Bachelor of Innovation in Game Design and Development (GDD)

Objectives
The Bachelor of Innovation in Game Design and Development (GDD) will provide 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 Innovation 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.

 

(3) have the ability to communicate the key issues, needs, potential options, and final solution to a GDD challenges. The program seeks to prepare students for successful careers and lifelong learning, whether they pursue traditional corporate employment or form their own companies.

Degree Requirements
The degree requirements for the Bachelor of Innovation degree in Game Design and Development requires completion of at least 120 credit hours and a minimum 2.0 grade point average in all computer science courses, GDD courses, and courses taken at the University of Colorado. The courses for the degree are outlined as follows:

 



Innovation Core (27 credits, 15 of which are HSS)

Business Core (21 credits, 6 of which are HSS)

or Globalization Core (21 credits, all of which are HSS)

or Creative Communication Core (21 credits, all of which are HSS)

Note: GDD students who select the Business Core or Globalization Core are required to take VA 101, VA 104, and VA 210 as free electives.

Mathematics (7 credits):

MATH 135. Calculus I 4
MATH 313. Introduction to Linear Algebra 3

Science (10 credits):

Physics: PES 111, 115 5
5 more credit hours from Biology, Chemistry, Geography and Environmental Studies, Geology, and Physics and Energy Science 5

English (3 credits):

Eng 131 Writing and Rhetoric 3

GDD Core (30 credits):

CS 110. Problem Solving through Game Creation 3
CS 302. Advanced OO Techniques using C#/.NET OR

 

CS 306. Object-Oriented Programming in C++

3
CS 335. Introduction to Game Design and Development 3
CS 478. Advanced 3D Games and Digital Content Creation 3
CS 480. Computer Graphics 3
GDD 120. Introductory Programming for Game Developers 3
GDD 220. Data Structures for Game Developers 3
GDD 410. Advanced Game Design Concepts 3
MUS 215. The Computer in Music 3
WMST 201. Gaming and Society: Gender and Ethnicity 3

GDD Concentration Requirements (15 credits):

Students select 15 hours of concentration courses related to game design and development from the table below. We believe that there will be a significant number of students interested in opportunities for even deeper exploration of GDD topics than undergraduate courses provide. The table below also includes a variety of graduate-level courses that are regularly taken by undergraduates at UCCS.

CS 422. Computer Networks 3
GDD 330. Modeling and Simulation for Games 3
GDD 360. Developing Serious Games 3
GDD 440. Artificial Intelligence for Games 3
GDD 450. Online Game Development 3
GDD 499. Independent Study 3
CS 575. Computational Geometry 3
CS 576. Geometric Modeling 3
CS 577. Animation and Visualization 3
CS 579. Wearable Computing and Complex Systems 3
CS 581. Advanced Graphics 3
CS 677. Virtual Reality/HCI 3

Free Electives (7 credits):

Free Electives 7

The Bachelor of Innovation students are required to participate in research/innovation projects. Most of these will be industry-sponsored projects. Students employed full-time who wish to pursue a degree in this program will be required to sign IP agreements and have such agreements executed by their employer, or arrange for their employer to be one of the industry-sponsored projects.