Master of Engineering in Game Design, Development & Innovation

A New Way to Level Up

There are many roles to play in the game industry.

At Duke, we prepare our graduates to play the game they choose by becoming game designers, developers, and leaders of dynamic production teams.

We will empower you with the skills industry leaders are looking for, such as proficiency in programming—including C# and C++—and how to apply these skills to the leading game engines. You will also learn design principles for gameplay, art, user experience and storytelling.

Our faculty takes innovation seriously. While at Duke, our students bring elements of game design to critical areas such as health care, education and training simulations. With campus connections to top programs in medicine, the humanities, business, policy and more, we go beyond gaming.

Regardless of your skill set, we will help you level up to a multi-skilled leader and take control of your career in the game industry.

Games and Beyond

Best-in-class student experience

• Hands-on: Learn and be challenged by doing on authentic, industry-sponsored work
• Multi-disciplinary: Learn from faculty and students from history, art, medicine, business, psychology, physical education, engineering and others while working on fun and meaningful projects
• Explorational: Innovate with serious games as a solution path to societal challenges

Connected to Industry

In a region bursting with industry leaders

• Interact with AAA and indie studios in the growing Research Triangle Region—including Epic Games, Insomniac Games, Red Storm Entertainment (Ubisoft), Virtual Heroes, Squanch, Funcom, Elephant Mouse, BitMonster, Prologue, Puny Human, Spark Plug, iMagic, Mighty Rabbit, Imangi Studios, and more
• Build a strong professional portfolio: Work on industry-sponsored projects and create industry-quality work. Build a portfolio to show potential employers

Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering has a new Master of Engineering in Game Design, Development and Innovation launching Fall 2024. This program will be focused on training professionals to be game developers, system engineers, tool engineers, and more for gaming companies of all sizes. In addition to learning the skills to develop world-class games, the program’s curriculum will focus on broader applications of game theory and technology, including corporate training, fitness, sports, wellness, surgical simulations, research, education, and the metaverse. By nature, game design and development is a highly multidisciplinary area of practice. We have designed our master’s program to enrich the student experience through project-based collaborations with multiple departments and disciplines across Duke’s campus. The Master of Engineering in Game Design, Development, and Innovation is a hands-on, skill- based program created in conjunction with an industry advisory board. Students will develop and master new skills through industry-sponsored work as well as class and studio projects, seminars, and mentorship. All students will be guided through the development of a focused ePortfolio, showcasing their skill-based learning during the program.