The program will provide "a unique combination of technical and artistic training," said Ira Pohl, professor and chair of computer science in UCSC's Baskin School of Engineering.

The Department of Computer Science will administer the new interdisciplinary program, which students will be able to enroll in beginning this fall.

"Millions now play massively multiplayer online games, which constitute a new cultural force. Digital media courses will provide students with the tools they need to understand this cultural transformation in conjunction with its technological and artistic possibilities," said Warren Sack, assistant professor of film and digital media.

A highlight of the major is a yearlong game design project in which students work in teams to develop and polish a substantial video game. The campus is creating a new instructional laboratory for computer game design to support these projects.

To help launch the program, UCSC hired Michael Mateas, a leading researcher in the area of artificial intelligence for computer games. Mateas, an assistant professor of computer science, focuses on creating computer-controlled characters that have rich emotions, dialogue, and interactions with their environment.