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Master of Engineering in Game Design,
Development and Innovation

Unlock the Power of Gaming Across Industries

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Locations Offered
On Campus
Time to Completion
4 semesters
Credit Hours Required
30

Master of Engineering in Game Design

Duke’s Master of Engineering in Game Design, Development, and Innovation helps turn your passion for gaming into a purpose-driven career. Accelerate your programming and design proficiencies while refining your leadership acumen so you can apply elements of game design in new ways to advance and support fields like healthcare, education, science, and business.

Ernest Escobar

Our fast-paced and intense curriculum instills in students the practical and technical expertise they need in a short period of time.

- Ernesto Escobar, Director,
Duke’s Game Design, Development
and Innovation Program

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Harness Game Design Expertise for Real World Impact

Our curriculum, rooted in industry insights, equips students with a strong foundational knowledge encompassing both design and technical skills, paired with business acumen. Students will have the opportunity to create a portfolio of work that demonstrates real-world application.

Young businessman dressed in casual shirt with vr goggles on head, gesturing as if interacting with something, testing video game or project.

This degree helps you:

  • Learn to design innovative games for entertainment and beyond
  • Become proficient in programming and using leading game engines
  • Apply design principles for gameplay, art, user experience, and storytelling

A gaming MEng with purpose

Earn a game design degree that not only equips you with the skills to craft captivating games, but also empowers you to harness your technical and creative expertise to drive tangible change. Your designed games have the potential to create a meaningful impact in areas such as:

A woman working in a game design lab
  • Students who need to improve reading and math scores
  • Doctors who want to advance their surgical and clinical skills
  • Educators who want to teach complex science research concepts
  • Manufacturing companies that want to make onboarding faster and easier for new workers

Get hands-on practice as you earn your degree

At Duke, you not only earn an MEng in Game Design, but also get to work on industry-sponsored projects and create industry-quality work.

Your game design degree is only 10 classes away

These comprehensive, industry-informed courses complete your MEng in Game Design experience:

Core classes
  • Advanced Game Design and Development
  • Critical Analysis of Video Games
  • Fundamentals of Game Design and Development
  • Management of High-Tech Industries
  • Programming for Game Development
  • Software Engineering and Systems for Game Development

Examples of electives
  • AI in Games
  • Augmented and Virtual Reality
  • Mobile Application Development
  • Motion Capture and Animation
  • User Interface and Experience in Games

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Be the expert who turns concepts into reality

Our faculty want to see you succeed, and they’ll make sure you have the hands-on skills you need to succeed in this fast-growing industry, whether you work in entertainment, medicine, business, policy, or beyond.

Career potential

  • Video game design roles
  • Game Engineering roles
  • Programming roles
  • Salary potential

    $78,300
    to
    $108,000

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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    Go beyond gaming with coursework that takes you where you want to go

    Duke’s Master of Engineering in Game Design program is led by industry experts who are well-known for working with big-name gaming and tech companies. They will provide you with the skills you need to rise to the top — and stay there.

    Specialized career guidance and support

    Our dedicated Duke Engineering Master’s Career Services & Professional Development team helps you land game design roles that align with your skills and goals.

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    Greg Maletic

    For the good of users, for the good of design, we want people trained in this rapidly advancing field to spread these innovations throughout the business world.

    - Greg Maletic ’90,
    Director of Special Projects, Panic, Inc.;
    MEng in Game Design Advisory Board Member