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Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences

Degree Requirements

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Simulation and Digital Entertainment Degree Requirements

  • These requirements apply to students entering this program in fall 2013 and thereafter. Students who enrolled earlier should consult the catalog in effect at the time they enrolled.
  • You can also reference the graduation requirements for the year in which you enrolled on the portal; view graduation requirements by year (PDF) in the right-hand column of your MyResources page.
  • Read the course descriptions.

Information for Transfer Students

If you have not completed an articulated program at one of the state's community colleges, you must meet the University's general requirements for transfer and satisfy the following course requirements:

  • a college-level course in multimedia authoring or production (COSC 150: Introduction to Game Design)
  • a college-level course in standard publishing technologies for the World Wide Web, such as HTML/CSS (COSC 155: Internet Technologies: Mastering the Basics)
  • a college-level course in 2-D graphics or digital imaging (COSC 160: Graphics for Game Design)
  • a college-level course in scripting for interaction design (COSC 250 Game Scripting)
  • a college-level course in 3-D modeling and/or animation (COSC 260: Introduction to 3-D Graphics).

All of these prerequisite requirements can be met by courses at the University of Baltimore but are not offered at the Universities at Shady Grove. If you are applying to the program at USG, you must have a minimum of 60 transferable credits and you must satisfy these prerequisites before enrolling in UB classes.

General-Education Requirements
(43 credits)

Complete these courses with a grade of C- or better:

  • English Composition
  • Mathematics
  • Oral Communication
  • Literature
  • History or Philosophy
  • Fine Arts
  • Computer Literacy
  • Social and Behavioral Science 1
    MATH 111: College Algebra or higher is preferred.
  • Social and Behavioral Science 2
  • Biological and Physical Science
    • Laboratory course, 4 credits
    • Non-laboratory course

Complete three courses with a grade of C or better:

  • Advanced Expository Writing (WRIT 300)
    completing WRIT 101 and either passing the writing placement test or successfully completing WRIT 200 required
  • Ethical Issues in Business and Society (IDIS 302)

and one of the following:

  • World Cultures (IDIS 301)
  • Arts and Ideas (IDIS 304)
    required if no lower-level general-education course in fine arts

Simulation and Digital Entertainment Program Requirements (48 credits)

Core Courses (33 credits)

  • Introduction to Game Design (COSC 150)
  • Internet Technologies: Mastering the Basics (COSC 155)
  • Graphics for Game Design (COSC 160)
  • Game Scripting (COSC 250)
  • Introduction to 3-D Graphics (COSC 260)
  • Programming for Interactive Design (COSC 315) *
  • Game Concept and Design (COSC 320)
  • Designing for Humans (COSC 324)
  • The Business of Game Development (COSC 405)
  • History of Video Games (COSC 408)
  • Frontiers of Game Design (COSC 440)

* Transfer students who have taken a college course in C++ programming or an equivalent course in object-oriented programming may substitute COSC 351: Object-Oriented Programming, a course in the Java programming language.

Content Tracks (15 credits)

Choose one of the following tracks:

TECHNICAL ART

  • Level Design (COSC 370) 
  • 3-D Modeling (COSC 410) 
  • 3-D Production (COSC 420) 
  • Game Development Project I (COSC 469) **
  • Game Development Project II (COSC 470) **

LEVEL DESIGN

  • Object-Oriented Programming (COSC 351)
  • Level Design (COSC 370) 
  • Design of Multiplayer Games (COSC 418) 
  • Game Development Project I (COSC 469) **
  • Game Development Project II (COSC 470) **

GAME WRITING

  • Game Journalism (COSC 390) 
  • Interactive Narrative (COSC 402) 
  • Social Media and Games (COSC 407) 
  • Game Development Project I (COSC 469) **
  • Game Development Project II (COSC 470) **

SERIOUS GAMES

  • Games for Learning (COSC 330) 
  • Social Media and Games (COSC 407) 
  • Community-Focused Game Development (COSC 477) 
  • Game Development Project I (COSC 469) **
  • Game Development Project II (COSC 470) **

** COSC 470: Game Development Project II requires the successful completion of COSC 469: Game Development Project I.

General Electives

  • First Year Seminar: Introduction to University Learning (IDIS 101)
    freshmen only; transfer students replace this with a different elective

Complete as many courses as necessary from any discipline to fulfill your 120-credit requirement to graduate.

Information Literacy Requirement

Meet the UB Information Literacy graduation requirement by successfully completing one of the following:

  • Introduction to Information Literacy (IDIS 110)
  • Designing for Humans (COSC 324)

as of fall 2013