Video Game Programming Minor

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The video game programming minor integrates the theoretical concepts and practical skills to prepare students for a career in interactive entertainment. Students will gain exposure to a variety of programming concepts related to creating video games including: 3-D graphics, artificial intelligence, particle systems, rendering, collision detection, game algorithms, physics concepts and math formulas. In contrast to the video game design minor where the focus is applying design concepts and using software design tools, students in the video game programming minor will evaluate, write and debug code.

This minor features an optional capstone that is a team-based, year-long game development project. Students are only eligible for the capstone after having completed all the core courses. The capstone must be taken in both the fall and spring semesters of a single academic year.

Requirements for completion (four core courses plus 4 units of electives)

The minor requires a minimum of 18 units.

Core Courses (14 Units)

ITP 165 Introduction to C++ Programming Units: 2 ^*
ITP 265 Object-Oriented Programming Units: 4 **
ITP 365 Managing Data in C++ Units: 4 ^**
ITP 380 Video Game Programming Units: 4

Elective Courses (4 Units)

ITP 382 Mobile Game Development Units: 4
ITP 435 Professional C++ Units: 4
ITP 439 Compiler Development Units: 4
ITP 485 Programming Game Engines Units: 4
CSCI 491aL Final Game Project Units: 4 ^***
CSCI 491bL Final Game Project Units: 2 ^***

Note:

^*Students with prior programming experience may request to take a placement test. Students who pass this placement test with have their ITP 165 requirement waived.

^**Students who have completed CSCI 103L and CSCI 104L may replace the ITP 265 and ITP 365 requirements with 8 units from the list of elective courses. Additionally, these students may have their ITP 165 requirement waived.

^***Optional capstone. See details above for requirements.