| General Education | Freshman Year | Sophomore Year | Junior Year | Senior Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | ||||
| Program Specific | ||||
| Fine Art | ||||
| Common Core |
Course description:
Elective: Professional Life Skills or Externship
Professional Life Skills is an elective course. In lieu of taking Professional Life Skills, students may elect to take the externship elective. Students must complete an application process through the Education Department to determine eligibility for the externship.
Course description:
Communications & Critical Thinking
This course presents the principles of interpersonal communication and critical thinking. Students will study the processes by which we develop, support and communicate our beliefs and evaluate the strength of arguments made by others in real-life situations. It includes practice in inductive and deductive reasoning, presentation of arguments and analysis of the use of…
Course description:
Introduction to Psychology
This course serves as an introduction to psychology, focusing on the examination of historic developments and empirical approaches. Students will explore ideas of perception, cognition, personality and social psychology, and biological aspects of behavior. Topics include the development of personality, achievement motivation, self-understanding and anti-social behavior. The course surveys current theories in psychology, cognitive…
Course description:
Creative Writing
This course presents the principles of writing fiction. Students will write both in prescribed forms and in experimental forms. Style, language and structure in prose and poetry will be examined, and topic and thematic-based writing will be used to assess aesthetic choices and stylistic development. Students will learn best practices in developing and revising…
Course description:
Critical Studies: Analytical Writing & Literature
This course serves as a constructive introduction to the practice of written analysis; students will classify and categorize literary elements, develop thesis statements, and identify themes. Heavy emphasis is placed on analysis and interpretation of information and texts as well as critical reasoning and strategies. Students will develop a critical voice, and will learn…
Course description:
Popular Culture
This course will survey the social mechanisms that shape modern popular culture. High, folk, and mass culture will be covered and related to the historical emergence of popular culture. Topics include mass media, commercialization, ideology and cultural styles. Theories and methods for analyzing cultural expressions in popular music, art, film, television and advertising will…
Course description:
Concepts in Science
This course presents essential principles in science, including an overview of systems and practices in physical, chemical, and biological science such as scale, energy, time, and systems of measurement. Related topics include the scientific method, good and bad science, research, and writing in the physical sciences. Students will develop an understanding of the scientific…
Course description:
Mathematical Concepts
This course presents concepts in polynomials, factoring equations, graphs, logarithms, inequalities, vector analysis, planar and solid geometry, proofs, and coordinate usage. Students will improve their analytical skills, including formulating mathematical solutions to a wide array of real-world problems, and will solidify a foundation in core concepts.
Course description:
American History
This course presents the experience of the American people from the colonial era to the present, emphasizing themes of immigration, slavery, commerce, personal liberty, culture, warfare and the growth of democratic institutions. Students will develop independent, critical analytical skills to assess political and socioeconomic developments in American History
Course description:
Media Sound & Visual 1*
The Media Sound and Visual 1 (MSV 1) course is focused on digital media preproduction and production. This gives students the opportunity to work collaboratively while creating a short-form cinema project. From writing an original script and creating storyboards to shooting and directing, students are immersed in the production process while learning to operate…
Course description:
Media Sound & Visual 2*
Media Sound & Visual 2 (MSV 2) is an innovative introduction to the fundamental concepts, techniques, equipment and terminology associated with digital media postproduction. In addition to the postproduction process, lectures cover concepts of new media and computing history in order to provide a wider breadth of knowledge and prepare students for an industry…
Course description:
Living in a Media World 1
Living in a Media World 1 (LMW 1) is an introductory course to design and media. Students are taught basic principles of design with a focus on graphic design and how it relates to web-based media production. Topics addressed are design thinking, content development, re-purposing media, graphic design (typography, color, texture, composition, etc.), and…
Course description:
Living in a Media World 2
Living in a Media World 2 (LMW 2) is an introductory course to non-fiction storytelling and related media. Students work on a group project to produce a short non-fiction piece. Topics covered are how to build a story, non-fiction production and postproduction techniques, mixing sound, project management, creating motion graphics and music.
Course description:
Externship
The goals of an externship are to provide students with opportunities to understand the skills needed to work in the industry for which they are being trained; apply acquired knowledge and skills; improve their abilities to perform these skills; develop productive working relationships, and a work ethic; and reflect on their experience through regularly…
Course description:
Drawing Bootcamp
The objective of Drawing Bootcamp is to teach students the tools necessary to enhance their drawing skills as well as teach a new way of seeing and looking at the world in preparation for a future in digital art. This will be achieved through a series of unique exercises, designed to develop skills in…
Course description:
Design Basics
A career in the digital arts requires a working knowledge of art and art concepts, as well as familiarity with professional art terminology. Students will explore color theory, composition, figurative and conceptual sculpture, design, painting, and other traditional media, art history, and museum studies. The course culminates in a student art gallery exhibition of…
Course description:
Concept and Imaging
This course builds on the skills learned in the fine arts courses and takes them into the digital realm by using Adobe Photoshop as a digital paint medium. Students will focus on composition, value study and perspective. We will look at specific techniques in Adobe Photoshop for creating color images, and custom brushes. Students…
Course description:
Compositing 1
Compositing is the art and science of manipulating and combining different photographs together to create one seamless image. In this course the students will learn the fundamental approaches to compositing with digital photography. Students will learn to use digital SLR cameras, digital darkroom techniques, creatively manage transparency, and develop an understanding of applied lighting…
Course description:
3D Modeling 1
In 3D Modeling 1 students examine 3D modeling techniques, terminology and methods. Students learn basic 3D modeling by using specific toolsets with an emphasis on modeling efficiently and correctly. Students will explore methods of modifying and deforming geometry, and apply skills to architecture, landscapes, vehicles and characters.
