Bachelor of Innovation™ Degree in Game Design and Development

Do you like playing computer games? Have you ever wanted to build your own games, and realize there is a whole lot to learn? Have we got a deal for you!

Bachelor of InnovationTM in Game Design and Development

In Fall 2005 semester, an interdisciplinary team of faculty formed the Game Design and Development Program Committee to develop a proposal for a Bachelor’s degree in Game Design and Development. This degree program was officially approved by the Colorado Regents and we started offering this degree program in Fall 2007.

We decided to fold the Game Design and Development degree into a larger proposed family of degrees called the Bachelor of Innovation. A Bachelor of Innovation in Game Design and Development will provide students with the technical knowledge needed for success in this field while also addressing numerous business issues like intellectual property, marketing, etc. This business knowledge will prove invaluable to our graduating students whether they pursue jobs at large game companies, decide to form their own companies instead, or pursue some other career path in this area.

For more information about the proposed degree program, click here.

CS 1100, Problem Solving through Game Creation

In Fall 2003, Dr. Chamillard developed and taught a freshman-level course in which we create 2D and 3D games using drag-and-drop tools; almost no programming is required in the course. The course is strongly recommended for computer science majors, but it is open to everyone. It is also a required course for the Bachelor of Innovation in Game Design and Development discussed here. We’ve offered this course every fall semester since the initial offering in Fall 2003.

For more information about this course, click here.

 Screenshot of a game created by a UCCS student A game made with The Games Factory

Example Semester

Wondering what a semester in the Bachelor of Innovation in Game Design and Development program looks like? Here is an example of one possible Fall semester at sophomore level.

 

GDD 2200                 Data Structures for Game Developers

INOV 2010                Innovation Team, Reporting & Analysis (Innovation Core)

INOV 2100                Technical Writing, Proposals and Presentations (Innovation Core)

MUS 2150                 The Computer in Music

VA 1040                    Beginning Drawing

Cross-Discipline Core Course

 

Employment Opportunities

In 2004, sales in the computer game industry surpassed Hollywood box-office receipts for the first time. Also in 2004, Halo 2 had over $125M in sales on the first day it was available. A search on Gamasutra's job site (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/jobs_display.php) yielded 365 game-related job opportunities posted in November 2005 alone. Employment at Electronic Arts, the No. 1 game maker, has almost doubled since 2000, with the number of employees actually creating games almost tripling in the same time period. Electronic Arts has also started sponsoring academic programs in game design and development programs because "... the students are starting to come out of school immediately able to contribute to real projects, which is what we need ... there is still not as much talent as there is opportunity"(NY Times).

 Screenshot of a game created by a UCCS student A game made with FPS Creator

We also note that the Colorado Game Developers Association lists 31 companies in Colorado that engage in game development activities (http://www.coloradogamedev.org/companies.php). Even those Game Design and Development graduates who choose to stay in Colorado will have an opportunity to join an existing local game developer or, in some cases, form their own game development company.

Screenshot of a game created by a UCCS student A game made with C++ and DirectX

It's also important to note that companies that build games designed for entertainment aren't the only employment possibility for graduating Game Design and Development students who decide to work in the game industry. Serious games - those that are designed to teach as well as entertain, like simulation and training games, educational games, games for healthcare, and so on - are also a fast-growing game-related domain. Employment in this area of game development is also a possibility for graduating Game Design and Development students.

Game design and development is clearly a viable career choice, and the demand for effective game developers is likely to continue experiencing a significant growth for the foreseeable future. Even for those students who decide to pursue career options outside the game industry, the creative thinking and information management and manipulation skills that they learn in this program will also serve them well in other careers (NY Times).

High School Presentations

During the Spring 2006 semester, Dr. Chamillard visited Colorado high schools to present information about the Game Design and Development activities going on at UCCS. Click here to find out more about presentation options.

Contact Information

If you have any questions or comments about the UCCS game design and development courses or programs, please feel free to contact me.

Dr. Tim Chamillard

Chair, Game Design and Development Program Committee

Assistant Professor of Computer Science

(719) 262-3150

 

Bachelor of InnovationTM in Game Design and Development

Objectives
The Bachelor of InnovationTM in Game Design and Development (GDD) provides students with a firm foundation in the basics of game design and development while also providing flexibility to pursue other special interest areas through concentration courses. In addition, students will learn the business and communication background required for working effectively in the interdisciplinary teams that are the norm in game design and development. The Bachelor of InnovationTM in Game Design and Development will therefore provide students with the technical, business, and communication background to work on innovative game design and development projects. Included abilities are to: (1) recognize the broader issues in GDD-related problems; (2) understand the technological, business, legal and societal constraints affecting this technology; and (3) have the ability to communicate the key issues, needs, potential options, and final solution to a challenge. The program seeks to prepare students for successful careers and lifelong learning, whether they pursue traditional game industry employment, form their own companies, or pursue other employment opportunities outside the game domain.

BI in Game Design and Development Sample Plan

The following sample plan represents the suggested order and semesters in which students should take course to graduate within four years. Since each student starts at a different level of mathematical ability, this listing should only be considered a guide. Specific questions about the sample program should be directed to the Engineering Advisor.

Freshman Year Fall SemesterFreshman Year Spring Semester
MATH 1350-4 Calculus I
GDD 1100-3 Problem Solving Through Game Creation
ENTP 1000-3 Introduction to Entrepreneurship
ENGL 1310-3 Rhetoric & Writing I
Innovation Elective-3 ID 1010 Approved Freshman Seminar or Innovation related course approved by advisor		 GDD 1200-3 Intro to Programming for Game Developers
INOV 1010-3 The Innovation Process
PES 1110-4 General Physics I
PES 1160-1 Advanced Physics Lab I
Cross Discipline Core-3
Sophomore Year Fall SemesterSophomore Year Spring Semester
GDD 2200-3 Data Structures for Game Developers
BLAW 2010-3 Business and Intellectual Property Law
INOV 2010-1 Innovation Team
VA 1010,1020,1040,2060,2070,2100,2110,or 2150-3
Open Elective-3
Corss Discipline Core-3
 GDD 2100-3 Game Design for Diverse Populations
CS 3060-3 Object-Oriented Programming in C++
or CS 3020-3 Adv. Onject Tech Using C#/.NET.C#
INOV 2100-3 Technical Writing, Proposals and Presentations
INOV 2020-1 Innovation Team
Natural Science Elective-3
Cross Discipline Core-3
Junior Year Fall SemesterJunior Year Spring Semester
CS 3350-3 Intro to Game Design and Development
INOV 3010-1 Innovation Team
MATH 3130-3 Intro to Linear Algebra
GDD Concentration Course-3
Open Elective-3
Cross Discipline Core-3		 INOV 3020-2 Innovation Team
GDD Concentration Courses-6
Natural Science Elective-2
Open Elective-2
Cross Discipline Core-3
Senior Year Fall SemesterSenior Year Spring Semester
CS 4800-3 Computer Graphics
INOV 4010-2 Innovation Team
GDD Concentration Course-3
Open Elective-3
Open Elective-2
 ENTP 4500-3 Entrepreneurship and Strategy
GDD 4100-3 Advanced Game Design Concepts
CS 4780-3 Adv. 3D Games and Digital Content Creation
INOV 4020-2 Innovation Team
GDD Concentration Course-3