Program of Study
The plan of study below includes HCI requirements, the serious games graduate certificate courses, and game design and development courses.
Courses |
YEAR 1 |
YEAR 2 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Spring | Summer | Fall | Spring | |
| TC 445 - Game Design and Development I | 3 credits | ||||
| TC831 - Theories of Games and Interaction for Design* | 3 credits | ||||
| TC841 - Understanding Users* | 3 credits | ||||
| TC455 - Game Design and Development II | 3 credits | ||||
| TC840 - Interaction Design* | 3 credits | ||||
| TC830 - Foundations of Serious Games* | 3 credits | ||||
| TC839 - Implementing Interactivity* | 3 credits | ||||
| TC497 - Client-based Game Design | 3 credits | ||||
| TC842 - Design and Development of Media Projects | 3 credits | ||||
| TC893 - Optional Internship | variable | ||||
| elective | 2 credits | ||||
| 4 credits in TC899 ResearchThesis (Plan A) or TC843 Digital Media (Plan B)* |
4 credits | ||||
*indicates required course
Description of Classes
TC 445 Game Design and Development I
Design, architecture, and creation concepts related to the development of interactive digital games.
TC 455 Game Design and Development II
Advanced design, architecture, and creation concepts related to the development of real-time interaction 3D design for gaming, simulation, and immersive virtual environments.
TC 830 Foundations of Serious Games
Game rationales, principles, processes and pedagogies for serious game design. Applications of serious game genres and simulations. Funding and distribution.
TC 831 Theories of Games and Interaction for Design
Theories of mediated interaction including communication, learning, health, global and local development, and social justice to inform the design of social systems, games, and media products.
TC 839 Implementing Interactivity
Foundational visual design principles and theories for interactivity. Implementation of user interfaces. Current industry practices.
TC 840 Interaction Design
Design of user interactions in information and media systems. Prototyping and presentation tools. Example topics include information architecture, task analysis, use cases, wireframes, scenarios.
TC 841 Understanding Users
Research methods used by design teams for asking and answering questions related to digital media arts and technology--before, during, and after design of creative work. The design goals and the design prototype are tested to guide development and evaluate effectiveness.
TC 842 Design and Development of Media Projects
Design of digital media arts projects in serious games, video, audio, multimedia, 3-D animation/virtual reality and other new media. Proposal development, team building, project management and workflow methods, production techniques and evaluative methods in the creation of media projects.
TC 497 Client-based Game Design
Conceptualization, design documentation, planning, prototyping, and distribution of games.
