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3285 Game Design and Development

Programs Offered:

  • Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies Concentration in Game Design and Development
  • Interdisciplinary Minor in Game Design and Development

Creative Media Industries Institute

David Cheshier, director
404-413-5649
dcheshier@gsu.edu

The interdisciplinary Game Design and Development major concentration and the minor explore the interactive entertainment landscape, along with other related areas of software development and interactive storytelling. The program has its technical roots in computer and information science, while simultaneously covering the breadth of courses in many academic disciplines, including writing, film, graphic design, music, and psychology. The programs are for students who aspire to gain the background and technical skill necessary for a career in gaming or related areas in interactive media.

Program Admission

A 2.0 Georgia State University GPA is required in order to apply to the program. Application materials can be obtained from the Office of Academic Assistance, 418 Langdale Hall, 404-413-5000. Students should apply to the program by the time they have earned 42 credit hours to avoid a delay in graduation.

Program Degree Requirements

Please refer to the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies section 3030.30 of this catalog for academic regulations for this program.

In addition to the Program Degree Requirements, students must fulfill the College of Arts and Sciences Degree Requirements (see section 3030) and the University Degree Requirements (see section 1400).

Courses used to fulfill the two Critical Thinking Through Writing (CTW) courses for each B.I.S. program will not count towards the rules of Area G (i.e., no more than three to four 3-4 credit hour courses from a single discipline) nor of Area H (i.e., no more than two 3-4 credit hour courses can be taken within a single discipline).

Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies Concentration in Game Design and Development

Recommended Courses for Area F:

Students should enter the Game Design and Development major having taken course prerequisites needed for entrance into their planned program of study. Below is a list of courses that are prerequisites for courses included as options in Game Design and Development. Students should plan their desired program of study and identify which prerequisites they need to fulfill.

  1. World language at 1002 level or above (3)
  2. Select additional elective courses from the following to complete 18 hours in Area F:

Many of the courses listed above are required prerequisites for Game Design and Development BIS courses in Area G and H. Students should select Area F courses in consultation with a BIS advisor.

Additionally, any student planning to take 3000- or 4000-level courses in CSC in Area G or Area H should determine which programming sequence (indicated with * above) best meets their academic needs, as many CSC classes require CSC and/or Math prerequisites.

Area G: Area of Concentration (27-33 hours)

No more than four (4) three-hour courses (i.e. 12 hours) can come from the same course prefix in a student’s program study. CTW courses do not count toward the four course limit. Some film and sound production courses require departmental authorization.

  1. CTW requirement (6 hours).Choose two of the following:
    • CSC 4995 Directed Readings BIS – CTW (3-4)
    • ENGL 4995 Directed Readings BIS – CTW (3-4)
    • FLME 4995 Directed Readings BIS – CTW (3-4)
    • GRD 4995 Directed Readings BIS – CTW (3-4)
    • MUS 4995 Directed Readings BIS – CTW (3-4)
  2. Required courses (9-12 hours) Choose three of the following:
    • CSC 4820 Interactive Computer Graphics (4)
    • CSC 4821 Fundamentals of Game Design (4)
    • CSC 4840/GRD 4840/[FILM 4840] Computer Graphics Imaging (3)
    • DPP 3000 Life Drawing (3)
    • ENGL 3150B Introduction to Creative Writing- Fiction (3)
    • ENGL 4204/[FILM 4780] Special Topics – Introduction to Writing Interactive Fiction (3-4)
    • ENGL 4204/[FILM 4780] Special Topics – Game Studies (3-4)
    • FLME 4110 Sound Design (4) (previously FILM 4361)
    • FLME 3155 Digital Cinematography (4)
    • GRD 4310 Multimedia Design (3)
    • GRD 3000 Introduction to Graphic Design (3)
    • MUS 4730 Computer Applications in Music (3)
    • MUS 4981 Computer Music (3)
  3. Program focus area (12-15) Select courses as directed from either the Game Development or the Game Design areas below:
    1. Game Development (12-15 hours) Choose 3-5 courses from the following:
    2. Game Design (12-15 hours) Choose 3-5 courses from the following:

    Area H: Allied Field (15 – 21 hours)

    No more than two courses can come from the same course prefix in a student’s program in Area H. Students who chose to focus on Game Development in Area G should choose their minor area from courses listed in the Game Design list from Area G. Students who chose to focus on Game Design in Area G should choose their minor area from courses listed in the Game Development list in Area G.

    BIS students without backgrounds in statistics should consider taking MATH 1070; while students without backgrounds in writing take ENGL 3150B, [FILM 3115], or ENGL 4204 and students without backgrounds in programming should take CSC 2301.

Interdisciplinary Minor in Game Design and Development

Recommended Courses for Area A-F

Students should enter the Game Design and Development minor having taken course prerequisites needed for entrance into their planned program of study. Below is a list of courses that are prerequisites for courses included as options in Game Design and Development minor. Students should plan their desired program of study and identify which prerequisites they need to fulfill.

Required Courses for the Interdisciplinary Minor (15-18 hours)

Students pursuing the interdisciplinary minor in Game Design and Development must take five courses. No more than two of the courses counting towards the minor can have the same course prefix. Additionally, no more than two of the five courses counting toward the minor may also count toward the major.

  1. Choose two of the following:
    • GRD 3400 Graphic Design Survey (3)
    • FLME 4780 Introduction to Writing Interactive Fiction (3-4)
    • FLME 4361 Sound Design for Media Production (3)
    • CSC 4821 Fundamentals of Game Design (4)
  2. Choose three of the following: