Becoming a Golden Hawk means more than just cheering on our (really good) varsity teams – it means being a student who cares about your community, who works hard in the classroom, and who takes advantage of all the learning opportunities that can happen outside the classroom, too.
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Want to make games that matter?
Learn to communicate through playful and immersive experiences such as video games, board games and escape rooms with our Game Design and Development (GDD) program. Create gameplay that pushes the medium forward, exploring, expanding and innovating how games engage players and represent diverse viewpoints as you create cozy, meaningful and transformative games.
Develop in-demand job skills including creativity, writing and visual design, critical thinking, problem solving and iterative design processes. Combine technical and creative writing with the fundamentals of programming and art to create functional prototypes while preparing to work with a multifaceted development team in the game industry.
Looking ahead to a career in education? Apply to the GDD with Teaching Option program.
Students applying to this program from a Canadian province outside of Ontario are encouraged to review our course equivalents by province chart. This chart will show you what courses from your province are equivalent to the admission requirements listed under Ontario High School Admission Requirements.
Students applying to this program from an international curriculum are encouraged to review our curriculum-specific requirements; you must also meet all program-specific requirements listed under the Ontario High School Admission Requirements section.
University admissions is a complicated topic. That's why we created our Admissions Top Questions video series. Recruitment and Admissions experts will answer the questions you already have and some you didn't know you should ask – all in less than 5 minutes. New videos posted the first week of every month.
Laurier's language of instruction is English, and so we may require you to provide evidence of your English proficiency to help make sure you experience success in your academic courses.
Your three most recent years of full-time education must be in English without taking any ESL (English as a Second Language) courses. If you do not meet this requirement, you must provide evidence of your English proficiency.
We reserve the right to request an English-language test from any applicant.
If you do not meet Laurier's English proficiency requirement but are academically qualified for your program, you may be eligible for a conditional offer of admission.
The Laurier English and Academic Foundation (LEAF) program is an academic English program for Laurier applicants who have to prove English proficiency. If you have received an offer to Laurier with a condition to meet our English- proficiency requirement, you can meet that condition by successfully completing the LEAF program.
Completed the first year of a college program:
Completed a two-year diploma or two years of a three-year advanced diploma:
Completed a two to three-year advanced diploma:
Visit our admission requirements section to find specific requirements for university students, indigenous applicants, mature learners, homeschooled applicants, senior citizens, refugees, and more.
New for Fall 2023: The Game Design and Development (GDD) program is now offered as a Bachelor of Arts degree, allowing students to customize their degree to their desired career path.
Want to improve your programming skills to demonstrate your designs? Consider a Computer Science Minor or a Combination BA with Computer Science.
Interested in writing for games? Explore a Combination BA with English to improve your writing and critical analysis skills.
If designing the user interfaces for games is of interest to you, a Minor or Specialization in User Experience Design will help you consider how to create engaging user experiences.
If teaching with games is of interest to you, Laurier’s GDD with Teaching Option will help you explore how to combine teaching and game design, and can open up the pathway to Laurier’s Bachelor of Education program.
Laurier’s GDD with Teaching Option consists of 4.0 credits: five core half-credit courses offered through the Faculty of Education, plus three elective half-credit courses from an approved list.
The option is designed to provide students with a foundational course of study focusing on teaching.
Students admitted into the Teaching Option pathway who successfully complete the option’s requirements have a chance at a guaranteed spot in Laurier’s Bachelor of Education (BEd) program.
Check out other options to enhance your degree.
Community Service-Learning (CSL) courses at Laurier integrate service in the community with what you are learning in your classes. Placements are approximately 10 weeks and take place on a weekly basis from the second week of classes to the final week, typically for two hours per week.
CSL placements consist of volunteering at a local community service, such as a soup kitchen or a children's treatment centre. It’s a great way to apply classroom knowledge and gain practical experience in your field of study. Build your resume, develop your network, and graduate with experience.
Interested? Learn more about Community Service-Learning.
Getting a university education is an investment in your future.
At Laurier, we take financial health seriously by providing a wide variety of funding opportunities for you throughout your degree, such as scholarships and bursaries, and by equipping you with the skills to manage your finances effectively in the years to come.
“I chose Laurier for this program because I wanted an experience that strayed away from the AAA mentality and treated games with the cultural respect they were owed. At Laurier, games have meaning, are purposeful and are empowered to be world-changing and that's nothing short of inspirational.”
"I would recommend this program because it perfectly balances game desig principles, humanities-based theories and the technical skills you need to make games. The program's emphasis on games for change also makes it a welcoming and accepting space where issues such as diversity in gaming spheres are not ignored but emphasized and brought to the forefront."
Maya Harry, Game Design and Development graduate
It’s not only about the journey; it’s about the destination. Let us help you get to where you’re going.
Here are just some examples of our graduates' destinations. What’s yours?
Note: Additional training and education may be required.
Alumni for life means that you have access to Career and Employment Support offered at Laurier for your entire career.
"Laurier was the only place I knew my interests and my goals would be combined into a course that would help me get where I wanted to go. It's focus on games for change really made me feel like I could go out in the world and be the difference I wanted to see.
I remember going into Laurier thinking that I had one shot at proving I was a 'good game designer.' Instead I learned that design is flexible. You will not be punished for trying and failing, and this environment truly lets you explore just what you can do when given the space to try.”
Email chooselaurier@wlu.ca, call 519.884.0710 x3385 or see all contact information.