Why Study/Key Benefits

The Bachelor of Games and Interactivity is a 3-year undergraduate degree focused on the cultural, creative and practical dimensions of games and interactive media. Students work with both analogue and digital games and develop practical, creative, research and communication skills in a games-lab environment.

Key benefits include:

• Practical game-development and interactive-media experience.
• Development of critical and analytical skills.
• Creative problem-solving and game-design skills.
• Interdisciplinary teamwork.
• Experience with games-industry-standard software.
• Planning, production and presentation skills.
• Work Integrated Learning opportunities.
• A final-year project in which students work as a team to create a game intended for public/industry showcase; Swinburne says the projects may be showcased at PAX Australia with the aim of public release.
• Ability to combine Games and Interactivity with another discipline through a co-major, minor or double degree.

Programme Structure and Subjects/Topics

The standard 300-credit-point degree consists of four core units, eight Games and Interactivity major units and 150 credit points of additional study.

Core units:

• FTV10005 Sound Design and Acquisition
• DDD20022 3D Modelling for Objects and Environments
• GAM30002 Games & Interactivity Project 1
• GAM30003 Games & Interactivity Project 2

Games and Interactivity major units:

• ART10004 Introduction to Game Studies
• GAM10002 Principles of Game Design
• GAM20001 Introduction to Games Production
• GAM20003 Digital Game Prototyping Lab
• GAM20004 Writing for Interactive Narratives
• ART30003 Behaviour and Motivation in Games
• GAM30006 Experimental Game Design
• GAM30004 User-Centred Design & Evaluation.

Indicative 2026 study sequence:

Year 1:

• Sound Design and Acquisition
• Introduction to Game Studies
• Principles of Game Design
• 4 elective units

Year 2:

• Introduction to Games Production
• Digital Game Prototyping Lab
• Writing for Interactive Narratives
• 5 elective units

Year 3:

• Games & Interactivity Project 1
• Behaviour and Motivation in Games
• Experimental Game Design
• Games & Interactivity Project 2
• User-Centred Design & Evaluation
• 3 elective units.

Disciplines/Specialisations

Games and Interactivity is the principal major.

The course does not list separate formal specialisations within the Games and Interactivity major. Instead, students can shape their study through co-majors, advanced minors, minors and electives.

Current co-major options include:

• Animation
• Computer Science
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Indigenous Studies
• Marketing
• Philosophy
• Psychology
• Public Relations
• Screen Production.

Advanced minor options include:

• 3D Modelling and Animation Advanced
• Visual Effects Advanced.

Minors include areas such as:

• Applied Psychology
• Cinema and Screen Studies
• Communication Design
• Computer Science
• Creative Writing
• Digital Advertising Technology
• Entrepreneurship
• Indigenous Studies
• Innovation
• Journalism
• Marketing
• Media Industries
• Public Relations
• Social Media.

Students can also undertake double degrees with:

• Bachelor of Animation
• Bachelor of Applied Innovation
• Bachelor of Computer Science.

Programme Highlights

Important features include:

• 3-year undergraduate degree.
• 300 credit points.
• Games and Interactivity major worth 100 credit points.
• Practical analogue and digital game development.
• Games laboratory environment.
• Game design and prototyping.
• Interactive narrative writing.
• User-centred design and evaluation.
• Behaviour and motivation in games.
• Experimental game design.
• 3D modelling and sound design.
• Collaborative capstone projects.
• Industry-oriented software and production skills.
• Work Integrated Learning.
• Optional paid 6- or 12-month professional placement.
• Opportunities to combine the degree with Animation, Applied Innovation or Computer Science.

Career Outcomes

Swinburne identifies career opportunities including:

• Games developer
• Computer graphics (CG) animator
• Games tester
• Multimedia developer.

The course handbook additionally identifies opportunities in:

• Interactive content creation
• Game design
• Interface design
• Rapid prototyping
• Broader media
• Multimedia
• Communications.

International Student Visa Requirements

An international student studying this degree in Australia would generally require the Australian Student visa (subclass 500).

The Department of Home Affairs currently requires Student visa applicants to:

• apply online;
• hold a valid Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE);
• hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), unless exempt;
• satisfy applicable English-language requirements or an exemption;
• satisfy the Genuine Student requirement;
• provide financial evidence where required;
• satisfy applicable health and character requirements.