Bachelor of Innovation™ in Game Design and Development
Do you like playing computer games? Have you ever wanted to build your own games, but you know there's a whole lot to learn? Have we got a deal for you!
Bachelor of InnovationTM in Game Design and Development
In the Fall 2005 semester, an interdisciplinary team of faculty formed the Game Design and Development Program Committee to develop a proposcreal 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, and so on. This business knowledge should 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.
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CS 110, 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’s open to everyone. It’s 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. |
 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, sophomore level.
GDD 220 Data Structures for Game Developers
INOV 201 Innovation Team, Reporting & Analysis (Innovation Core)
INOV 210 Technical Writing, Proposals and Presentations (Innovation Core)
MUS 215 The Computer in Music
VA 104 Beginning Drawing
Cross-Discipline Core Course
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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) |
 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.
 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 giving them the flexibility to pursue their special interests 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, including the ability 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 4 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 Semester | Freshman Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| MATH 135-4 Calculus I GDD 110-3 Problem Solving Through Game Creation ENTP 100-3 Introduction to Entrepreneurship ENGL 131-3 Rhetoric & Writing I Innovation Elective-3 ID101 Approved Freshman Seminar or Innovation related course approved by advisor |
GDD 120-3 Intro to Programming for Game Developers INOV 101-3 The Innovation Process PES 111-4 General Physics I PES 116-1 Advanced Physics Lab I Cross Discipline Core-3 |
| Sophomore Year Fall Semester | Sophomore Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| GDD 220-3 Data Structures for Game Developers BLAW 201-3 Business and Intellectual Property Law INOV 201-1 Innovation Team VA 101,102,104,206,207,210,211,or 215-3 Open Elective-3 Corss Discipline Core-3 |
GDD 210-3 Game Design for Diverse Populations CS 306-3 Object-Oriented Programming in C++ or CS 302-3 Adv. Onject Tech Using C#/.NET.C# INOV 210-3 Technical Writing, Proposals and Presentations INOV 202-1 Innovation Team Natural Science Elective-3 Cross Discipline Core-3 |
| Junior Year Fall Semester | Junior Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| CS 335-3 Intro to Game Design and Development INOV 301-1 Innovation Team MATH 313-3 Intro to Linear Algebra GDD Concentration Course-3 Open Elective-3 Cross Discipline Core-3 |
INOV 302-2 Innovation Team GDD Concentration Course-3 Natural Science Elective-2 Open Elective-2 Cross Discipline Core-3 |
| Senior Year Fall Semester | Senior Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| CS 480-3 Computer Graphics INOV 401-2 Innovation Team GDD Concentration Course-3 Open Elective-3 Open Elective-2 |
ENTP 450-3 Entrepreneurship and Strategy GDD 410-3 Advanced Game Design Concepts CS 478-3 Adv. 3D Games and Digital Content Creation INOV 402-2 Innovation Team GDD Concentration Course-3 |
