Game Studies & Design
Interdisciplinary Certificates

Design skills and technical literacies that are common to creative arts and design professions are now relevant beyond them, asAI-driven, immersive and interactive expressions, media, interfaces, and simulationsare increasingly appearing in many different kinds of organizations and industries, and for more purposes, including research, and training.  The same design and technical skills necessary to create games for the multi-billion dollar game industries and are key to a wide array of emerging professions in sectors ranging from area and culture studies to education to medicine, to the social sciences and across public works and services and commercial industries. GSD certificate programs provide the training that their students need in order to be competitive in emerging fields and rapidly transforming professions.

If students pursuing GSD certificates wish later to declare the Game Studies & Design Minor,all the courses they take for the certificatewill count towards the minor degree. Students also have the option of adding a second GSD certificate in a secondary area, whether they declare the GSD minor or not,however courses that are electives for more than one certificate may only be counted towards the fulfillment of one of them.

Certificate in Immersive & Interactive Storytelling

Program Summary

TheCertificate in Immersive & Interactive Storytellingis a stand-alone, interdisciplinary program offered by Games Studies & Design (GSD) in collaboration with its participating units across campus. The certificate is meant for students whose academic and professional ambitions include writing, storytelling, and narrative design. The quality of the writing and the narrative content of games is crucial to the success of interactive and immersive experiences.

Program Overview

Completion of the Certificate requires a minimum of13 credits hours. These includeone required GSD 3-credit course, andthree elective courseschosen from the approved courses (listed below). Two of the three electives must be at the 300-400 level.

The final credit hour is earned through enrollment in an 8 week , 1 credit hour (credit-no credit) completion course, to be taken after students have completed their certificate coursework. (However, graduating seniors may enroll in the Certificate Completion course during their final semester in the program, while still taking certificate electives, if necessary). Certificate Completion is an asynchronous course, meant to help certificate students integrate what they have learned into their current and future academic and professional paths. It encourages (but doesn’t require) student to share/exhibit their work in the GSD Student Showcase which happens at the end of each spring semester. An alternative assignment is available.

Program Requirements

Credit Hours
GSD 103   The Basics of Game Design

3

GSD xxx     Certificate Completion Course

1

Three Electives from the approved list (see below)

9

Total Hours

13

List of Approved Elective Courses

(Note: Two of these three courses must be at the 300 or 400 level)

ART 350 Writing with Video
CW/INFO 303 Writing Across Media
CW 463 / GSD 364 Literature Lab: Books as Games
CW4631U / GSD 409 Design & Programming of Narrative Games & Simulations
CW463AL / GSD 411 Interactive Fiction with Twine
GSD 333 Table-Top Roleplaying Game Design
GSD 365 Improv for Games Designers
JOUR 430 Augmented and Virtual Reality
MACS 485 Making Video Essays
MACS 496 Collaboration in Interactive and Immersive Media
THEA 2xx Introduction to Immersive and Interactive Performance
THEA / GSD 4xx Experience Design for Immersion and Interaction
THEA 402 Designing Immersive Adventures: Escape Rooms

Certificate in Game Design & Development

Program Summary

TheCertificate in Game Design & Developmentis a stand-alone, interdisciplinary program offered by Games Studies & Design (GSD) in collaboration with its participating units across campus. The certificate is meant for students whose academic and professional ambitions include careers in the game or game-adjacent industries as a designer, programmer, or an game developer.

Program Overview

Completion of the Certificate requires a minimum of13 credits hours. These includeone required GSD 3-credit course, andthree elective courses chosen from the approved courses (listed below). Two of the three electives must be at the 300-400 level.

The final credit hour is earned through enrollment in an 8 week , 1 credit hour (credit-no credit) completion course, to be taken after students have completed their certificate coursework. (However, graduating seniors may enroll in the Certificate Completion course during their final semester in the program, while still taking certificate electives, if necessary). Certificate Completion is an asynchronous course, meant to help certificate students integrate what they have learned into their current and future academic and professional paths. It encourages (but doesn’t require) student to share/exhibit their work in the GSD Student Showcase which happens at the end of each spring semester. An alternative assignment is available.

Program Requirements

Credit Hours
GSD 103   The Basics of Game Design

3

GSD 491     Certificate Completion Course

1

Three Electives from the approved list (see below)

9

Total Hours

13

List of Approved Elective Courses
(Note: Two of these three courses must be at the 300 or 400 level)

CW4631U / GSD 409Design & Programming of Narrative Games & Simulations
CW463AL / GSD 411Interactive Fiction with Twine
GSD 333Table-Top Roleplaying Game Design
GSD 341Introduction to Unreal Engine
GSD 371AI Systems in Games
GSD 3352D Game Design with RPG Maker
GSD 343Unreal Engine: 2D Deep Dive
GSD 342Introduction to Unity
GSD 403An Introduction to Top Down Video Game Design
GSD 405Introduction to the Video Game Development Process
JOUR 430Augmented and Virtual Reality
THEA 402Designing Immersive Adventures: Escape Rooms