Prerequisites: GAM125 AND (GAA110 OR (GAM101 AND GAM113) OR GAM104)

The creation of completed games, no matter the size and complexity, is most often pipelined in a studio setting. This class simulates a game production studio and uses applies the principles of prototyping, design documents and pulling together assets, code, platform and testing to produce completed games. Sharing time with students in the upper division of this course Production Studio I students will take online roles as they apply game design, asset and programming techniques to complete game projects in a learning environment that reflects a production studio.

Prerequisites: GAM310

Having mastered the basics, students in this course will apply level design principles to the creation of entire game environments, interactive elements and objects, storytelling through level design, and texturing and lighting. The emphasis will be on using advanced game engines and their toolsets and may involve expert topics such as texturing with shaders, cut scenes, scripted events and large-scale environments. For Game Design students, this course will satisfy 3 credits towards the ART requirement in the Bachelor of Arts requirement.

Prerequisites: ENG102, GAM200

Writing for the interactive environments of current and future video games poses complex challenges that are unique to the field. As the consumer base grows more sophisticated, gamers are demanding complex, believable worlds in which their decisions have an impact. This course explores best practices for creating interactive stories, quests, characters and worlds that flesh out the bare mechanics of game design. Students will create interactive projects and design scenarios with dialog, branching choices, backstory elements and intellectual challenges, as well as look towards the future of game storytelling.

Prerequisites: GAM170

This course adds prototyping and building to the creative, peer-driven design practiced in GAM170. Students will workshop several designs and build playable versions of their game ideas in a rapid-development environment, with an emphasis on originality, playability and active revision to the design based on peer feedback.

Prerequisites: GAM370

Rapid prototyping is an essential process to developing new game concepts. Prototypes are key to a game company’s success, as a low-risk solution to experimenting with new, innovative systems and content. This class will teach students how to rapidly develop experimental concepts and test their feasibility. The class will focus on creating as many small prototypes as possible in the time frame, educating students on how to reduce time and increase turnover rate in their development process.

Prerequisites: GAM281

The creation of completed games, no matter the size and complexity, is most often pipelined in a studio setting. Building upon the previous game studio course, students in this class will take mid level roles, leading lower term students and taking guidance from upper term ones as they apply game design, asset and programming techniques to complete game projects in a learning environment that reflects a production studio. This class simulates a game production studio and uses applies the principles of prototyping, design documents and pulling together assets, code, platform and testing to produce completed games.

Prerequisites: GAM381

The completion of games, no matter the size and complexity, is most often pipelined in a studio setting. Building upon the previous game studio course, students in this class will take upper level roles, leading lower term students and taking guidance from project mentors as they apply game design, asset and programming techniques to complete game projects in a learning environment that reflects a production studio. This class simulates a game production studio and applies the principles of prototyping, design documents and pulling together assets, code, platform and testing to produce completed games.

Prerequisites: GAM381

This course completes the innovative style and generalist/specialist portfolio process providing guidance and structure for the formal presentation of the students work. Students will passionately and clearly articulate the defense of their innovative style and portfolio work through public presentations. Students entering this class are expected to have completed all works included in their portfolio and have their innovation style fully developed for implementation into a reel.

Prerequisites: ART121

Life doesn’t stand still and neither should art. This course further explores the drawing techniques established in Beginning Drawing. Students will concentrate on increasing drawing skills with respect to lighting, texture and spatial interpretation, and infusing the smoking gun aspect of lifelike action in compositions. Students will learn how to use color in drawing and to make images come to life. Individual drawing assignments and the development of a final portfolio and sketchbook will be emphasized. The Wacom Tablet will be introduced in the latter part of this course.

Prerequisites: NONE

Introduction to the field of astronomy for the non-science major. History of astronomy; astronomy as a physical science; properties of light; telescopes; and structure and evolution of the Sun, planets, moons, and other bodies in the Solar System.

Prerequisites: NONE

Introduction to the field of astronomy for the non-science major. History of astronomy; astronomy as a physical science; properties of light; telescopes; structure and evolution of stars; structure of the Milky Way galaxy and other galaxies and history of the Universe.

Prerequisites: NONE

This course explores the basic issues of living organisms. The material covered emphasizes molecular and organic biology, as well as the structure and function of plants and animals. Learning activities include lectures, group activities and various practical exercises that help students to better understand biology and to use their knowledge in everyday life, as well as in their future careers.

Prerequisites: NONE

Students will experience expressing technology concepts to a broad audience. Students will learn best practices in presenting technology products and pitching concepts using business-appropriate communication skills. Effective use of voice, nonverbal skills and visuals will be applied to topics such as robotics, virtual reality, animation, digital video, network security and others. Presentations include peer-to-peer feedback in student-led discussions. In addition, students will have the opportunity to create a resume and be mock interviewed for a technology position.

