Games
Bennion
Center
Capstones
Program
Courses
Getting Started
Start New Game…
- Take four GAMES foundational courses during the first year: GAMES 1010, COMP 1010, GAMES 1050 and COMP 1020.
- Complete WRTG 1010, WRTG 2010 and MATH requirement during first year.
Making Progress
Level Up and Use Those Elective Skill Points.
- For a 4-year graduation track, plan to take 15-credit hour semesters.
- During year 2, take GAMES 3010: Asset Pipeline and GAMES 3020: Ethics in Games.
- Meet with your advisor during this time to declare your major and figure out your Area of Interest.
- In year 3, take GAMES 3710: Traditional Game Development and GAMES 3720: Alternative Game Development.
Finishing Up
100% Completion Badge!
- Meet with your advisor and apply for graduation by January of your final year.
- Review your portfolio and resume with GAMES Staff and Faculty.
- Complete the sequential capstones courses GAMES 4500 and EAE 4510 in your final year.
Community
Getting Started
LFG
- Join a club like 3D4E Utah or Gamecraft.
- Play in a club league like Crimson Gaming, UtahLoLSA, or UtahSmash.
- Watch one of our Varsity Esport matches.
Making Progress
Gather your Party
- Use your Allied hours to develop skillsets and make connections outside GAMES.
- Work with the Gamecraft club to make that game idea of yours come to life.
- Get involved with the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute and connect with other students across campus.
- Spend a semester at the Utah Asia Campus completing gen eds and GAMES courses.
Finishing Up
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
- Showcase you and your teams Senior Game at GAMES Launch.
- Connect with Alumni to network.
- Meet our industry liaison to get your resumé and portfolio interview ready.
Knowledge & Skills
Getting Started
Launch Game
- Explore a variety of areas in GAMES and choose a path that's right for you.
- You’ll be working on teams in the future; get to know other GAMES students now!
Making Progress
Keep Grinding
- Develop your skills through GAMES clubs and events.
- Attend GAMES Launch to see the games and get ideas.
- Participate in a Game Jam.
- Share your personal projects to gain valuable feedback and support.
- Engage with the larger gaming community through conferences, game releases, Discord, and Twitch to learn more about the industry.
Finishing Up
Let’s Play
- Showcase your skills in the Senior project.
- Interview and start applying for post-grad internships and positions in the industry.
Transformation
Getting Started
Good Luck, Have Fun!- Attend Esports events or club leagues.
- Play board games between classes.
- Try different genres of games to broaden your knowledge.
Making Progress
Don’t forget the side quests!- Participate in a club league tournament!
- Participate in the Global Games Jam.
- Test classmates’ games and chat over Discord if you prefer things less IRL.
- Engage with campus partners at the Bennion Center, ASUU, or the UMFA.
- Celebrate milestones with faculty and staff at a pizza party.
Finishing Up
GGWP- Present at EAE Launch & Play. Look at the progress you’ve made!
- Stay up late playing that game YOU made.
- Talk to Alumni about post-grad life & the industry.
Impact
Getting Started
What kind of player are you going to be?- Think about what you like in games.
- Check out a Lassonde workshop.
- Take a variety of classes & find your Area of Interest.
Making Progress
Be Your Own Guide- Attend talks & presentations from visiting studios.
- Participate in workshops hosted by faculty and alumni.
- Network!
Finishing Up
You’ve Maxed Out!- Present and publish your Senior Project game.
- Come back and present as an Alumni.
- Launch your own indie game or join a Triple-A!
Careers
Getting Started
Create New Character- Activate and customize your Handshake account to find jobs, internships, and career opportunities.
- Get that portfolio started!
- Explore Areas of Interest to see what path you want to take.
Making Progress
Have a Main Character Moment.- Attend a career fair or expo.
- Find out what role you want to play in the industry.
- Make your dream game with the tools and skills you learn.
- Side projects? Awesome, add amazing work to your portfolio for post-grad.
- Meet with our industry man and talk shop!
Finishing Up
Roll Credits- Publish that game and pick up your poster & graduation tassel.
- Apply for internships & positions in the industry.
- Don’t forget the IP rights for your game; you keep those!
Start Your Career Journey
Find support at the Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC)
About the Major
The BS in GAMES (BSG) degree is intended specifically for students who aspire to hold careers withing the professional games industry or related field, such as simulation, edutainment, or visualization. The BSG is designed to prepare students to compete in an increasingly complex industry and world. Student pursuing the BSG develop skills applicable to the development of entertainment software, games-based learning environments for K-12 students, professional task-training tools, serious games for health, and scientific collaboration.
This degree also provides technical grounding in mathematics and computationial skills, core knowledge in design and production of digital playavble experiences, and specialization options that prepare students for a variety of roles.
The BS in GAMES is a tight-knit and ever-growing community of dreamers and designers pushing forward to make the world a little more fun. We look forward to you joining and leveling up with us.
Learning Outcomes
- Learn to navigate technical, legal, and ethical challenges in the play, design, and production of games.
- Collaborate on multidisciplinary game design and development teams.
- Effectively communicate technical and design concepts through writing, speech, and formal presentations.
- Apply technical knowledge of a focused area of interest to the field of interactive game development.
- Identify and solve pipeline issues related to the game development process.
Plan & Prepare
At the U, we plan for our students to have an exceptional Educational Experience identified by four broad categories we call the Learning Framework: Community, Knowledge & Skills, Transformation, and Impact. This major map will help you envision, explore, design, and plan your personalized Exceptional Education Experience with the Learning Framework at the core. In addition to assisting you in planning your coursework and navigating the requirements of your major, this map will help you incorporate other kinds of experiences to expand your knowledge, support your development, and prepare you for the future you want.