Bachelor of Science in Software and Game Development

Introduction

The Bachelor of Science in Software and Game Development (BSGD) program uses a hybrid curriculum which focuses on the core concepts of building both business application software and video games. Students will learn the software development process, design and coding practices, and quality assurance metrics that are applicable to all types of software development.  Students will focus on technologies that are used by the top employers in the information technology industry as well as those used to create today's most popular video game titles. Students are exposed to different areas of software and game development including project management and planning, game play design, UI design, best practices, software methodologies, test-driven development and other QA techniques, asset creation and tracking, and overall game and software production. Students then delve into more technical areas such as game engines, physics, mobile and console development, and computer graphics.

The curriculum in the Bachelor of Science in Software and Game Development degree focuses on individual and team-based projects. This project focus culminates with Enterprise Projects where students develop software under the direction of industry-leading organizations.

Graduates will be prepared for various software development oriented positions including: software engineer, software designer, quality assurance, and software architect. Additionally, graduates will be equipped to succeed as video game developers in the entertainment industry.

Program Overview

Students participate in courses which are taught using active learning methods. Teaching techniques include lectures, class discussions, debates, student presentations, individual and group activities, creative assessments, various labs and assignments, and more. Additionally, students work individually and in teams on supervised projects in which they apply related concepts. The program is 12 quarters in length and requires a minimum of three years to complete.

Program Objectives

Graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Software and Game Development (BSGD) degree are expected to be able to:

  • Model best practices and processes involved in all aspects of the software development life cycle
  • Design software and system architectures
  • Develop software using modern languages and integrated development environments
  • Develop video games and simulations using current technologies and standards
  • Employ a variety of algorithms and data structures
  • Use advanced game development techniques and tools including path-finding, artificial intelligence, game mechanics, game engines, and asset creation and integration
  • Compare various hardware platforms and analyze deployment strategies for web, desktop, console, and mobile devices
  • Demonstrate an understanding of established and emerging software standards
  • Create software using a variety of software development methodologies
  • Prepare software applications for deployment using a variety of techniques
  • Recognize the impact of business decisions and implications in software development
  • Effectively communicate in a professional setting
  • Produce professional-quality specifications, models, and other documents
  • Utilize technical and non-technical expertise in team-based, collaborative environments
  • Demonstrate effective problem solving and critical thinking skills

Graduation Requirements

(Students enrolled in the BSGD program beginning Fall Quarter 2016)

To qualify for graduation with a Bachelor of Science in Software and Game Development, students are required to accomplish the following:

  • Complete a minimum of 180 quarter credit hours with an average grade of 'C’ (Cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.0) or higher for all courses taken at the University
  • Complete a minimum of 118 credit hours in required degree courses, including projects
  • Complete a minimum of 62 credit hours in required general education courses
  • Abide by all University rules and regulations
  • To earn credits for a course, a student must earn a passing grade. For General Education required courses, and for all Core courses, a passing grade is a ‘C’ or better. For General Education elective courses including General Education courses selected from a “choose one/two from the following” category, a passing grade is a ‘D-' or better.
  • No unresolved disciplinary matters
  • No outstanding financial obligations to the University

Students enrolled prior to Fall 2016 should refer to the prevailing Course Catalog during their initial period of enrollment.

BSGD Program Plan

Minimum General Education Credits Required

62 Credits

Minimum Software and Game Development Credits Required

118 Credits

Total Required for BS in Software and Game Development

180 Credits

General Education (62 credits)

Foundational Courses (16 credits)

BUS101Personal Finance

3 credits

BUS110Principles of Finance

1 credit

FAC105Leadership & Problem-Solving

3 credits

FAC299Marketing Your Personal Brand

2 credits

HUM106Freshman Seminar

4 credits

HUM150Logic

3 credits

Communications (6 credits)

FAC120Spoken Communications

3 credits

FAC125Collaborative & Interpersonal Communications

3 credits

English (8 credits)

ENG110Introduction to English Composition

4 credits

ENG210Persuasive & Professional Writing

4 credits

Mathematics (12 credits)

MAT105College Algebra

3 credits

MAT110Sets, Probability & Number Systems

3 credits

MAT250Calculus

3 credits

And choose one of the following
MAT125Geometry

3 credits

MAT150Trigonometry

3 credits

MAT200Math-Based Codes, Cyphers & Secrets

3 credits

MAT210Linear Algebra

3 credits

MAT260Statistics

3 credits

MAT305Problem Solving

3 credits

Social and Behavioral Science (8 credits)

