. The DC requirement in Art and Design: Games and Playable Media is satisfied by completing:

Comprehensive Requirement

Students satisfy the senior comprehensive requirement by receiving a passing grade in all three courses of the game design studio sequence (ARTG 170, ARTG 171, and ARTG 172). This sequence will meet in collaboration with CMPM 170, CMPM 171, and CMPM 172.

Planners

The tables below are for informational purposes and do not reflect all university, general education, and credit requirements. See Undergraduate Graduation Requirements for more information.

The following is a recommended academic plan for students to complete during their first two years as preparation for the AGPM major.

Art and Design: Games and Playable Media B.A. Planner

* ARTG is also offered during the summer. 
In addition to the specific courses shown in the four-year planner, a student must complete courses satisfying the CC, ER, MF, SI, SR, TA, PE-T, PR and C (WRIT 2) general education requirements.

Transfer Students Planner

The two-year planner assumes that a student has completed all general education requirements before transferring to UC Santa Cruz.