Prerequisites: NONE

This course is designed to present effective techniques in organizing, developing and writing academic essays that reflect a collegiate level of writing. The purpose of this course is to help students write correctly, clearly and thoughtfully. Students will receive an introduction to basic writing, thinking and reading skills required for success in college, with emphasis on fluency in analytical, rhetorical and creative non-fiction presentation.

Prerequisites: ENG101

ENG102 is designed to introduce students to the essential language, theories and strategies of argumentation and research. The purpose of the course is to provide students with the tools necessary to develop arguments for specific audiences within specific rhetorical situations. Students will also develop their critical reading skills: analyzing, evaluating and critiquing the claims and evidence used by various authors. Finally, students will learn proper research skills and write an in-depth research essay/project.

Prerequisites: ENG101

This course teaches the principles that result in effective original work: the creation of characters, plots, visual imagery and effective dialogue. Students are also expected to be able to provide constructive criticism to others. Students will be expected to produce original work as a final project.

Prerequisites: ENG102

Effective professional communication is critical in the business environment, and can take the form of email, memorandum, user’s manual, developer documentation or laboratory report. This course focuses on developing writing skills for technical audiences, emphasizing professional writing style, clarity, and presentation of information. Students will analyze, develop and critique a variety of technical documents in order to practice and understand the role of the technical writer.

Prerequisites: ENG102

This course will explore various definitions of myth, compare and contrast various mythologies from around the world and examine the ways myths have evolved over time. We will also study the mythological roots of the fairy tale, compare and contrast fairy tales from around the world, and explore how fairy tales have changed over time.

Prerequisites: NONE

This course will delve into selected readings in the literature of science fiction to show how the genre of science fiction has evolved from the dark fantasy narratives of the 19th century through the start of the 21st century. Students will examine key genre texts from the worlds of print, cinema and the web.

Prerequisites: NONE

Crime Literature provides a survey of selected topics within the literature, cinema, and high-profile criminal cases of selected eras between the late Victorian era and the modern era. Texts and multimedia include Sherlock Holmes stories, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, film noir masterpieces, television procedurals, and contemporary thrillers. Emphasis will be placed on important themes, authors, and texts of the genres of mystery, crime fiction, and detective stories.

Prerequisites: ENG102

This course is designed to explore a defined area of literature, including individual authors, literary movements, issues in popular culture and various genres. The in-depth study may include works from both Western and non-Western cultures. Contents and methods vary with instructors and from semester to semester.

Prerequisites: NONE

This course covers American history from the period of colonial settlement through the 20th century. The course is topical, covering key themes and areas of American history that led to major economic, cultural and technological changes.

Prerequisites: NONE

This course covers World Wars I and II from a tactical, political, strategic and technological perspective. In addition, the course analyzes not only how these wars shaped the 20th century but also the world we live in today.

Prerequisites: NONE

This course examines the role of technology in the 20th century and how it affects us culturally. Key themes include invention of new technologies and debates over the advantages and drawbacks of industrialization, mass production and information technologies. Students participate in a variety of innovative activities designed to understand the changes that took place socially and economically because of these innovations.

Prerequisites: NONE

This course covers the history of World Religions from the beginning of human society to the 21st Century. The course is topical, covering key themes and areas of religious history and what impact those themes and areas had on humanity. Students will gain an understanding and appreciation of the history of major world religions, which may include Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Daoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Manichaeism, Islam, and New Religious Movements.

Prerequisites: NONE

This course is designed to present a comprehensive overview of the period in which the United States was engaged in conflict in Vietnam. Some critical aspects include: how the United States became involved in Vietnam, the involvement of each US president and his war policies, the ground war, the air war and the anti- war movement and counterculture. Finally, the course analyzes the lasting effects of the Vietnam War.

Prerequisites: NONE

This course covers the history and influences of Ancient Greece with an emphasis on warfare. The time period and the topics for this course are the Persian Wars through Alexander’s campaigns.

Prerequisites: NONE

This course examines the US Civil War and the period of Reconstruction following the conflict. Key themes include experiences of the common soldier, technological innovations used during the war, tactical and strategic overviews of the conflict, social upheavals created by the conflict and the lasting effects the war had on the United States.

Prerequisites: NONE

Countercultures will examine major countercultural movements of the 20th century and explore their social, political, artistic roots and impact. Topics will include the Beat Generation, anti-war movements and drug subcultures of the 1960s-1970s, and Punk rock. Major artists and their works will be explored, as well as their impact on popular culture and the creation of subcultures. Students will read novels, lyrics, and poetry, watch films of the eras and listen to selected recordings of music from these periods in order to appreciate countercultural expressions.

