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The B.S. in Game Development trains students for coding, programming, and software-intensive game development careers. The program is for students aspiring to gain the background and technical skill necessary for a career in game development or STEM-related areas in computational media, and closely connects students to the region’s game design companies and to the regional industrial ecosystem for games development. The major, while mainly preparing students for careers in the videogame companies and start-up enterprises, may also be understood as connecting students to career pathways in game production, animation, motion graphics, postproduction, and wider software development industries, including social media analytics and web and application development.
Students desiring deeper training in game design, whose career interests might also include work in the wider design arts, might also consider the B.A. major in Game Design.
Coursework in this major introduces students to programming for games (with a focus on design languages most used in the game industry, including C#/C++, Unity, Unreal Engine, Blender, etc.), the development of sophisticated industry-level game engines, and in associated technologies (such as animation, virtual and augmented reality applications, and immersive design). Key goals of the major include: (a) the development of an industry-ready and career preparatory project portfolio; (b) CMII-supported senior year internship opportunities; and (c) senior year involvement in a collaborative design team that takes a full year’s time to create a launch-ready game. CMII is partnered with the Georgia Film Academy, and collaborates with GFA on related certifications in esports management for students wanting to work in that and associated sectors. A curricular goal throughout is that students end up acquiring the computational skills needed to succeed early in career, and also that by having worked in team project environments, will also develop the needed soft skills for game industry success: collaboration, communication, the ability to engage productively with a client, to respond to feedback and critique, to work always in a thoughtful and ethical manner.
Program Admission and Major Eligibility Requirement
In addition to the general criteria for undergraduate admissions at Georgia State University, to be eligible for the Bachelor of Science in Game Development and to enroll in major-level CMIS courses, students must fulfill the following requirements:
- Students must earn an average of 2.5 grade points across MATH 1113 or MATH 2211 or MATH 2212 or MATH 2215, and CMIS 1301, with no grade lower than a C.
- The GPA will be calculated based on the first attempt at the courses listed below at Georgia State University
Program Degree Requirements
In addition to the Program Degree Requirements, students must fulfill the College of Arts and Sciences Degree Requirements (see section 3030) and the University Degree Requirements (see section 1400).
University Grade-Point Average and Grade Requirements
Georgia State University undergraduate students must achieve an overall institutional grade-point average of 2.0 and a major GPA of 2.0 in Areas G and H to receive a bachelor’s degree from the university. Grades of C- can be used to satisfy graduation requirements. However, some courses have prerequisites that require a grade of C or higher. (See section 1460 for additional information.) Students must also have fulfilled the major eligibility grade requirements outlined above.
