Game Design and Development, Bachelor of Science

Philosophy

Crossing the boundaries of traditional game programs, the Game Design and Development program combines the programming, art, and design aspects of creating video games for major platforms, consoles, mobile devices, and simulations. Gaming has been integrated into how we learn, socialize, interact, and gather information.  Architecture, Medical Imaging, Military/Law Enforcement, and Education have integrated and adopted game mechanics as well as benefited from technology developed from the game industry. In order to address industry demand, this program of study has been crafted to provide a holistic approach through the discussion and exploration of: Gamification, Virtual/Augmented/Mixed Realities, Educational and Business applications of game mechanics and design, and entertainment arenas. Combining the skills of interactive design, video production, graphic design, 3D modeling, and programming, this interdisciplinary degree program prepares the student for the exciting world of game design and development.

Purpose

The Game Design and Development program is for the student wishing to design and develop two-dimensional and three-dimensional games and simulations for training, educational, and animation applications deployed to personal computers, game consoles, and training modules. The primary focus of this program is on design elements supported by game programming using available game engine platforms. Students will have an understanding of the workflow involved in designing and developing a game or training simulation environment, game mechanic techniques, and be able to communicate to designers and programmers in the industry, with a base level of understanding.

The program prepares students with the “Game Design & Development Skill Set” required for entry into the fast growing industry of game technology. It is designed to balance the programming and design skills needed to understand the industry pipeline of product creation. The “Gaming Skill Set” reflects a well-rounded individual capable of managing a project from inception to completion. The student will be prepared with an understanding of video and audio techniques as well as designing interfaces and user experiences. Additionally, students will learn to create environments that reflect real world scenarios or create new worlds to explore; program complex levels with physics, logic and purpose; and measure users’ progress through those scenarios. Classroom projects will provide users the tools to improve reaction time, improve hand-eye coordination, think strategically, process cause and effect, and increase ability to process multiple stimuli. Students will gain an understanding of every aspect of the gaming industry from concept development to character and environment creation to programming user interfaces and the “guts” of a game. Finally, students will be exposed to marketing their products and project management.

Students enrolled in the Game Design and Development Program, are also eligible to earn the 3D for Digital Media Certificate.  The certificate courses are embedded within the Game Design and Development program.  If students desire, they can substitute these courses with another College of Technology Certificate set of courses, or the Accelerated Masters option with permission from the program chair, appropriate GPA requirements, and available course program requirements.

Program Competencies

Students completing the Game Design and Development B.S. program will be able to:

• Employ creative problem solving;
• Employ the appropriate technical knowledge necessary for Game Design and Development job functions:

• Game Art Production students will employ the creative abilities and skills necessary to achieve the relevant theme, motifs, color schemes, and stylist choices to the project requirements of their job.
• Interactive Programming students will employ the necessary design patterns based on best practices, employ efficient coding formatting and implementation, and effective code execution for developer functions.

• Analyze requirements for current trends, best practices, and current methodologies in game development projects;
• Practice a professional pipeline for game development.
• Appraise the needs of the audience and then speak in a clear and succinct manner. Research, construct, and deliver professional presentations using a variety of communication tools and techniques.
• Write with clarity and precision using correct English grammar: mechanics (punctuation) and usage (sentence structure and vocabulary). Exhibit competence in writing for specific purposes, diverse audiences, and genres. Correctly and ethically present scholarly writings utilizing the selected citation and writing style deemed appropriate for the student's program of study.
• Employ scientific, quantitative and/or qualitative reasoning and other critical thinking strategies to analyze consequences and outcomes and to be able to recommend alternative solutions.
• Utilize the informational resources and other sources generally accepted as legitimate and valid.
• Apply the ethical principles required of computer professionals.

Experiential Learning

The Office of Experiential Learning takes a 360^◦ approach to experiential learning. Whether you come to Wilmington University with a vast amount of professional experience and are awarded Credit for Prior Learning (CPL), or you participate in a Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunity (Internships or Cooperative Education) embedded in your curriculum for credit, we provide a pathway to completing your degree.

Cooperative Education Option

The Cooperative Education option is an alternative to GMD 401 - Game Development I and GMD 405 - Game Development II. Each co-op assignment is one semester long and normally the two co-op assignments span two consecutive semesters with the same employer. In order to be eligible, students must first have completed GMD 300 - Advanced Game Engines and have at least 60 credits, plus a GPA of 2.5 or higher.  Students must contact the Office of Work-Integrated Learning and their Program Chair one semester before they would like to begin a co-op assignment.   For additional information on cooperative education, please visit: https://www.wilmu.edu/coel/work-integrated-learning.aspx

Enhance your Degree with a Certificate

The College of Technology's digital media department, which is focused on giving students hands-on training and real-world skills across a multimedia platform, consists of six individual Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees: Animation and 3D, Game Design and Development, Graphic Design, Video and Film Production, and Web Design.

Each of these degree programs has been designed with three identifiable parts:  Uniform First Year, Program Core, and 15 credits to be used towards a CoT Certificate.  All students will begin their academic career with a uniform first year before they begin to focus on their selected degree core.  After completion of the uniform first year, students will begin to enroll in their program core courses.  Finally, students in each program will use 15 career-centered course credits towards earning a College of Technology Certificate as illustrated in the table below.