Program Overview

Animation Game Design - B.S.

Overview

The Bachelor of Science degree in Animation Game Design provides the key concepts, creative tools and principles of diverse skills in fundamental and advanced technical knowledge of modeling, animation and game design.

About This Program

Ready to turn your passion for games and animation into a profession? Kent State University's Animation and Game Design bachelor's degree program is the perfect place to start. With a cutting-edge curriculum and access to state-of-the-art technology, you'll be equipped with the skills you need to make your mark in the industry.

Contact Information

• Chris Totten |
• Speak with an Advisor
  • Kent Campus
  • Stark Campus
  • Tuscarawas Campus
• Chat with an Admissions Counselor: Kent Campus | Regional Campuses

Program Delivery

• Delivery: In person
• Location: Kent Campus, Stark Campus, Tuscarawas Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries

• Artists and related workers, all other
  • -0.2% little or no change
  • 13,100 number of jobs
  • $65,800 potential earnings
• Special effects artists and animators
  • 4.1% about as fast as the average
  • 67,500 number of jobs
  • $77,700 potential earnings

Accreditation

National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students.

• First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework.
• First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent.
• International Students: All international students must provide proof of proficiency of the English language (unless they meet specific exceptions) through the submission of an English language proficiency test score or by completing English language classes at Kent State’s English as a Second Language Center before entering their program.
• Former Students: Former Kent State students who have not attended another institution since Kent State and were not academically dismissed will complete the re-enrollment process through the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center. Former students who attended another college or university since leaving Kent State must apply for admissions as a transfer or post-undergraduate student.
• Transfer Students: Students who attended an educational institution after graduating from high school or earning their GED must apply as transfer students.

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

• Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours
  • AGD 12000 | TWO DIMENSION GRAPHICS | 3
  • AGD 12001 | MODELING AND TEXTURING I | 3
  • AGD 21000 | FUNDAMENTALS OF MIXED REALITY | 3
  • AGD 22004 | MODELING AND TEXTURING II | 3
  • AGD 22010 | DIGITAL SCULPTING | 3
  • AGD 23020 | GAMING AND CULTURE | 3
  • AGD 34003 | ANIMATION THEORY | 3
  • AGD 43092 | INTERNSHIP IN ANIMATION AND GAME DESIGN (ELR) (WIC) | 3
  • AGD 49999 | SENIOR CAPSTONE PROJECT (ELR) (WIC) | 3
• Major Electives, choose from the following: 24
  • AGD 11003 | SOLID MODELING
  • AGD 21092 | ANIMATION AND GAME DESIGN PRACTICUM (ELR)
  • AGD 22000 | TWO-DIMENSION COMMUNICATION
  • AGD 22001 | MODELING FOR ARCHITECTURE
  • AGD 22005 | MULTIMEDIA AND GAME DESIGN
  • AGD 22095 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN ANIMATION AND GAME DESIGN
  • AGD 23030 | GAME PROTOTYPING
  • AGD 33010 | COMPETITIVE GAMING
  • AGD 33095 | SPECIAL TOPICS ANIMATION AND GAME DESIGN
  • AGD 34000 | CHARACTER ANIMATION
  • AGD 34001 | ANIMATION PROJECT
  • AGD 34005 | ENVIRONMENTAL GAME DESIGN
  • AGD 43001 | ANIMATION PRODUCTION AND VISUAL EFFECTS
  • AGD 43025 | REAL-TIME RENDERING FOR ANIMATION
  • AGD 43092 | INTERNSHIP IN ANIMATION AND GAME DESIGN (ELR) (WIC)
  • AGD 43096 | INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATION IN ANIMATION AND GAME DESIGN
  • AGD 43099 | GAME PROJECT (ELR)
  • ARCH 10011 | GLOBAL ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY I (KFA)
  • ARCH 10012 | GLOBAL ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY II (KFA)
  • ART 10022 | 2D COMPOSITION
  • ART 10023 | 3D COMPOSITION
  • CCI 12001 | PHOTOGRAPHY
  • CS 13001 | COMPUTER SCIENCE I: PROGRAMMING AND PROBLEM SOLVING
  • CS 13011 | COMPUTER SCIENCE IA: PROCEDURAL PROGRAMMING
  • CS 13012 | COMPUTER SCIENCE IB: OBJECT ORIENTED PROGRAMMING
  • DI 10010 | SURVEY OF DESIGN INNOVATION NODES
  • DI 20020 | BE SMARTER THAN YOUR SMARTPHONE
  • DI 20100 | INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN INNOVATION
  • EERT 32003 | TECHNICAL COMPUTING
  • ENG 20002 | INTRODUCTION TO TECHNICAL WRITING
  • ENG 20021 | INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE WRITING
  • ENGT 33010 | COMPUTER HARDWARE FOR ANIMATION
  • ENTR 27056 | INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • FDM 10023 | FASHION VISUALS
  • FDM 10024 | FASHION VISUALS LABORATORY
  • FDM 20013 | HISTORY OF FASHION
  • MDJ 10009 | ELEMENTS OF FILM, TV AND ANIMATION
  • MDJ 20001 | MEDIA, POWER AND CULTURE (DIVD) (KSS)
  • MDJ 20011 | PRODUCTION FUNDAMENTALS
  • MDJ 23004 | STORY FOR PICTURE
  • MERT 12000 | ENGINEERING DRAWING
  • MERT 12001 | COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN
  • MERT 34002 | ADVANCED SOLID MODELING
  • MUS 21113 | MUSIC PRODUCTION I
  • MUS 21114 | MUSIC PRODUCTION II
  • MUS 21221 | AUDIO RECORDING I
  • THEA 11303 | THE ART OF ACTING
• Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
  • ARTH 22006 | ART HISTORY: ANCIENT TO MEDIEVAL ART (KFA) | 3
  • ARTS 14000 | DRAWING I | 3
  • ARTS 14001 | DRAWING II | 3
  • COMM 15000 | INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION (KADL) | 3
  • MATH 11010 | ALGEBRA FOR CALCULUS (KMCR) | 3
  • MATH 11022 | TRIGONOMETRY (KMCR) | 3
  • UC 10001 | FLASHES 101 | 1
• Kent Core Composition | 6
• Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (minimum one course from each) | 9
• Kent Core Social Sciences (must be from two disciplines) | 6
• Kent Core Basic Sciences (must include one laboratory) | 6-7
• General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours) | 5