Prerequisites: NONE

This course will introduce students to contemporary themes in the humanities. Topics will explore issues facing contemporary audiences as a result of the rise in new modes of expressions and the developments within the arts from innovators and creators.

Prerequisites: INSTRUCTOR APPROVAL

Special topics courses are intended to provide focused studies within a specific discipline. Students in this course will engage in the advanced study of a specific aspect of the humanities, potentially engaging the basic principles of art, creative writing, literature, architecture and/or music. Students will consider subject matter within various contexts, which might include a social, historical, cultural and/or political context.

Prerequisites: NONE

This course will survey Japanese character and society and will attempt to answer the question: What does it mean to be Japanese? Students will be introduced to various aspects of Japanese culture, including history, geography, religion, customs and traditions, society, politics, business, science and technology, communication, literature, arts and pop-culture. Through research, lectures, viewing of films and clips, presentations, and examining authentic materials, students will enrich their understanding of and appreciation for Japanese culture, and will be able to compare and contrast it with their own cultural experience and understand what it truly means to be Japanese.

Prerequisites: NONE

This class is designed for students studying Japanese for the first time. Students will be introduced to the whole of the Japanese language; they will acquire skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening regarding such topics as greetings, classroom expressions, numbers, dates and time, daily activities, verb conjugation, simple introductions, ordering food, existence and location, hobbies, likes and dislikes, weather and shopping. Aspects of Japanese culture that tie in heavily with the language will also be introduced.

Prerequisites: JPN108

In this course, students will examine the topics learned in JPN108 and study them at a more advanced level; they will continue to acquire skills in Japanese in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Emphasis will be on both conversational skills and grammatical analysis of the language. Aspects of Japanese culture that tie in heavily with the language will continue to be introduced.

Prerequisites: JPN208

In this course, students will continue the development of communicative skills in Japanese in reading, writing, speaking, and listening through the intermediate level. They will learn to communicate at a deeper level about the topics previously learned in JPN108 and JPN208 as well as new topics such as family, shopping and food. Emphasis will continue to be on both conversational skills and grammatical analysis of the language. Aspects of Japanese culture that tie in heavily with the language will continue to be introduced.

Prerequisites: JPN308

In this course, students will accelerate and advance their communicative skills in Japanese in reading, writing, speaking and listening through the advanced level. They will learn to communicate at a deeper and more advanced level about the topics previously learned in JPN108, JPN208, and JPN308 as well as new topics such as travel, transportation and home. Emphasis will continue to be on both conversational skills and grammatical analysis of the language. Aspects of Japanese culture that tie in heavily with the language will continue to be introduced and examined at a deeper level.

Prerequisites: NONE

Relations and functions types are developed thoroughly with their graphs. Function types include polynomial, rational, radical, exponential and logarithmic. Conic relations are developed thoroughly. Other topics include systems of equations and inequalities, matrices and sequences. Application relevance and appreciation are evolved through a discovery math lab component using technology.

Prerequisites: NONE

Introduction to Trigonometry with associated functions and graphs is the primary focus. Modeling is explored using trigonometric functions. Modeling and curve fitting are further explored using functions developed in College Algebra. Application relevance and appreciation are evolved through a discovery math lab component using technology.

Prerequisites: MAT174

This course discusses the foundations of management science and business mathematics by learning basic principles of applying mathematical equations to problems in business. Decision trees and operations research, as well as general ways to approach increasing the efficiency of business processes, are developed in-depth. The course will also apply project scheduling such as Gantt charts and CPM/PERT networks to estimate confidence intervals for project completion. Finally, you will learn about the basics of linear programming, and how it is used to maximize profit and to be more efficient at using resources in a business.

Prerequisites: MAT174

This course presents the student with basic statistical concepts and methods. This course introduces descriptive and inferential statistics including elementary probability, linear regression and hypothesis testing. MATLAB will be used to emphasize theory and in applications problem solving.

Prerequisites: NONE

This course is the study of single variable differential calculus. Emphasis is placed on differentiating elementary functions and solving application problems. MATLAB will be used to emphasize theory and in applications problem solving.

Prerequisites: MAT250

This course continues the study of single variable calculus. Emphasis is placed on anti-differentiation, numerical interpretations of the integral and the use of the integral in application problems. MATLAB will be used to emphasize theory and in applications problem solving.

Prerequisites: MAT250

This course serves as an introduction to linear algebra. It includes the study of systems of linear equations, matrix algebra, vector spaces, linear transformations, eigenvalues and eigenvectors. MATLAB will be used to emphasize theory and in applications problem solving.

Prerequisites: INSTRUCTOR APPROVAL

This course will explore special topics in the field of mathematics.

