Game Development Minor

The United States and global games industry continues to be one of the most diverse and healthy available for job-seekers. In the United States alone, the games industry employs more than 32,000 people across 34 states, reaching a total compensation of over three billion dollars annually. 
 
As one of a growing number of interdisciplinary programs at Penn State Behrend, students can now opt to enroll in a minor in Game Development.
 
The Game Development minor is designed to augment any degree at Behrend, and fits nicely into a four-year schedule, augmenting student learning and marketability, and aiding in the completion of general education credits.
 
The minor consists of 18 credits:

• GAME 220, GAME 250 (6 credits of required introductory courses)
• 3 credits of GAME Breadth courses at the 100 and 200 levels or PSYCH 244
• 6 credits of Depth courses at the 400 level, and
• GAME 480 (3 credit Capstone Senior Project)

Courses Offered

PSU 007: First-Year Seminar (Game-Focused)

Introductory:

• GAME 220: Introduction to Game Design (GA)
• GAME 250: Technical Game Development (GQ)

Breadth:

• GAME 140: Gaming and Interactive Media (GS) (also as COMM 190)
• GAME 160N: Introduction to Video Game Culture (GA; GH; US) (also as CMLIT 191)
• GAME 251: 2D Web Game Development (GQ)
• PSYCH 244: Psychology of Human Factors Engineering (GS)

Depth:

• GAME 420: Advanced Game Design
• GAME 434: Psychology of Gaming (also as PSYCH 434)
• GAME 450: Advanced Game Programming
• GAME 495: Senior Internship

Capstone:

• GAME 480: Game Development Senior Project

Find more information about specific courses on the University Bulletin.

 

For questions or more information, please contact Dr. Richard Zhao, Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Software Engineering, at ruz14@psu.edu or 814-898-6144.