Gamification – you may have seen this trendy term buzzing on social media or in business publications. It’s not just a passing fad, however, as gamification is an exciting and dynamic field that is transforming processes in a diverse range of industries. As such, it’s also been incorporated into many graduate courses and career paths.

Let’s take a closer look at what gamification is and how it relates to graduate school study as well as career options:

What is gamification?
The Harvard Business Review defines gamification as “the application of game design principles to change behavior in non-gaming contexts.” Gamification can be effective because it capitalizes on people’s inherent desire to collect points, advance levels and win. By turning regular business processes into games, organizations can improve employee engagement, affect consumer spending and achieve other positive outcomes.

What are examples of gamification?
There are many different ways gamification can be used in business settings. In the simplest sense, awarding employees gold stars each time they meet their sales goals and then enabling them to cash in their stars for an extra break or additional PTO time can be considered gamification. However, game principles can be applied in even more nuanced ways to enhance business results. Software firms have sprouted up to design gamification platforms and apps that can help companies implement the principles for their own workers or customers.

For example, the University of Utah offers the advanced degree program “Master Games Studio” that is taught in collaboration between the Department of Film & Media Arts and the School of Computing. The master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs also has an option in Media Convergence Games & Media Integration, while New York University has an M.S. in Games for Learning. Michigan State University also offers an M.A. certificate in Games & Meaningful Play that is geared toward students with an interest in gamification.

As the University of California, Davis noted, “Game studies has emerged over the last few years as a preeminent sector of the digital humanities.”

The school details how its digital humanities research center focuses on four interconnected programs: Gaming Culture, Gaming Art, Gaming Health and Gaming Science. Its dedication to exploring the discipline shows how gamification is increasingly being examined in academic contexts. It is not a siloed area of study, but one that is highly interdisciplinary by nature.

Career options in gamification 
Exciting job opportunities are available for individuals interested in careers working with gamification principles and methods. Companies of all types are hiring for individuals with game development and application skills. Some sample job titles that relate to gamification are product managers, data and analytics engineers, software/app developers and gamification strategists. While many of these roles require technical web development skills, there are also marketing, project management, sales, graphic design and human resources positions that also support the design and implementation of gamification programs at organizations. As gamification is an evolving field, there are also many opportunities for individuals to study gamification in an academic environment, particularly as it relates to the disciplines of behavior science, organizational psychology and education.