Assistant Professor, Game Design

Fitchburg State University•Fitchburg, MA

16h•Onsite

About The Position

Fitchburg State University is seeking a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor in Game Design. This role involves teaching a variety of courses in game design and development, including digital and analog game creation, interactive storytelling, level design, programming/scripting, mobile development, augmented and virtual reality, and capstone mentoring. The successful candidate will contribute to the program's growth by demonstrating active creative practice as a game designer, developer, interactive media artist, or creative technologist, with work that showcases innovation, artistic vision, and meaningful player experiences. The university welcomes candidates whose work highlights innovation in game design, interactive storytelling, artistic expression, emerging technologies, or independent game development. The ideal candidate will possess a fresh pedagogical perspective, foster an inclusive and collaborative learning environment, and teach contemporary professional tools and workflows. This role will help students build strong foundations in design, artistic expression, technical problem-solving, and creative production, while preparing them for careers in the evolving fields of game design and interactive media. The Game Design program is housed within the Communications Media department and is the first of its kind at a public university in New England. Faculty are active game and interactive developers, artists, and scholars who engage students in conferences, professional meetups, game jams, and study abroad programs. The curriculum emphasizes a broad-based core foundation in game design, collaborative development, and culminates in a full-time internship or Game Studio capstone. The program features industry-standard game labs with VR and motion capture facilities, a Game Lounge with a diverse game library, and a dedicated professional studio facility for the Game Studio capstone.

Requirements

Terminal degree in game design/development or related field (MFA, Ph.D., etc.) by June 30, 2027. ABD will be considered with an anticipated degree completion date by June 30, 2027.
A broad understanding of and ability to teach artistic, professional, and technical standards in the field of games and interactive media.
Ability to perform all duties with or without reasonable accommodations.

Nice To Haves

2+ years of experience teaching in games or related fields
Demonstrated proficiency in technical aspects of game development, including game engines, programming/scripting, source control, and other tools.
Experience in the game field through employment, internship, or active participation in game associations at local or national levels.
Desire and ability to cultivate industry connections and to help students with professional portfolio development.
Engagement with non-traditional interactive/game creation, such as indie games, art games, game jams, serious games, interactive installation, or augmented performance.
Experience in related fields, such as extended reality, simulation, mobile, UI/UX, web/software development, hardware development, etc.
Desire and ability to support our gender-, neuro-, and ethnically diverse student body.

Responsibilities

Teaching workload of 8 courses/24 semester hours of credit of instruction per school year, and preparation for classroom instruction.
Teach courses in Game Design, which may include Game Level Design, Game Design Workshop, 3D Game Development, Advanced Game Workshop, Game Programming, Virtual Reality Development, Mobile Game Design, Serious Games, or Game Studio Capstone. The candidate will also have the opportunity to develop new courses that fit the program, based on expertise and interests, and the evolving needs of our program.
Provide student assistance, including academic advising, professional and career advising, and portfolio development.
Participate in curriculum review and development, program reviews, and student outcomes assessment, and serve on departmental and college-wide committees.
Attend university functions, including convocation, commencement, professional development days, and faculty committee and department meetings.
Continuing scholarship, which may include artistic or other creative activities, research, contribution to the content of the discipline, or participation in professional organizations.
Other professional activities, which may include public or university service, participation in scheduled orientation and registration programs, department activities including game jams, student showcases, portfolio reviews, or other events.