Computer Science (Game Development) (MS)

Return to: USC Viterbi School of Engineering 

The goal of the MS in Computer Science (Game Development) program is to graduate students with a core in computer science, an engineering-oriented game development core and a concentration in one of the key research directions in game development infrastructure, cognition and games, immersion and serious games. Infrastructure is researching and developing the software and hardware infrastructure necessary for the development of the future of interactive games and large-scale simulations; massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) and simulation networks; game engines and tools; instant games; wireless and mobile games and infrastructures; and next generation consoles. Cognition and games is developing theories for modeling and simulating computer characters and story; developing methods for modeling, simulating and displaying human emotion; analyzing large-scale game play; and developing theories for infusing pedagogy with game play. Immersion is researching and developing the technologies to engage the mind of the game player via sensory stimulation; reading the human emotional state and providing that as an input to the game; and emotionally adaptive game software architectures. Serious games and simulations is developing a theory for the deployment of games and simulations for purposes of education and training, health, public policy and strategic communication; game evaluation; serious game development; and human performance engineering. Students graduating from this program will be capable of engineering next generation games and simulations and their required technologies immediately upon graduation in the entertainment and serious game fields. Additionally, graduates from this program will be able to further their education in graduate programs in game development and computer science. The long-term goal with this MS degree is to establish research and development directions that create a science of games and an accompanying archival literature that improves game development for both serious and entertainment purposes.