Game Development (MFA)

Learn to navigate this complex 3D software and its many tools and workflows as they are used in major animation and VFX studios, preparing you for specialized study in the track of your choice.

You'll use cinematic composition, atmospheric use of color, and color continuity to complete a sixteen-frame color script. (This course is cross-listed with VIS 380 and ANM 880.)

You'll develop personal interpretations of the human form.

Prepare to enter the video game industry. Studying professional practices and techniques, you'll find differences between large and small companies, genres, and types of games. Plus, create your own game design document that shows what you've learned.

Develop a set of creative tools based on games, film, art, and music from around the world. You will learn how to effectively brainstorm, prototype, and iterate on original ideas using industry-standard practices and your own cultural background.

Study the game character pipeline from start to finish. Using game character ideation, low-resolution modeling techniques, UV layouts, and 2D and 3D surfacing for characters to create your own low-res, 3D game character. (This course is cross-listed with GAM 340.)

Study 3D game art production for environments. You will gain block out, UV mapping, texturing, and iterative development skills to develop your 3D scenes. Plus, learn to identify the best modeling practice for a given environment.

Is your focus on level design or game design? You will examine player interaction and events in video games using C# and game engines and learn to break down problems and systematically build solutions individually and in teams.

Become an effective game designer through multi-week projects in different genres. You will learn best practices for time management, effective communication, and project organization in a collaborative setting. (This course is cross-listed with GAM 350.)

Gain a solid understanding of level design for first- and third-person video game levels. You will create levels and game experiences from the initial concept phase through block mesh and multiple passes of scripting using the Unreal game engine.

Improve your concept art skills by drawing the figure and becoming familiar with human anatomy and figure drawing concepts.

Improve your ability to create concept art by sketching various hard surfaces and organic subjects. You'll start your own library of reference materials, including animals, vehicles, buildings, people, and assorted materials.

Apply your drawing and color skills to game-specific subjects. You'll increase your visual language, drawing, and digital painting skills to create asset model packs and designs for 3D modeling production.

Create and manage textures using hand-painted and procedural methods in 2D and 3D applications. You will identify textures that define the different properties of 3D surfaces and use UV mapping techniques to correctly apply 2D textures to a 3D object. (This course will be cross-listed with GAM 332.)

Learn the concepts and methods used to produce digital sculptures. You will learn to create organic and hard-surface objects in a digital sculpting application, explore 3D painting, and practice concept ideation. (This course is cross-listed with GAM 241.)

Use the environment asset pipeline to create real-time, 3D interior and exterior scenes. You will gain the storytelling, prop development, modularity, and composition skills to create compelling real-time environments. Plus, study scene management and iterative development. (This course is cross-listed with GAM 342.)

Prepare for the midpoint review. You will develop an independent thesis plan, perfect your portfolio, and complete your thesis project proposal to showcase your accumulated skills and work over the first part of the program.

Student teams will work in a model production environment to build a working first playable. Students will have hands-on experience with a game engine to create their prototype game. Time management, organization, export and import pipeline, and bug tracking and fixing will be refined.

Learn complex, efficient, and specialized practices for scripting gameplay mechanics. You will develop several video games featuring systems of moderate complexity from scratch.

Rapidly improve your digital painting skills to create believable concept art. You'll paint the human figure and other types of materials to learn basic color theory.

As you reach the completion of your degree, it's time to prepare for your career in professional game development by compiling your best work into a portfolio, establishing a personal brand, and preparing all the materials you will need to apply for jobs in a very competitive industry.

Create a believable three-dimensional illusion of a figure on a flat surface of paper. You'll study physical flexibility, how the figure moves, various types of folds, and the construction of clothing.

Learn to draw situations suggesting 3D believably. This will include naturalistic environments, lighting, and placement of characters, allowing your audience a full understanding of your stories.