Starting in the fall of 2017, Lindenwood will be adding a wide variety of new degree options for students that will be offered online or as an online-classroom format.

“The School of Arts, Media, and Communications is excited to offer new degree programs that support the talents, interests and future of our students,” Joe Alsobrook, dean of the School of Arts, Media, and Communications said in a university press release.

Included in these new degree paths are the Game Design and Digital Content Strategy majors.

The Bachelor of Arts in Game Design will offer students a chance to focus on game art, game design and quality assurance, according to Professor Jeremiah Ratican. In the classroom, which will be configured in a way that prepares students to work in a game studio, students will be able to work with some of the most current technology such as virtual-reality devices.

“Students will work in teams, creating full, playable games,” Ratican said. “We will cover game testing, rapid and paper prototyping, level design and character design, and we will use various game engines.” Ratican also said that they will be bringing in mentors who currently work in the field of game development to help the students.

Digital Content Strategy is another field that Communications Professor Andrew Smith said is poised for enormous growth. This degree will be offered as a Bachelor of Science, minor, certificate or a Master of Science.

“Digital content strategist is a job that did not exist 10 years ago,” Smith said. “More and more companies are now figuring out they need people who understand digital media to go with their more traditional marketing and public relations personnel.”

There is a minor option for the degree, which would allow students of any major to enhance their degrees with this addition.

These are not the only new programs being added to Lindenwood’s catalog, however. For a full list of the new programs, click here.