HUM205Ethics

3 credits

SSC250Human Relations & Personality Development

3 credits

And choose one of the following

SSC150Introductory Psychology

2 credits

SSC272United States Government

2 credits

SSC311Law & the Legal System

2 credits

SSC321Introduction to Group Dynamics

2 credits

SSC322Conflict & Negotiation

2 credits

SSC351Introduction to Intellectual Property

2 credits

Physical and Biological Science (2 credits)

PSC226Introductory Physics

2 credits

Health and Physical Education (2 credits)

Choose one of the following

HPE110Hiking

2 credits

HPE120Yoga

2 credits

HPE130Billiards

2 credits

HPE140Outdoor Recreational Activities

2 credits

HPE160Personal Fitness

2 credits

HPE170Healthy Living

2 credits

HPE190Swimming

2 credits

HPE200Marine Diving

2 credits

Humanities (2 credits)

Choose one of the following

LNG110Survey of Foreign Language

2 credits

LNG120Languages & Linguistics

2 credits

LNG130Artificial Languages

2 credits

HUM130Myth, Folklore & Popular Culture

2 credits

HUM160Ancient Mythology

2 credits

HUM170Modern Entertainment Mythology

2 credits

Industrial Technology (2 credits)

Choose one of the following

IND150Tangible Product Design

2 credits

IND2003D Printing

2 credits

IND220Manufacturing

2 credits

IND230Survey of Robotics

2 credits

IND240Electrical Circuits

2 credits

IND250Aviation & Airpower

2 credits

Literature (2 credits)

Choose one of the following

ENG250Poetry

2 credits

ENG311Principles of Creative Writing

2 credits

HUM200The Imagination of Horror in Media

2 credits

LIT110Science Fiction Through Literature

2 credits

LIT120Comics as Literature

2 credits

LIT130Literary Masters

2 credits

Fine Arts (2 credits)

Choose one of the following

FAC101Art Appreciation

2 credits

FAC130Character Design

2 credits

FAC150Animated Narratives in Modern Entertainment

2 credits

FAC210Music Composition

2 credits

FAC220Animation in Art

2 credits

MTM140Basics of Film

2 credits

MTM150Film Production

2 credits

Software and Game Development Courses (118 credits)

Introductory Core Courses (18 credits)

BIT120Business & Information Systems Practices

4 credits

CSC110Introduction to Computer Science

4 credits

CSC150Object Oriented Programming & Design

6 credits

CSC210Introduction to Web Presentation & Development

2 credits

ITH215Networking I

2 credits

Advanced Core Courses (64 credits)

CSC130Principles of Software Engineering

4 credits

CSC195C++ Programming I

3 credits

CSC196C++ Programming II

3 credits

CSC250Algorithms & Data Structures I

4 credits

CSC252Algorithms & Data Structures II

4 credits

DBT130Databases I

4 credits

GAT120Topics in Game Development

2 credits

GAT160Game Libraries

4 credits

GAT180Mobile Game Development

3 credits

GAT310Advanced Game Physics

3 credits

GAT350Computer Graphics

3 credits

GAT360Game Programming & Production

4 credits

GAT420Artificial Intelligence

3 credits

MTM230Digital Art I

3 credits

Choose one set of courses from the following:

CSC160Application Development

4 credits

CSC260Dynamic Web Programming

4 credits

CSC180Open Source Platforms Development

4 credits

CSC280Developing Scalable Web Applications

4 credits

And choose nine additional credits from the following:

CSC140Dynamic & Scripting Languages

3 credits

CSC160Application Development

4 credits

CSC171Mobile Application Development

3 credits

CSC180Open Source Platforms Development

4 credits

CSC185Development in Third Party Frameworks

3 credits

CSC230Computational Theory

3 credits

CSC260Dynamic Web Programming

4 credits

CSC280Developing Scalable Web Applications

4 credits

CSC270Solution Stack Software Development

3 credits

CSC330Programming Languages

3 credits

CSC340Computer Architecture

3 credits

CSC360Software Design Principles

3 credits

CSC370Process Modeling

3 credits

CSC380Distributed Systems

3 credits

CSC391Operating System Design & Implementation

4 credits

MTM282Interactive Web Development

4 credits

MTM320Advanced Web Scripting

4 credits

MTM370Front-End Implementation

4 credits

Project Core Courses (36 credits)

PRO100Introductory Software Projects

2 credits

PRO150Web-Based Software Projects

2 credits

PRO200Software Projects in Emerging Platforms

2 credits

PRO230Digital Art Projects

2 credits

PRO250Software Projects in Existing Code

2 credits

PRO310Digital Portfolio Projects

2 credits

PRO385Game Engine Projects

2 credits

PRO390Capstone Project

4 credits

PRO490Enterprise Projects I

6 credits

PRO491Enterprise Projects II

6 credits

PRO492Enterprise Projects III

6 credits