Game Design & Development Minor

Game Design & Development is a multidisciplinary minor for students interested in exposure to the full video game production pipeline. Students will learn the technical tools, design, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and analytical skills necessary in the production of video games from faculty in Art, Art History, & Design, Computer Science, English, and Music, and will be able to understand and effectively communicate between disciplines.

The video game industry employs artists, designers, animators, programmers, writers, and musicians. It also includes jobs in audio and video production, business development, IT, web development, management, sales, marketing, and more. Students interested in any area in this growing field can pair the minor with their major field of study, making them especially attractive to employers. Whether it be studio art, computer science, graphic design, business, music, communications, information systems, writing, or something else, the minor offers opportunities to step into the exciting world of game design and development.

Game Design & Development Curriculum

Game Computing
9 Credit Hours

CS 102 OR CS 103 - Intro to Programming
CS 121 - Computer Science I
AND select 1
CS 347 - Introduction to Game Design and Programming (CS 221 and other prereqs needed, common choice for CS majors)
ARS 311 - Video Game Scripting & Design (common choice for non-CS majors)

Game Animation
9 Credit Hours

ARS 220 - Animation: Introduction (prereqs waved for minors)
AND select 2
ARS 321 - Organic Modeling
ARS 322 - 3D Animation
ARS 324 - Technical Art
ARS 325- Hard Surface Modeling
ARS 329- 2D Animation
ARS 416- Team Game Design II

Game Sound
3 Credit Hours

Select 1
MU 305 - Music Technology III (prereqs waved for minors)
MU 306 - Music Technology IV (prereqs waved for minors)

Game Design
9 Credit Hours

ARS 210 - Game Design: Introduction (prereqs waved for minors)
ARS 415 – Team Game Design I
AND select 1
EH 301 - Technical Writing
EH 442 - Usability Studies
EH 454 - New Media Writing and Rhetoric

In Team Game Design teams of students conceive and build working video games in one semester. Students take on the roles of a professional development team including Game Designer, Level Designer, Concept Artist, Sound Designer, Engineer, Modeler, Animator, Lighting Artist, Technical Artist, Art Director, and Technical Director. The experience of working as a member of a multidisciplinary team on a collaborative project helps prepare students for real-world careers. Taking Team Game Design I & II is recommended when possible.