Masters of Game Development Program Overview
The Masters of Game Development is a terminal, online 60 credit hour degree program designed to prepare students for careers in asset creation for video games including models, textures, animation, and code. Unique to this space, instructors are primarily drawn from studios within the industry to provide applied instruction relevant to contemporary production practices. Students who graduate with this degree will have produced a competitive portfolio in their chosen area of emphasis. In addition, graduates may gain teaching experience to become educators in the realms of 3D production and video game development. The curriculum is designed to increase aesthetic understanding, pipeline proficiency, technical mastery, and communication and leadership skills in the area of video game development.
The Masters of Game Development offers concentrations in these fields:
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Animation
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Game Programming
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Game Environment Arts
Admission Requirements
Applicants for admission to the Masters of Game Development program must meet the General Requirements for Admission to graduate programs at UIW, and these specific requirements:
Prerequisites for Admission
1. A BFA or BS in Game Development, Game Art, Game Production, Art, Coding, or Programming.
2. A portfolio of digital 3D game art or coding work.
3. For international students, a score from TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), with a minimum score of 83 iBT or an IELTS score of 6.5. Students who do not have this minimum score may not be allowed to take any course other than English as a Second Language (as per UIW Graduate Catalog).
Portfolio
The portfolio will provide needed information that will indicate if:
1. The student needs to take any remedial undergraduate courses or attend a summer bootcamp to be prepared for the content of the Masters of Game Development program.
2. The student should be waived from any courses using SACSCOC’s approved method of portfolio-based Prior Learning Assessment.
Prior Learning Assessment
Incoming candidates for the Masters of Game Development degree may bring with them significant experience from previous degrees or industry experience. To propel candidates toward successful completion of the Masters of Game Development degree and to recognize previously acquired skills, candidates may apply for Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) credits.
Candidate portfolios are reviewed by the graduate faculty of the 3D Animation & Game Design department for PLA consideration. If the portfolio shows sufficient mastery of concepts and skills required by the PLA-eligible courses, the Director of the Masters of Game Development program will notify candidates by email which Masters of Game Development program courses will be counted as PLA credits.
As per UIW policy, at least 20 credits must be completed “in residency” at UIW. There are 10 courses in each track, totaling 29 credits, that are eligible for PLA credits.
There is no guarantee of any PLA credits for any incoming students.
Master of Game Development Degree Plan
The Masters of Game Development degree program requires 60 credit hours to complete. It includes 45 hours of core courses and 15 credit hours in one of three areas of concentration: Animation, Game Programming, and Game Environment Arts.
Masters of Game Development Core Coursework
ANGD 5100 Industry Seminar is taken four times during the program.
ANGD 5317 3D Education should be taken if student desires training in 3D education.*
ANGD 6311 3D Education Practicum must be taken twice.*
* In place of the two 3D education courses, students may choose 9 hours of electives from another concentration.
Animation Concentration
Game Environment Arts Concentration
Game Programming Concentration
Thesis Project
The thesis for the Masters of Game Development degree consists of a prospectus developed in semester two, and a completed game produced during semesters three and four. This thesis project is to be completed as a team using students from all three concentrations. Thesis production is completed as part of a two 6-credit course sequence (12 thesis credits in total). These courses will be completed during the final two semesters of study.