Undergraduate Minor

Minor in Game Design and Development

Program:
Minor in Game Design and Development
Plan Code:
GAMED_MNUN
Program Level:
Undergraduate
Award Type:
Minor Undergraduate
College:
College of Communication Arts and Sciences
Department:
Media and Information


Excerpt from the official Academic Programs Catalog:

Listed below are the approved requirements for the program from the official Academic Programs Catalog.
Students must consult their advisors to learn which specific requirements apply to their degree programs.


College of Communication Arts and Sciences

Department of Media and Information

Undergraduate Programs
Minor in Game Design and Development

The Minor in Game Design and Development complements the depth of knowledge students acquire in their majors with a multidisciplinary understanding of game design and development. Students learn the foundations and develop core competencies in their primary area of study and broaden their horizons as interdisciplinary team members, learning game design theories and principles, collaborating on the design and development of game projects, and engaging in active learning and authentic, situated creative problem-solving.

The minor, which is administered by the Department of Media and Information, is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in the Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science , the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Studio Art, the Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Graphic Design, or the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Media Arts and Information at Michigan State University.

Students from the above named majors are eligible to apply for the minor if they have completed or are currently enrolled in the prerequisites as listed below. 

To apply, students must submit an application stating their interest in the minor and a portfolio demonstrating their expertise in media design, computer science, or art. Applications are due by the tenth week of the spring semester. Depending on the number of students applying, oral interviews may be requested. Academic performance will also be considered.

Students accepted into the minor may begin the minor in the subsequent fall semester. The advisor for the game design and development minor must approve the student's program of study.

Prerequisites
1. The following course (3 credits):
CAS 117 Games and Interactivity  3
2. Two of the following courses (6 credits):
CSE  232 Introduction to Programming II  4
CSE  331 Algorithms and Data Structures  3
CSE  335 Object-oriented Software Design  4
GD  360 Graphic Design I: Graphic Form 3
MI  227 Concept Design for Games, Film, and TV  3
MI  230 Game Design  3
MI  231 Game and Interactive Media Development  3
MI  247 Three-Dimensional Graphics and Design  3
STA  201 Fundamentals of Comic Art and Graphic Novels  3
STA  380 Electronic Art  3


Requirements for the Minor in Game Design and Development

Complete the following (15 credits):

1. All of the following courses (12 credits):
MI 445 Game Design and Development I 3
MI 455 Game Design and Development II 3
MI 497 Game Design Studio 3
MI 498 Collaborative Game Design (W) 3
2. Complete one of the following courses (3 credits):
CSE 422 Computer Networks 3
CSE 435 Software Engineering 3
CSE 440 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence 3
CSE 471 Media Processing and Multimedia Computing 3
CSE 472 Computer Graphics 3
CSE 476 Mobile Application Development 3
CSE 477 Web Application Architecture and Development 3
CSE 480 Database Systems 3
GD 460 Graphic Design II: Visual Communication 3
GD 462 Spatial Design 3
GD 468 Interaction Design 3
MI 327 Advanced Concept Design for Games, Film, and TV 3
MI 337 Compositing and Special Effects 3
MI 431 Advanced Game Development 3
MI 344 Sound Design for Cinema, Television, and Games 3
MI 347 Advanced Three-Dimensional Computer Animation 3
MI 349 Web Design and Development 3
MI 377 Advanced 3D Modeling 3
MI 447 Three-Dimensional Graphics and Animation Portfolio (W) 3
MI 449 Advanced Web Development and Database Management 3
MI 482 Building Virtual Worlds 3
MI 484 Building Innovative Interfaces 3
STA 301 Advanced Comic Art and Graphic Novels 3
STA 350 Figure Modeling 3
STA 351 Mixed Media and Installation 3
STA 380 Electronic Art 3
STA 384 Experiments in Digital Video 3
STA 385 Interactive Environments and Digital Fabrication  3