Computer Science – Video Game Design

TU’s video game design program will provide you with the skills you need to successfully work in the games industry as a programmer, designer or producer. You’ll gain a broad base of experience, allowing you to find success either at larger firms or with smaller developers – the latter of which is of tremendous contemporary relevance, as many new jobs in game development are at small-to-medium size studios.

There has been a dramatic spike in independent game development in the last five years, due to the rise in popularity of mobile gaming, and the proliferation of off-the-shelf game engines such as Unity. The video game design field is an offshoot of software development and so fits in nicely with our program as well as our software development concentration. However, video game design narrows the scope and focuses on the gaming industry, which is growing globally and exponentially.

Programmed for Success

• Acquire the skills you’ll need to successfully work in the games industry or a related field where gaming technologies are used in education and training.
• Study with professors who bring years of industry leadership and experience to the classroom.
• Work in an advanced computer science lab with the most up-to-date software environments and equipment.
• You’ll complete a required professional internship, and the opportunities in the field for internships are abundant.
• The TU School of Business is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

The video game design concentration will prepare you with real-world skills and knowledge of the video game industry, including game design, animation, graphic arts, database structures and computer programming. You’ll study with knowledgeable professors who bring years of IT experience. During your studies, you’ll have the opportunity to earn a number of industry certifications, including the industry recognized Unity Certified User certification. And, along with game design concepts, you’ll learn the basic skills of communication, organization, critical thinking and teamwork – soft skills that are critical to the success of any IT professional.

A Practical, Professional Education

• The program will prepare you for a role in game development, with specific expertise in working with the Unity Engine. (According to CB Insights, a tech market intelligence platform, Unity developer is the seventh fastest growing job worldwide.)
• Industry certifications are built into course work and you will be prepared for:
  • Excel
  • Microsoft Client
  • Network +
  • Security+
  • Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
  • Certified Associate in Software Testing (CAST) or Certified Associate in Software Quality
  • HTML5 Application Development Fundamentals
  • Introduction to Programming Using Python
  • Access Specialist
  • Programming in C#
  • A+ Certification
  • Server+/Microsoft Server 2016
  • Linux+ or RedHat Certification
  • ICDN1
  • ICDN2
  • Cloud+/Microsoft Cloud
  • CISCO CCNA
  • Linux +
  • AWS Cloud
• Tiffin is an Amazon Web Services Academy, enabling us to provide a cloud-computing curriculum that prepares you to pursue industry-recognized certifications and in-demand cloud jobs.
• Tiffin University is a Certiport Authorized Testing Center and a Pearson Vue Testing Center, enabling you to take most of the certification exams right on campus.

In the video game design program, you’ll learn by doing, as you combine game design concepts with hands-on practice. Most of our classes are hands-on, where you’ll actively work on projects based on in-class learning. You’ll work with the same equipment and software that is utilized in the industry. You’ll participate in a 150-hour professional internship, gaining valuable industry experience. You’ll see firsthand the industry at work through field trip visits. And, you’ll hear from accomplished IT professionals, who visit our campus to speak on current topics.

Bringing Knowledge to Practice

• In game design classes, you’ll engage in project-based learning, working with real equipment and software.
• In your second-to-last course of the program, CST460 Research in Computer Science, you’ll focus on a project through the term, encompassing all areas of course work and putting knowledge into practice.
• In the final course, CST470 Internship, you’ll work professionally within an organization for a minimum of 150 hours gaining practical experience and learning what life is like working in the industry.
• Hands-on IT projects working with the local community are at times incorporated into course work.
• Clubs and organizations – such as the Tiffin University ACM (Association of Computing Machinery) Student Chapter, or what we call Technology Club – offer insights into real-world learning.

CURRICULUM

General Education Core (37 hours)

Computer Science Core (3  hours per course, 48 hours total)

• MKT151 Introductory Marketing
• CST155 Introduction to Operating Systems
• ACC210 Financial Accounting
• MGT201 Management of Organizations
• CST201 Introduction to Programming
• LAW211 Business Law I
• ECO222 Principles of Microeconomics
• CST230 Networking Fundamentals
• CDS244 Cyber Security
• CST280 Database I
• CST285 Spreadsheets and Analytics
• FIN301 Business Finance
• CST412 IT Project Management
• CST460 Research in Computer Science
• CST470 Internship
• MGT495 Organizational Strategy

Total = 48 hours

Concentration: Video Game Design (3 hours per course, 24 hours total)

• CST255 Internet and Website Development
• CST301 Advanced Programming Concepts
• CST450 Programming for Application Development
• GDM I Introduction to Games (RIZE)
• GDM II Content and Systems Design (RIZE)
• GDM III Unity I: Working with Unity (RIZE)
• GDM V Unity II: Advanced Unity Programming (RIZE)
• GDM VI Capstone Project – Building a Game (RIZE)

Total = 24 hours

Total BS hours = 127-135

This is a sample course sequence to illustrate course offerings for this major. Consult the official Academic Bulletin for detailed registration and advising information.

SAMPLE COURSES

Internet and Website Design (CST 255) – Topics covered are the Internet and its parts such as the World Wide Web and web-site development. The student will learn to create web sites using the current tools such as Notepad++ or another development environment along with languages such as HTML, JavaScript, and CSS for the internet, intranets and extranets. This course will qualify a student to sit for the Microsoft 98- 375 HTML5 Application Development Fundamentals certification exam through the Microsoft Corporation to obtain a Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certification or other comparable certification. 

Advanced Programming Concepts (CST 301) – This course will continue with concepts of using a programming language introduced in the CST201 Programming course. The course will focus on advance programming techniques building on the basic ideas of programming. This will include building and incorporating in programming code, various array types and other advance data structures, understanding and building objects and using objects and classes built with objects. The student will also build a graphical user interface (GUI) within a coded program. The idea of recursion will be explained, and exception handling will be reiterated. This course will qualify a student to sit for the Microsoft 98-381 Intro to Programming Using Python certification exam through the Microsoft Corporation to obtain a Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certification or other comparable certification.

Programming for APPlication Development (CST 450) – This course explores the latest programming methodologies, particularly the newest programming languages in use today. The development environment and programming language utilized is chosen by the instructor. The purpose is to give the student experience in another programming language different from the beginning course work. The level of programming for the student will be driven to where they can design complicated and sophisticated software using advance coding. Projects will include bridging between basic computer concepts identified in previous course work and designing standard & mobile applications. This course will qualify a student to sit for several certifications’ exams depending on the language utilized. Certifications could include the Microsoft 70-483 Programming in C# or the Microsoft 98-338 Introduction to Programming using JAVA certification exam through the Microsoft Corporation to obtain a Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certification or other comparable certification.

FORMAT

On Campus – Offered in a 15-week semester format with start dates of January and August

OTHER CONCENTRATIONS

All Computer Science concentrations offered:

• Network & Systems Administration
• Software Development
• Web Design

Gaming programmers are in very high demand in the video game industry, and this includes those with experience as well as entry-level. According to the U.S. Dept. of Labor, video game designer employment will skyrocket 30 percent this decade, placing it among the fastest growing careers in America.

CAREERS

• Creative Game Director
• Game Animator
• Game Artist
• Game Designer
• Game Developer
• Game Marketer/PR
• Game Producer
• Game Programmer
• Mobile Game Designer
• Multimedia artist
• Simulation Programmer

WHERE TU GRADS HAVE WORKED

• Cooper Tire
• First Energy
• Marathon
• Webster
• Local school districts