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Simulation And Game Design
The courses listed below are for the 2012-13 Academic Catalog and are subject to change. Please reference the Academic Catalog for further information and course descriptions. If you are a current student, please reference the catalog in which you come under.
Bachelor of Arts in Simulation and Game Design
Liberal Education Curriculum 49 credit hours
Simulation and Game Design Core Courses 48 credit hours
General Electives 23 credit hours
Total credit hours for the B.A. in Simulation and Game Design 120 credit hours
Simulation and Game Design Core 48 credit hours
Drawing 1
ART 110This course is designed for the beginning student of drawing. The problems and possibilities of visual communication using drawing media and techniques are explored. Students will experiment with various drawing materials and techniques while exploring various themes. Expressive qualities and the studentÕs creative personal expression will be encouraged. Postmodern (mixed media) drawing projects are included in this course. Studio development is strengthened through readings, class discussions, demonstrations, project research, individual and group critiques, visits to art exhibitions, visiting artists and written assignments.
Art Appreciation
ART 160Art Appreciation explores the numerous and diverse visual experiences created by various cultures as a way for them to understand and communicate their ideas and beliefs and to give meaning to their world. You will learn that these visual (often multimedia) experiences serve different functions within each culture, reflecting the ideologies of the time period, society, and maker. You will also explore the variety of materials and techniques used by different cultures, as well as the evolution of new technologies. This course will call into question modern Western cultureÕs tendency to evaluate all other cultures by using Western notions of art, including the ideas of originality, beauty, and creativity. Current issues such as arts funding, conservation and restoration, the Nazi art loot controversy, ÒOutsider ArtÓ, art criticism, censorship, and post-modernism are also explored. Participation in the local arts community is part of this course. NOTE: This course is not a chronological study of art.
Design and Typography I
COM 220This course introduces you to the basic elements of design and the fundamental principles of visual composition. WeÕll cover electronic typesetting and page layout using software specific to the graphic design industry in a Mac-based environment. You will learn a wide range of techniques and materials for design making and develop fundamental skills in design processes.
Digital Media Convergence
COM 270Technology has transformed traditional mass media. In this course, we help prepare you for working in a converged media environment. YouÕll create multi-media content for the Communication DepartmentÕs converged media web site and for your own web-based digital portfolio.
Imaging
COM 329In this course, youÕll explore a wide range of techniques and stylistic approaches to illustration and image making for graphic design. Emphasis will be placed on conceptual thinking and distinctive personal solutions through a series of projects that use collage, digital photography, and computer illustration
Motion for the Screen
COM 420Although designers still communicate messages by integrating form, image, color, and type, the basic media of visual communication are changing. Designing for these new media requires new design strategies, as well as new technologies. In this course, youÕll begin to incorporate motion, interactivity, and digital video along with traditional typography and image making.
Writing about Story Telling in Simulation
ENG 313This course satisfies the third-year writing requirement by asking students to analyze how our contemporary technology-driven society understands the concept of story. To what degree have traditional terms such as ÒplotÓ and ÒcharacterÓ changed in a culture that experiences them primarily through television, movies, and video games? How have new forms of pop culture narratives affected what we expect from beginnings and endings in the stories that we tell about ourselves? Students will write analysis papers, conduct research, and propose arguments that evaluate changes in a range of storytelling techniques from traditional fictions to the newer interactive standards inspired by video games, cloud computing, and social networks.
Finite Math
MAT 202You will study selected topics in finite mathematics, including set operations, Venn diagrams, elementary probability, counting techniques (including permutations and combinations), matrices, solving systems of equations, linear programming, and mathematics of finance.
Introduction to Simulation and Game Design
SGD 111This course covers the history and evolution of electronic game development, focus on design elements, technical innovations and societal influences. The student will learn the elements of production including game conceptualization, story development, interface, character, soundtrack and level design.
Programming C++
SGD 151This course provides the fundamentals of programming primarily using C++, the standard language of the Simulation and Game industry. Topics include binary and hexadecimal number Systems, algorithm design and computer organization. The course progresses to game functions, game loops, software objects and using functions to manage code.
Simulation and Game Technology I
SGD 211Game designers need an essential skill set that allows them to realize their concepts through working prototypes. In Game Technology I students learn how to develop and manipulate game mechanics and environments through visual and traditional scripting tools. This class supports skills needed for level editing and design, prototyping, and working in game engines.
Simulation and Game Design
SGD 222This course will focus on the basic principles of animation, motion perception and design in 2D and 3D. The principles and techniques involved in creating 3 dimensional media are introduced. Students will learn the step by step process of 3D graphics using industry standard software such as Maya and 3ds Studio Max. Texture design, mapping skills, lighting and scene setup and rendering is covered.
Simulation and Game Technology II
SGD 311Acquire the integration skills needed to successfully build a 3D game. We explore both the technical construction and practical design of games in a 3D game engine. The technical skills required to use the game engine software are combined with knowing how and when to use spaces in a level, construct an interface, establish moods, and direct a player's attention through sound effects, lighting, camera angles, and text to create a complete working game.
3D Modeling and Animation
SGD 322This course covers the techniques involved in animating 3D models in 3D scenes using Maya and 3ds Studio Max. Students will use Motion Capture equipment and will learn the process of building a 3D scene from objects with lighting placement and camera manipulation. Animation of characters using key frames is covered in detail.
Collaborative Simulation and Game Design
SGD 411A Capstone experience in the Simulation and Game Design sequence. In teams, students will work across and outside of typical production roles in order to design, prototype, and create a digital game.
Senior Project
SGD 422This senior level seminar is flexible in both format and content due to advancing technology within the field. Working with a professor, students select an appropriate topic for the design of an original interactive project which will result in a presentation of a final project. It is intended to simulate the real world experience of a Simulation or Game project developer/designer.
