Game Design and Development

Program Overview

Game Design and Development

Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Game Design and Development will provide undergraduate students with the design and development skills necessary to create virtual interactive environments that span across devices and platforms. This game program would include games for entertainment but also serious games and virtual reality simulations for training, education, healthcare, and other purposes. The degree will provide students with the real-world skills and experience needed for successful game design and development; and will signal to employers that students have dedicated the time and energy necessary to build fluency with the underlying concepts and tools.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will demonstrate facility using basic research methods, for example: research design, statistic and analysis; organization, identification, and location of data and information including open-and closed access sources; and/or presentation of findings in oral, written and multi-media form, including proper use of and citation of sources.
• Students will acquire the skills, knowledge and self-understanding to communicate with and effectively work and interact across cultures and with diverse people and groups.
• Students will demonstrate knowledge of career and further education options and opportunities open to them relative to their plan of study and will set goals and make plans beyond their expected graduation.
• Students will be able to recognize and analyses ethical and policy concerns raised by new technologies and will be able to apply ethical thinking to real world cases and craft effective solutions.
• Students will be able to identify and apply professional ethics and standards relevant to their career to aspirations.
• Students will demonstrate knowledge of users' needs and rights, such as identifying target user groups for games, PR tools and platforms, analytics and metric tools, play testing and evaluation, monetization, models, information, protection, game related permissions on different ethical competence, professional ethics, quality steering, assurance, monitoring and social media utilization
• Students will demonstrate the ability to design a game for various purposes, such as education, health and well-being, training and entertainment by incorporating best-practices related to gamification in all stages including challenges and fun factor, balancing, level design, scoring and progression, user interface, interaction mechanics, narration, functionality, usability and playability.
• Students will exhibit understanding of and skills related to varied approaches, tools, systems, platforms, devices, processes and their effective utilization for game development that are well established and currently used in the games industry.

Program Details

Coursework Location(s)

• Main/Tucson
• Online - Arizona Online

Areas of Interest

• Arts & Media
• Computer & Information Science
• Social & Behavioral Sciences

Level of Math

• Moderate Knowledge

The M-strand is for students who require mathematical facility at the level of at least MATH 112 (College Algebra Concepts) or 108 (Modeling with Algebraic and Trigonometric Functions). This strand involves reasonable facility with algebra and algebraic functions, graphs, and simple modeling. Students who choose the M-strand are prepared for further mathematical work. This work may include MATH 107 (Exploring and Understanding Data), MATH 113 (Elements of Calculus), MATH 116 (Calculus Concepts for Business), MATH 119A (Mathematics of Biological Systems: A Calculus Based Approach), or a statistics class from outside the Mathematics Department, such as ISTA 116 (Statistical Foundations for the Information Age) or SBS 200 (Statistics for the Social Sciences).

Level of Second Language

• 2nd Semester Proficiency

Second-semester skill level in a second language is required. Non-B.A. degree students may fulfill this requirement with one of the following options: 1. Scoring the equivalent of second-semester skill level on an entrance or placement examination administered by The University of Arizona. 2. Completion with a C or better of a second semester course at the post-secondary level. 3. An AP (Advanced Placement), IB (International Baccalaureate) or CLEP (College Level Entrance Program) language score determined by the individual language department. 4. In the College of Engineering by a method determined within the College; however, all students in the college must also take a language placement examination on entrance to the University.

Pre-major Required?

• No

This Major's College

• College of Information Science

Degree

• Bachelor of Science

Sample Plans

4-Year Sample Plan

• First Year
  • 1st Semester
    • ENGL 101 - First Year Writing 1 (GE Foundation Composition)
    • GE Foundation Mathematics
    • GE Core Exploring Perspectives
    • Introduction to the General Education Experience (Entry Course)
    • GE Foundation Second Language (First Semester)
  • 2nd Semester
    • ENGL 102 - First Year Writing 2 (GE Foundation Composition)
    • GE Core Exploring Perspectives
    • GE Core Exploring Perspectives
    • GE Foundation Second Language (Second Semester)
    • GAME 251
• Second Year
  • 3rd Semester
    • ISTA 116
    • ISTA 130
    • ISTA 161
    • GE Core Building Connections
    • GE Core Exploring Perspectives
  • 4th Semester
    • GAME 351
    • Major Research Methods Course
    • GE Core Building Connections
    • Minor Course
    • Minor Course
• Third Year
  • 5th Semester
    • GAME 451
    • GAME 425
    • Major Elective Course
    • Minor Course
    • General Education Portfolio (Exit Course)
  • 6th Semester
    • Major Elective Course
    • Major Elective Course
    • Minor Course
    • Minor Course
    • Upper Division Elective Course
• Fourth Year
  • 7th Semester
    • Minor Course
    • Minor Course
    • Upper Division Elective Course
    • Upper Division Elective Course
    • Elective Course
  • 8th Semester
    • ISTA 498
    • Upper Division Elective Course
    • Elective Course
    • Elective Course

Map Transfer Coursework

• Enter your coursework from Arizona universities or community colleges to see how they can map to this major.
• Connect with The University of Arizona Academic Advisors to validate how your coursework will transfer.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Bachelor of Science in Game Design and Development will provide undergraduate students with the design and development skills necessary to create virtual interactive environments that span across devices and platforms. The degree will provide students with the real-world skills and experience needed for successful game design and development; and will signal to employers that students have dedicated the time and energy necessary to build fluency with the underlying concepts and tools. The degree will cover all aspects of game design and development. This would include conceptualization, market analysis, technical design, and usability studies. The degree program will serve a diverse student population, training learners in artistic, technical, and business aspects of games. The degree will require students to complete a set of core courses, yet also allow students to choose among a large set of electives in order to focus on their preferred areas of study (e.g., intensive programming, creative computing, and entrepreneurial aspects of game development). Students will apply the key theories and best practices they learned to practical game projects and refine their skills. Students will have multiple opportunities to produce finished games, both individually and team-based.

Careers: