Art & Design: Games + Playable Media

Playtesting board games

The AGPM major focuses on the following areas of study—students interested in the major should expect courses and curriculum centered around these topics:

  • Digital and non-digital games as art, activism and social practice
  • Feminist, anti-racist, LGBTQ games, art and media
  • Participatory or performance-based games such as role playing games, urban/site-specific games and theater games
  • Interactive art, performance art, and new media art
  • Exhibition methods for games in traditional art spaces and public spaces

About Advising

College Advising

Each college has an academic advising team that can provide support in transitioning to the university, understanding university requirements and policies, exploring academic interests, and supporting your academic success.

Your College advisors are experts on all campus related graduation requirements like general education, units, part time status, etc.

Major Advising

Program (major, minor, or “department”) advisors provide support for major and minor programs. They can help you understand major requirements, prerequisites, and how to plan courses for your major, and can advise you on the major’s qualification requirements (if any). They work closely with the faculty in your program, and can recommend both appropriate faculty mentors and educational opportunities within and related to your major.

AGPM Advising

The Art and Design, Games and Playable Media (AGPM) undergraduate advisor and peer advisors can help you clarify your educational goals, select classes that complement your academic interests and develop an individualized plan of study.

Students considering an AGPM major should consult with the undergraduate advisor as early as possible, no later than early to mid-sophomore year. Junior transfer students must begin consulting with the undergraduate advisor in the summer prior to their first quarter at UCSC.

AGPM Peer Advisors

Our Peer Advisors are able to assist students with the following:

  • Academic plans
  • Graduation checks
  • General questions about the major
  • Enrollment advice
  • Major declaration questions

For general questions your first line of contact should be the Peer Advisors, who are available via email at agpmpeer@ucsc.edu.

 

Undergraduate AGPM Advisor

Undergrad advisors are available to assist students with:

  • Complex academic planning
  • Petitions or appeals
  • Enrollment assistance
  • Signing Forms
  • Signing Plans
  • Recommendations for courses and faculty to approach for research interests

Current students can use the link below to schedule an appointment with the AGPM staff advisor. 

Drop in Advising

*Advising service are currently offered remotely and in person (see description on calendar below). Response rate can possibly take up to 5 days,

Please refer to the AGPM Advising Calendar below for the drop-in advising schedule and click on the specific drop-in time that you want to join for its Zoom link!

Please keep in mind Drop-In Advising is meant for quick questions that take 5-10 minutes. For more in-depth needs please schedule an appointment.

What we CAN’T do in Drop-in Advising

  • Graduation Checks
  • Academic Plans

    Major Declaration

    AGPM Major Declaration Policy

    As of Fall 2023, in order to declare the AGPM major, you need to complete the Major Qualification courses with a grade of “C” or better (these courses can also be taken as Pass / No Pass):

    •  ARTG 10 Aesthetic Designs

    And ONE of the following courses

    • ARTG 20 Games as Art OR
    • ARTG 25 Games as Art & Activism OR
    • ARTG 30 Games as Activism

    And either ONE of the Following

    • ARTG 40 Desigining Experiences OR
    • ARTG 50 Play as a Radical Endeavor

    For students from Fall 2022 or prior the following courses can be used to satisfy your ARTG 80G and ARTG 80I declaration requirements:

    • ARTG 40 Desigining Experiences can be used to fulfill the ARTG 80G- Visual Communication and Interaction Design requirement
    • ARTG 50 Play as a Radical Endeavor can be used to fulfill the ARTG 80I – Foundations of Play requirement

     We also ask students to have created an official Academic Planner with either the AGPM advisor or Peer advisors prior to submitting the petition to declare.

    To petition to declare the AGPM major. Please follow the instructions below:

    Log into MyUCSC and submit the Petition for Major/Minor via MyUCSC as soon as you have met major qualification requirements and/or reach your declaration deadline quarter, whichever comes first.  

    If you are not yet logged into MyUCSC, the petition can also be accessed by going to MyUCSC and navigating to the Student Homepage and selecting the Undergraduate Student eForms tile > Petition for Major/Minor.

    These petitions are typically processed on a monthly basis at the end of the month so it may take time before you hear back.

     For students who want to double major and or minor in another program:

     You can find out more about Double Majors and Minors on this page. And when you are ready to petition to declare your 2nd major and/or minor you can  follow the instructions provided by your major advising office and/or check in with them about the other steps in the petition process.

    *Important Note about Proposed Majors when declaring*

    Notes about proposed majors / double majors: any proposed major other than the one the student is declaring will be automatically dropped when the one major is declared and that they need to contact the dept of the dropped proposed major(s) if they still plan to pursue it.

     

     

    Advising Resources

    Please review the following buttons below for various resources, including links to forms (like course substitutions) or enrollment resources (like the quarterly enrollment guides. 

    More academic resources

    Get In Touch with Us

    Devina Martinez

    AGPM Undergraduate Advisor (she/her)
    agpmadvising@ucsc.edu

    Nailea Llamas

    Peer Advisor (he/they)
    agpmpeer@ucsc.edu

    Tiana Chamsi

    Peer Advisor (she/her)
    agpmpeer@ucsc.edu

    Samantha Chang

    Peer Advisor (she/they)
    agpmpeer@ucsc.edu

    Our office is located in the Digital Arts Research Center Rm. 302
    407 McHenry Road
    Santa Cruz, CA 95064

    Note: Due to COVID, advising is currently hybrid remotely and in person. Please refer to our advising calendar for specifics.