Prerequisites: INSTRUCTOR APPROVAL

This course is intended to familiarize students with major philosophers, schools of philosophy, and philosophical movements or periods. The topics will rotate at the discretion of the instructor. The course may cover either Eastern or Western philosophers.

Prerequisites: MAT174

This course explores the theories and use of Newtonian physics, formulas and techniques associated with 2D kinematics, force, momentum, work, energy, heat and wave properties.

Prerequisites: MAT174

This course will introduce the student to basic concepts of electricity and magnetism with discussion of practical applications. Charges and fields will be used to understand the concepts of potential, resistance, capacitance and inductance, and to solve basic DC circuits. Math through college algebra is required.

Prerequisites: NONE

Why do people behave a certain way? Can behaviors be predicted, controlled and changed? Have you ever been a victim of somebody who took advantage or tried to manipulate? What are persuasion and brainwashing? This course explores theory, research and application that make up the discipline. It examines both the traditional areas of the field, as well as more recent innovations. The course pays particular attention to the applications developed by social psychologists. The major goal of the course is to explicitly tie social psychology to lives of students.

Prerequisites: NONE

Green Technologies offers a conceptual study of the current trends in energy production by means of accepted green technologies. This course will present a brief discussion about the history of fossil fuels and the impact of the current electric grid, as well as in-depth discussions about the development and uses of solar, wind, hydro, fuel cells, biomass and biofuels, geothermal, and emerging technologies. The course will provide students a connection to community and society by showing them ways to install these systems in the typical home, as well as how to understand policies or incentives dictated by the government.

Prerequisites: INSTRUCTOR APPROVAL

Special Topics courses are intended to provide advanced or focused studies within a specific discipline. In the science discipline, topics can include, but are not limited to, advanced materials, quantum theory, calculus-based physics, game- based physics, advanced astronomy and advanced life systems.

Prerequisites: NONE

This class will explore traditional East Asian culture and its influence throughout the region. Topics for exploration may include: how traditional Chinese culture aided in the formation of the ancient Japanese state; how Chinese culture influenced and shaped Japanese mythology; and how traces of traditional Chinese culture are still seen and felt in Japan today. The goal of the course is to aid students in becoming more globally minded by helping them understand and appreciate the values and cultural identity of East Asia.

Prerequisites: NONE

This course is a study of a variety of issues of international and global importance that are a part of the dialogue of contemporary geopolitics and social justice. The issues selected for examination reflect the most important events, trends, and problems facing citizens and leaders in an increasingly interdependent world.

Prerequisites: INSTRUCTOR APPROVAL

This course will explore special topics in the field of Social Sciences.

Prerequisites: ENG101

Are there multiple personalities floating around in your head? Get them out on paper! This class develops the student’s ability to create a fictional personality for use in digital videos, animations and video games. Stereotypes, archetypes and allegory will be explored as a means for developing character attributes. Topics include the elements of character, how to develop background, analysis of existing characters and how to create a complete character profile.

Prerequisites: NONE

This course introduces the student to the basic principles of acting and movement in a highly collaborative setting. Techniques for memorization, concentration and relaxation will be explored. Topics include terminology used by directors, exercises in character interpretation and improvisation. Movement topics may include rhythm, alignment, isolation and body language interpretation. Monologues and short scenes may be performed and critiqued.

Prerequisites: NONE

Inventing the movies! This course examines the technological advances that make movies magic. From the silent era through the present students will explore the innovations that fueled film creation. World cinema and the Hollywood studio system will be studied through the viewing of classic and some not-so-classic films. This course explores mostly feature-length narrative films, placing them in their historical, cultural and technological context, therefore giving the student a foundation for interpretation and analysis.

Prerequisites: ENG101

Was Elizabethan England really as different from our own culture as you think? Aside from talking funny (and those outrageous clothes), a study of Shakespeare’s plays and poetry demonstrates that certain themes are timeless. Love, hate, deception, laughter, and sorrow are in full bloom today just as 400 years ago. This course guides students past the linguistic challenges to explore Shakespeare’s themes and expressions that have made his works endure.

Prerequisites: NONE

What goes into the making of your favorite style of film? Students will delve into the historical, economic, political and social factors that influence genre films. This course begins with an overview of what goes into the creation of a genre. It explores one or more specific genres in-depth, giving the student the tools to analyze and interpret how genres can define, constrict and expand the movie- making creative process.

Prerequisites: NONE

Have a story you’re dying to tell? Now is your chance to tell it. This course is an introduction to writing for the screen (digital video, animation and/or game). Topics include plot development, format, classic paradigm structure, dialogue, voice, scope and context. An emphasis is placed on developing and defining each student’s individual style and personal themes. The goal of the course is for the students to submit their short script to upper division production courses for possible production.