Game & Play in a Changing Society

This interdisciplinary minor enables you to analyze games and play in contemporary culture and to creatively apply them to address societal challenges.

Content

The minor Games and Play in a Changing Society is intended for students who are interested in learning about how play concepts can be harnessed to more adequately interpret contemporary socio-cultural developments and how games and game design can be used as tools to address urgent societal challenges like the climate crisis from a transdisciplinary perspective. By combining perspectives and methods from media and culture studies, geosciences and computer sciences, participants learn how these concepts and approaches are being mobilized in different disciplinary contexts but also experience first-hand how games and play can foster transdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration. The direct connection between theory/analysis and hands-on game design practice, without requiring previous technical experience, further distinguishes this minor. For that purpose, it draws on collaborations with academic and societal partners like Utrecht School of the Arts, Wageningen University Games Hub, the UN’s Playing for the Planet program or Playlab NYU.

Curriculum

De minor Game and Play in a changing Society consist of 3 compulsory courses (22,5 EC) and 1 compulsory elective (7.5 EC) 

There are 2 options: 

• Green Media & Sustainable Futures (ME3V19001) can be chosen as a replacement for The Sustainability Game (GEO2-2425) in study period 3, either in the rare case that course cannot accommodate any more students in a given year (though minor students will receive priority admission)
• If you prefer to follow the entire minor trajectory in English you should choose Green Media & Sustainable Futures (ME3V19001) in stead of Playful Learning (INFOB3APGA).

Interested in these Masters?

The minor provides substantive preparation for the Master's programmes listed below. It does not guarantee admission, so always check the entry requirements. 

• New Media and Digital Culture
• Media, Art and Performance Studies 

Register

First, check whether you meet the entry requirements. How you register next depends on whether you are already a student at Utrecht University or not.

Contact

With questions or for more information about the registration procedure, please contact the Humanities Student Information Desk.