URAP

Choosing Your Major Berkeley

Emma Fraser, Professor  
New Media, Center for  

Closed. This professor is continuing with Fall 2025 apprentices on this project; no new apprentices needed for Spring 2026.

“Choosing your Major” is a Digital game competition aimed at undergraduate clubs and students with experience in making games, which will be launched this Fall. We are seeking two URAP students to help support the pedagogical and student-centered aspects of this project.

The project is driven by a dedicated group of emeritus professors working with L&S and the Emeriti Academy to launch the game competition throughout Fall 2025, and to support the development and production of a web-based game – made entirely by undergraduates – to be released in spring 2026.

The URAP students on the “Choosing your Major” project will play an important role in researching campus contexts relevant to the development of the competition and game, and in developing materials and literature to support the project. Students will be supervised by Emma Fraser (Geography), and will also report to the Emeritus faculty who steer the project, working with them on key tasks (see below).

Role: Key tasks required by URAP students:

- Researching and creating databases of web-based games for education
- Peer research to gather information about students’ experience of choosing their major, and students' capacity to produce game projects
- Research support for the emeritus’ needs in developing the competition and ensuring that details of the majors map and aspects of the game can be adequately executed
- Production of materials about the game and competition to be shared with other students for the purposes of education and participant recruitment
- Acting as peer judges for submission and advising on suitability of proposed games for the stated educational purpose (to learn about choosing your major)
- Potentially continuing in Spring with the production phase of the project


Weekly Hours: 3-5 hrs Requires regular weekly meeting on Friday (timing flexible).

Qualifications: Qualifications: It is essential that students are organized, manage their time well, and are committed to the project. Interest in digital media and technology, especially games, is also important for this project, though not essential. Interest in digital and educational research (pedagogy) is also desirable. Students with experience in making games, or with other media production skills, are particularly encouraged to apply. The project is particularly suited to students in majors including computer science, media studies and art practice and/or with involvement in games-related clubs and dCals.

Skills: Students must be familiar with the Google suite of applications, including the use of Google forms, which will be important for undertaking surveys, soliciting and assessing game submissions, and gathering other data. Students must also be familiar with some digital publishing or media production platforms (e.g Canva, Adobe Express, Adobe Illustrator). An ideal candidate will also have knowledge of digital marketing, and/or coding (e.g HTML, Javascript), though this is not essential.

Hours: 3-5 hrs

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