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 “Gaming 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 Program (B.S.) will be able to:
- Apply the ethical principles required of computer professionals;
- Employ creative problem solving;
- Employ the appropriate technical knowledge necessary for Game Design and Development job functions;
- Analyze requirements for current trends, best practices, and current methodologies in game development projects;
- Utilize the informational resources and other sources generally accepted as legitimate and valid; and
- Practice a professional pipeline for game development.
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 five individual Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees: Game Design and Development, Graphic Design, Photography, 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.
|
Uniform First Year
|
|
Game Design
Program
Core Courses
|
Graphic Design
Program
Core Courses
|
Photography
Program
Core Courses
|
Video & Film
Program
Core Courses
|
Web Design
Program
Core Courses
|
|
College of Technology Certificate Courses (options vary by program)
|
Accelerated Option with Graduate Certificate
Students in the Game Design and Development B.S. degree program may choose an accelerated option with:
- Management Information Systems Graduate Certificate; or
- Technology Project Management Graduate Certificate
Students selecting this option can complete both their undergraduate degree and the graduate certificate by completing 120 credits (105 undergraduate credits and 15 graduate credits). The five graduate courses (15 credits) needed for the graduate certificate would count as five courses (15 credits) towards undergraduate electives in your degree.
Students who complete the Management Information Systems or Technology Project Management Graduate Certificates also receive the benefit of completing five graduate level courses that count towards a Master’s degree in Information Systems Technologies (MS-IST). Students selecting this option are not required to pursue the MS-IST degree.
Admission requirements include:
- A minimum GPA of 3.25
- Completion of at least 60 credits towards your degree program
- A meeting with an academic advisor to submit an Accelerated Option Intent (AOI) form upon completion of at least 30 credits; and
- Recommendation of the Program Chair
Note: Students will not be eligible to register for graduate level courses until they have successfully completed at least 60 credits towards their bachelor’s degree and have an approved AOI form. Students must receive their B.S. degree in order to receive the graduate certificate.
Minimum Grade Policy: Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA in their graduate courses in order to earn the certificate.
Game Design and Development B.S. Curriculum
General Education Requirements (39 credits)
Game Design and Development Core (72 credits)
| ANI 201 | Fundamentals of Motion Graphics | 3 |
| ANI 310 | Advanced Motion Graphics | 3 |
| ANI 321 | Introduction to 3D | 3 |
| ANI 322 | 3D Modeling Techniques | 3 |
| ANI 323 | 3D Texture, Rendering and Lighting Techniques | 3 |
| ANI 324 | Character Creation and Texturing | 3 |
| ANI 325 | Character Rigging | 3 |
| DSN 210 | Basic Photoshop | 3 |
| DSN 220 | Concept Development | 3 |
| DSN 410 | Advanced Photoshop | 3 |
| GMD 100 | Intro to Game Engines | 3 |
| GMD 105 | Video and Audio for Game Design | 3 |
| GMD 110 | Intro to Game Programming | 3 |
| GMD 202 | Soundtracks for Film, Video and Games | 3 |
| GMD 203 | Creating Sound Effects and Dialog for Film, Video and Games | 3 |
| GMD 210 | Advanced Game Programming | 3 |
| GMD 300 | Advanced Game Engines: Using Unity3D | 3 |
| GMD 310 | Environment Creation for Games | 3 |
| GMD 401 | Game Development I | 3 |
| GMD 405 | Game Development II | 3 |
| GMD 487 | Game Design & Development Senior Project | 3 |
| MAT 320 | Finite Mathematics | 3 |
| VFP 222 | Story Design Methods | 3 |
| VFP 313 | Aesthetics of Film | 3 |
CoT Electives (9 credits)
Students may choose three course (9 credits) from the following undergraduate College of Technology courses: ANI, CSC, DFM, DSN, GMD, ISM, MKR, SEC, TEC, UAV, VFP, VFX. Students with less than 16 credits are required to take FYE 101 as one of their electives.
