Applied Game Studies (Distance Mode)

The scientific study of digital games and their influences on society, culture and business is a rapidly emerging field of academic as well as industrial interest creating manifold possibilities for personal as well as professional career advancement. The main objective of this unique program in Applied Game Studies is to provide students with a rapid introduction to the field. To achieve this objective, students are given a comprehensive understanding of the social, cultural and economic impacts of digital games.

This two-year program is mainly designed for academic or industrial professionals working in fields related to digital games, such as game production and development, media design, information management or computer mediated communication. The program is also suitable for educators, who wish to increase their competency in dealing with the social, cultural, pedagogical or scientific impacts of computer games.

The English version of this program is organized in full distance mode and does not require any attendence of lectures. An equivalent program in blended learning mode is available in German.

Target group	Professionals working in fields related to the design, production, usage or study of digital games.
Language	English
Start	Continuous
Certificate	Master of Arts	Certified Program
Duration	4 semesters parallel to employment	2 semesters parallel to employment
ECTS-Points	90	30
Admission fee	€ 6.900	€ 3.700
Organizer	Department for Image Science
Contact	Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Michael Wagner, MBA Phone: +43 (0)2732 893-2340,  Fax: +43 (0)2732 893-4550 E-Mail: michael.wagner@donau-uni.ac.at

With the exception of the applied project and the Master Thesis, each module has a student workload of 6 Europen Credit Transfer Points (ECTS) which is equivalent to 150 hours of work. Students will be provided with access to an online tutoring platform as well as the possibility to consult with international expert mentors.

Module   ECTS   CP/MA   Main Textbook   Mentor   1) Playcentered Game Design   6   CP/MA   Tracy Fullerton, Christopher Swain und Steven Hoffman: Game Design Workshop, A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games   Christopher Swain, EA Game Innovation Lab, University of Southern California   2) Persuasive Game Design   6   CP/MA   Ian Bogost: Persuasive Games, The Expressive Power of Videogames   Doris Rusch, Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology   3) Games and Society   6   CP/MA   Frans Mäyrä: An Introduction to Game Studies   Frans Mäyrä, Hypermedia Laboratory, University of Tampere   4) Critical Game Studies   6   CP/MA   Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman: The Game Design Reader, A Rules of Play Anthology   Miguel Sicart, Center for Computer Game Research, IT University Copenhagen   5) Business of Gaming   6   CP/MA   TBA   Jörg Müller-Lietzkow, Paderborn University   6) Serious and Applied Games   6   MA   James Paul Gee: What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy   Michael Wagner, Danube-University Krems   7) Alternate Reality Games   6   MA   TBA   N.N.   8) Media Convergence   6   MA   Henry Jenkins: Convergence Culture, Where Old and New Media Collide   Geoffrey Long, Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology   9) Applied Project   12   MA   N/A   Depending on topic   10) Philosophy of Science   6   MA   Alan Chalmers: What Is This Thing Called Science, An Assessment of the Nature and Status of Science and Its Methods   Michael Wagner, Danube-University Krems   11) Research Methods   6   MA   TBA   N.N.   12) Master Thesis   18   MA   N/A   Depending on topic

April 16, 2008. Information on textbooks and mentors is subject to change.