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. ÂÂ
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. ÂÂ
Certificate in Immersive & Interactive StorytellingÂ
Program Summary Â
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. ÂÂ
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Program Overview  Â
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.ÂÂ
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.ÂÂ
| 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)ÂÂ
ART 350 Writing with VideoÂ
CW/INFO 303 Writing Across MediaÂ
CW 463/GSD 364 Literature Lab: Books as GamesÂ
CW4631U/GSD 409Design & Programming of Narrative Games & SimulationsÂ
CW463AL/GSD 411Interactive Fiction with TwineÂ
CW/GSD 411Interactive Fiction with TwineÂ
GSD 333 Table-Top Roleplaying Game DesignÂ
GSD 365 Improv for Games DesignersÂ
JOUR 430 Augmented and Virtual RealityÂ
MACS 485 Making Video EssaysÂ
MACS 496 Collaboration in Interactive and Immersive MediaÂ
THEA 2xx Introduction to Immersive and Interactive PerformanceÂ
THEA 402Designing Immersive Adventures: Escape RoomsÂ
THEA/GSD 4xx Experience Design for Immersion and InteractionÂ
Certificate in Game Design & DevelopmentÂ
Program Summary Â
TheCertificate in Game Design & Development is 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.ÂÂ
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Program OverviewÂ
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.ÂÂ
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.ÂÂ
| Program Requirements | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| GSD 103   The Basics of Game Design | 3 |
| GSD 491 Â Â Â 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)ÂÂ
CW4631U/GSD 409 Design & Programming of Narrative Games & Simulations Â
CW463AL/GSD 411 Interactive Fiction with TwineÂ
GSD 333Table-Top Roleplaying Game Design
GSD 341 Introduction to Unreal EngineÂÂ
GSD 371 AI Systems in GamesÂ
GSD 335 2D Game Design with RPG MakerÂ
GSD 343 Unreal Engine: 2D Deep DiveÂ
GSD 342 Introduction to UnityÂ
GSD 403 An Introduction to Top Down Video Game DesignÂ
GSD 405 Introduction to the Video Game Development ProcessÂ
JOUR 430Augmented and Virtual RealityÂÂ
THEA 402Designing Immersive Adventures: Escape RoomsÂ