Accelerated Option with Management Information Systems Graduate Certificate
The certificate requires 15 graduate credits. Students will complete the following five courses in place of ANI 322, ANI 323, ANI 324, ANI 325 and a free elective. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA in their graduate courses in order to earn the certificate.
Accelerated Option with Technology Project Mgt Graduate Certificate
The certificate requires 15 graduate credits. Students will complete IST 7060 in place of a free elective (3 credits) and four of the six IPM courses listed below in place of ANI 322, ANI 323, ANI 324, and ANI 325. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA in their graduate courses in order to earn the certificate.
Choose four (4) of the following:
| IPM 6000 | IT/IS Project Scope Development and Management | 3 |
| IPM 6010 | IT/IS Project Scheduling | 3 |
| IPM 6030 | IT/IS Project Risk Management | 3 |
| IPM 6040 | IT/IS Project Quality Management | 3 |
| IPM 6050 | Agile Project Management | 3 |
| IPM 6090 | Special Topics in IT/IS Project Management | 3 |
CAP/Co-op Program Option (6 credits)
In order to provide relevant work experience, students in the Game Design and Development (GDD) degree program have the option of completing six credit hours via a co-op assignment. The co-op option for GDD is the equivalent of two semester courses, for a total of six credit hours. Students can complete their GDD degree with 120 credit hours, whether they choose the co-op option or not. Because each co-op experience is individually designed, students must inform the Director of the CAP/Co-op program and the GDD Program Chair one semester before they would like to begin a co-op assignment.
The co-op 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 inform the Director of the CAP/Co-op program and the Game Design and Development Program Chair one semester before they would like to begin a co-op assignment.
For additional information on the CAP/Co-op program option, please see the website: http://www.wilmu.edu/coel/work-integrated-learning.aspx
Completion Degree Requirements
What is a Completion Degree?
A completion degree is a personalized version of a bachelor's degree created exclusively for students who have completed an associate degree at an accredited institution. Completion degrees are available for most Wilmington University Bachelor of Science degrees. A student who expects to transfer a completed associate's degree should communicate with a Wilmington University academic advisor before registering for courses. A transcript with documentation of the conferred degree must be received by Wilmington University to confirm eligibility.
Note that a minimum of 120 combined credits are needed to satisfy the Completion Degree requirements, including both transfer credits and credits earned at Wilmington University.
Game Design and Development Completion Degree
| ANI 310 | Advanced Motion Graphics | 3 |
| ANI 321 | Introduction to 3D | 3 |
| ANI 322 | 3D Modeling Techniques | 3 |
| ANI 323 | 3D Texture, Rendering and Lighting Techniques | 3 |
| ANI 324 | Character Creation and Texturing | 3 |
| ANI 325 | Character Rigging | 3 |
| DSN 410 | Advanced Photoshop | 3 |
| GMD 300 | Advanced Game Engines: Using Unity3D | 3 |
| GMD 310 | Environment Creation for Games | 3 |
| GMD 401 | Game Development I | 3 |
| GMD 405 | Game Development II | 3 |
| GMD 487 | Game Design & Development Senior Project | 3 |
| LIT 313 | Visual Approaches to Literature: The Graphic Novel | 3 |
| VFP 203 | Intro to Non-Linear Editing | 3 |
| VFP 222 | Story Design Methods | 3 |
The following courses or their equivalents are prerequisites for a degree in Game Design and Development:
ANI 201 Fundamentals of Motion Graphics
DSN 210 Basic Photoshop
ENG 122 English Composition II
GMD 100 Introduction to Game Engines
GMD 105 Video and Audio for Game Design
GMD 110 Introduction to JavaScript for Unity 3D
GMD 210 Advanced JavaScript for Unity 3D
MAT 200 Pre-Calculus or MAT320 Finite Math
MAT 205 Introductory Survey of Mathematics