Graduate Study
Game Design and Development
Program Overview
The master of science in game design and development defines a program of study that allows students to explore the entertainment technology landscape as well as other related areas. The program focuses its technical roots in the computing and information sciences disciplines, while simultaneously covering the breadth of the development landscape through involvement in topics such as computer graphics design, human-computer interaction, interactive narrative, and game world design. The degree is intended specifically for students that aspire to hold careers within the professional games industry or a related field such as simulation, edutainment, or visualization.
The program is a two year, cohort-based program in which students are admitted through a portfolio review process and subsequently pursue a "major" sequence of six courses to guarantee depth within a specialization area relative to game development, and a "minor" of three courses specifically outside their major area of study. In addition, all students will complete a seminar track of five courses within the program that ties students specializing in various majors together, and explores the overlap and interconnection of their work as well as providing a framework of understanding for the professional industry as a whole.
Upon completion of their coursework, students are organized into development teams that will construct a working game engine and software title as a capstone experience, with both individual and group requirements. The capstone experience culminates in a private defense before program faculty as well as a public exhibition. The capstone project, the focus on team-based collaborative development, the seminar track on industry issues, and the applied nature of the coursework all work together to provide a comprehensive treatment of the subject.
Curriculum Review
All students will choose to complete a major of six courses for depth, in either game engine development or artificial intelligence and simulation:
Game Engine Development Major Sequence
4005-761 Computer Graphics I
4005-762 Computer Graphics II
4002-734 2D Graphics Programming
4002-735 3D Graphics Programming
4005-763 Computer Animation: Algorithms and Techniques
4002-836 Game Engine Design and Development
Artificial Intelligence and Simulation Major Sequence
4005-750 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
4002-791 Artificial Life and Evolutionary Simulation
4005-752 Artificial Intelligence for Interactive Environments
4005-759 Topics in Artificial Intelligence
4005-756 Genetic Algorithms
4005-855 Neural Networks and Machine Learning
All students are required to complete a minor of three courses for breadth, in one of: Asset Creation and Management, Content Authoring for Games, Human Computer Interaction, Database Architecture and Design, by choosing a minor out of a major above, or through a request for special topics approved by the program faculty.
Asset Creation and Management
(Student must take 2001-721 3DCG Modeling + any two additional courses from the remaining six)
2001-721 3DCG Modeling
2001-722 3DCG Interactive Animation
2001-732 3DCG Shading
2001-747 3DCG Rendering, Output and Prototyping
2001-731 3DCG Lighting
2001-743 3DCG Character Design
2001-787 3DCG Production Pipeline
Content Authoring For Games
4004-728 Interactive Narrative for Games
4004-732 Game World Design
4004-744 Building Online Communities
Human Computer Interaction
4004-745 Foundations of HCI
4004-748 Usability Engineering
4004-749 Usability Testing
Database Architecture and Design
4004-720 Data Object Development
4004-784 Multi-Client Database Implementation
4004-785 Fundamentals of DBMS Architecture and Implementation
All students are required to complete the game design and development seminar sequence, a series of five courses designed to bring students of various cohorts together to identify overlap around industry issues:
Game Design and Development Seminar Sequence
4004-731 History and Critical Analysis of Computer Games and Interactive Entertainment
4004-734 Online Identity, Social and Community Behavior
4002-790 Emerging Themes in Entertainment Technology
4002-792 Development Processes in the Games Industry
4002-793 Business and Legal Aspects of Game Development
Finally, all students in the program are required to complete a 20-week capstone experience in the second year of the program, during the winter and spring quarters. Students are expected to work full-time on this activity during the spring. At the end of the spring quarter, all students undertaking such activity are required to present at the end-of-quarter show. This show has two distinct components: a private faculty review, which should be regarded as a thesis defense, and a public demonstration and presentation.
Game Design and Development Capstone Experience
4002-887 Capstone Design
4002-888 Capstone Development
Admission Requirements
Due to the cohort nature of the program, students are admitted in fall semesters only. Admission to the program is highly competitive, and applicants are selected in a manner that ensures balance among the various curricular tracks and specialties. Prospective students are expected to have an undergraduate degree in a relevant field, such as computer science, software engineering, information technology or computer graphics. Students with undergraduate degrees in related disciplines such as computer animation or human computer interaction also will be considered.
Admission is based on prior academic performance as well as portfolio examination. The portfolio can include both individual and group projects (clearly marked as such) relevant to the area that the individual wishes to study within the degree program. Prospective students are encouraged to include examples of game construction activities in their portfolios.
To be competitive, applicants should have at least a 3.25 grade point average or a first-class international degree with distinction. Students requesting consideration who have not achieved this level of academic performance should submit strong portfolios and GRE scores.
International applicants who have not received a degree within the United States are required to submit both Test of English as a Foreign Language and Graduate Record Examination scores. A minimum TOEFL score of 230 (computer-based), 570 (paper-based) or 88 (Internet-based) is required.
Prerequisites
Students are expected to have at least one year of significant programming experience in a current object-oriented language—preferably C++ or Java—and a solid working knowledge of website development and interactive multimedia concepts. Examples of appropriate prerequisite course work includes:
Object-Oriented Programming
4002-714 Java Programming (requires prior programming experience)
or
4002-716 C++ Programming Workshop (requires prior programming experience)
Multimedia and Website Design
Website development skill equivalent to either of the following:
4002-320 Introduction to Multimedia: the Internet and the Web
or
4004-741 Fundamentals of Web-Based Multimedia