Course description:
Introduction to Animation
In this class, students will explore and create assignments covering the 12 Principles of Animation. Projects such as a bouncing ball, a walk cycle, a flap cycle, and a final project will allow students to learn principles such as timing, squash and stretch, posing and more. These projects will be created using pencil and…
Course description:
Animation 1
In Animation 1, students are presented with the fundamentals of animating in a 3D environment. Students will explore the principles used in traditional cartoon animation, and how they affect modern digital animation techniques used in current industries. Students will learn how to pre-visualize an animation before producing it, and then move through a series…
Course description:
Texture and Lighting 1
This course introduces the fundamental concepts, terminology and techniques of computer-generated 3D texturing and lighting. Students will create and apply textures to 3D objects, as well as work with concepts and techniques that will be used to create realistic objects and scenes. Students will explore the use of Photoshop and other software tools to…
Course description:
Motion Studies
This course teaches students storytelling through the medium of motion capture animation. After developing a 20-30 second story arc, students will learn Laban acting technique. Performances will then be ‘digitized’ via the Vicon motion-capture system. MotionBuilder is then used to apply the performances to 3D characters students have created in prior classes. The final…
Course description:
User Interface Design
The design of a digital User Interface is a crucial element of any interactive environment. This class covers the theories and concepts behind good interface design in a broad sense—for educational applications, for business applications, and for web applications. Students will study source material from usability tests and studies that exist for interactive industries,…
Course description:
History of Games
Games have been played throughout human history. An appreciation that the computer generated games of today are part of a continuing history is essential for a comprehensive knowledge of the subject. Students will learn and play ancient games, and look at how games have played a role in people’s lives throughout history through the…
Course description:
Game Production 1
Students will learn the process of making a game level by forming teams and designing level concepts, specific looks and textures, and virtual floor plans. Groups will build levels in 3D and add textures, lighting, and interactivity to make it function effectively inside of a game engine. The final critique is done inside the…
Course description:
Game Production 2
Continuing work on levels started in Game Production 1, student groups will complete an entire conversion of a game, including characters, vehicles and custom scripts. Groups will customize audio, and test and optimize the game levels for final production.
Course description:
Advanced Game Production
This course facilitates a full-scale pipeline experience that builds on the skills learned in Game Production 1 and 2. Students will establish teams which will develop a pre-production package for the game they will create for the remainder of the program. The class will begin by studying existing levels and discussing what makes them…
Course description:
Modeling for Games
This class explores low-polygon models of characters, items, vehicles, and environments with the use of tiled textures in mind. Subsequent classes move on to high-polygon modeling techniques for normal map generation. The class objective is to create the model assets based on the designs created in Advanced Game Production, and to ensure student mastery…
Course description:
Architectural Design and Modeling
Students study architectural design and history to create game environments that are historically accurate and based on existing design theories and styles. Field trips will be taken around the area in order to effectively study architecture and gather reference. Students will be assessed on their knowledge and vocabulary of architectural history through projects and…
Course description:
Texture and Lighting for Games
This class will focus on texture and lighting issues unique to games. Students will have to work within predefined texture resolution allowances and will have to “bake in” some of the lighting into their textures. This class will address normal mapping and other high end, real time effects such as reflections and particle effects.…
Course description:
Final Game Project 2
Through a combination of intensive lab time and strategically designed lectures, this class will guide students through the testing and refining of their game level created in Final Game Project 1. Students will also create a demo reel of the assets they personally created in the playable game, as well as a personal portfolio…
Course description:
Character Rigging
This course will explain and teach the skills required for the creation of a character rig, ready for animation. Technical Direction or Character Setup, as it’s more specific name applies to the class, is the intermediate stage that exists between Modeling and Animation. To animate a finished character model, it is first necessary to…
Course description:
Animation for Games
This class focuses on animation sequences typically needed for games - walk cycles, run cycles, falls and hits. Students will create the animation assets for the game they design in Advanced Game Production. Students will also work with the editor and learn how to adjust animations from within the game engine for characters, vehicles…
Course description:
Final Game Project 1
In this class students will assemble all of the assets they have been creating since completing Advanced Game Production. Assets will be placed into the game engine by maximizing “hands-on” application time during lab. Students will create an original playable game that uses assets that have been created by a student on their team.…
Course description:
Final Content
The primary focus of this course is to enhance the students’ existing work. The instructor will assume the role of Art Director and assign goals and deadlines for deliverables to each student. Student work is critiqued by instructors and any industry professionals available at the time of the course. Students are expected to affect…
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120 total semester credit units are required for a Bachelor of Applied Science Degree in Game Art & Design. Ex’pression College reserves the right to modify or change the school calendar, curriculum, class schedules, and/or course sequences as it deems necessary.