CANTON -- SUNY Canton in the fall will offer a four-year bachelor of science program in game design and development.

"We are offering a comprehensive program focusing on the design and production of modern video games," school President Zvi Szafran said. "This new course of study is a solid and logical development for our college."

"Students will learn the most recent technologies, and programming skills to create video games on multiple platforms and devices," said Canino School of Engineering Technology Dean Michael J. Newtown. "In addition to theoretical learning, students will have plenty of hands-on experience creating video games."

Approximately half of men and a comparable number of women say they play video games on a computer, TV, game console, or mobile device according to Pew Research Center data. Two-thirds of young adults, or those of traditional college age, said they play video games.

Beyond popularity, the college looked at potential employment opportunities for students after graduation while assembling the proposal for the new program. A 2014 economic impact study conducted by Economists Incorporated showed that the video game industry increased in size by more than nine percent, or four times the growth rate of the U.S. economy, between 2009 and 2012.

"We are joining a multi-billion dollar industry," said SUNY Canton Provost Douglas M. Scheidt. "The students in the game design program will gain marketable high-tech knowledge and skills that will be beneficial to their careers and entrepreneurial endeavors."

The program has been approved by SUNY and the New York State Department of Education. It will complement the graphic and multimedia design and information technology programs, as well as existing courses taught in other disciplines.