Concentrations

• Choose from the following:
  • Animation
  • Game Design

Animation Concentration Requirements

• Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours
  • AGD 11003 | SOLID MODELING | 3
  • AGD 34000 | CHARACTER ANIMATION | 3
  • AGD 34001 | ANIMATION PROJECT | 3
  • AGD 43001 | ANIMATION PRODUCTION AND VISUAL EFFECTS | 3
  • AGD 43025 | REAL-TIME RENDERING FOR ANIMATION | 3
  • Animation Game Design (AGD) Elective | 3
• Minimum Total Credit Hours: 18

Game Design Concentration Requirements

• Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours
  • AGD 22001 | MODELING FOR ARCHITECTURE | 3
  • AGD 22005 | MULTIMEDIA AND GAME DESIGN | 3
  • AGD 33010 | COMPETITIVE GAMING | 3
  • AGD 33030 | GAMES FOR IMPACT | 3
  • AGD 34005 | ENVIRONMENTAL GAME DESIGN | 3
  • AGD 43099 | GAME PROJECT (ELR) | 3
• Minimum Total Credit Hours: 18

Graduation Requirements

• Graduation Requirements Summary
  • Minimum Major GPA: 2.000
  • Minimum Overall GPA: 2.000

Roadmaps

Animation Concentration

• This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Game Design Concentration

• This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

University Requirements

• All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.

Bachelor's Requirements

• Requirement | Credits/Courses
  • Flashes 101 (UC 10001) | 1 credit hour
  • Course is not required for students with 30+ transfer credits (excluding College Credit Plus) or age 21+ at time of admission.
  • Diversity Domestic/Global (DIVD/DIVG) | 2 courses
  • Students must successfully complete one domestic and one global course, of which one must be from the Kent Core.
  • Experiential Learning Requirement (ELR) | varies
  • Students must successfully complete one course or approved experience.
  • Kent Core (see table below) | 36-37 credit hours
  • Writing-Intensive Course (WIC) | 1 course
  • Students must earn a minimum C grade in the course.
  • Upper-Division Requirement | 39 credit hours
  • Students must successfully complete 39 upper-division (numbered 30000 to 49999) credit hours to graduate.
  • Total Credit Hour Requirement | 120 credit hours

Kent Core Requirements

• Requirement | Credits/Courses
  • Kent Core Composition (KCMP) | 6
  • Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning (KMCR) | 3
  • Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (KHUM/KFA) (min one course each) | 9
  • Kent Core Social Sciences (KSS) (must be from two disciplines) | 6
  • Kent Core Basic Sciences (KBS/KLAB) (must include one laboratory) | 6-7
  • Kent Core Additional (KADL) | 6
  • Total Credit Hours: | 36-37

Program Learning Outcomes

• Graduates of this program will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate current skills in two- and three-dimension modeling, animation and game design.
  2. Apply design thinking to technological problems, including demonstrating familiarity with design thinking applicable to their professional work.
  3. Demonstrate an understanding of the ethics (and legal issues) closely associated with fields of modeling, animation and game design.
  4. Demonstrate effective communication skills — both verbally and in written form — with technical, business and design professionals, including effective communication as individuals and as part of a project team.
  5. Participate in and lead multidisciplinary project teams, demonstrating theoretical and practical understanding of team dynamics.
  6. Demonstrate appreciation for diverse cultures and individual differences and reflect that appreciation in their work.
  7. Engage in continuous learning, as well as research and assess new ideas and information to provide the capabilities for lifelong learning.

Full Description

• The Bachelor of Science degree in Animation Game Design provides the key concepts, creative tools and principles of diverse skills in fundamental and advanced technical knowledge of modeling, animation and game design.
• The degree program prepares students for careers by developing technical competency, creative/independent problem solving and conceptual understanding necessary for the challenges of a career in the creative industries.
• Upon graduation, students have created a professional-quality portfolio to enter the field of content creators and are prepared for jobs in technical illustration, two- and three-dimension modeling, game design, animation, artistic production and exhibition.
• Students are guided in selecting courses that support a given concentration. They can take courses in various aspects of art, design and film/video.
• The Animation Game Design major comprises the following concentrations:
  • The Animation concentration involves bringing motion to still objects or displaying a sequence of still images to create the illusion of motion or life. Animation involves more than just character motion; it includes motion graphics, video editing, special effects, cameras and video output. Students learn how to animate characters, elements of environments and graphics. Two- and three-dimension models are animated as necessary, via a combination of manual animation, procedural tools and physical simulation.
  • The Game Design concentration provides the environment and content creation in two- and three-dimension models. The focus is on the design part of game environments to be used on platforms such as personal computers, smart phones and game consoles. Students learn the importance of two- and three-dimension model creation for specific games used for simulation, training, entertainment and measuring educational outcomes.

Why Kent State University

• Why Animation Game Design?
  • See what students in the Animation Game Design program have designed!
• Where in the World is KSU
  • Kent State University includes eight campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally.
• Kent State Regional Campuses
  • Kent State has one of the largest regional systems in the nation, offering programs from nursing to information technology to environmental studies.