Dec 03, 2024

2024-2025 Undergraduate Bulletin

Game Design and Development-Art, B.F.A.

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Game Design and Development-Art, B.F.A.: 4-year sequence

Introduction

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Game Design and Development-Art prepares students to apply knowledge, techniques and methods necessary to become a successful artist and game designer. The student will have a balance of art, design, game design, art history, computer science, English, and psychology to help them become a vital part of the game design and development industry upon graduation. The industry has shown a steady increase in need for more game developers (which includes artists, designers, and programmers) over the last 10 years. The increase in jobs will continue.

The BFA in Game Design and Development provides outstanding opportunities to create art and games for a vast array of applications and industries, including entertainment, advertising, simulation and education. Students will develop a strong foundation from an award-winning art and design program while experiencing a hands-on approach to education that uses industry standard software and hardware. Collaboration is the backbone of the major with multiple courses bringing art and computer science students together to form interdisciplinary teams. BFA students will learn and use skills necessary for game development such as game design principles, foundations in drawing and design, 2D pixel art and animation, 3D modeling and animation, concept art in environment and character design, and graphic and user interface design.

A required mid-program portfolio review offers game design students an assessment of their progress in foundation art and design courses. A 2.0 overall grade point average and a 2.5 or better in Art and Design department courses (ART/ARTH/DES/GDD) is required to complete this Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Game Design students must present a portfolio of their work in the final semester as part of a public exhibition hosted by the School of Art and Design. The BFA in Game Design program provides a specialized education and is accredited by the National Association for Schools of Art and Design.

Program Requirements

Total for Graduation	120 credits
Stout Core	40 credits
Major Requirements	80 credits

Program Requirements

Stout Core (40 credits)

Communication Skills (9 credits)

ENGL-101 Composition 1 (3 cr.) or
ENGL-101HON Honors Composition 1 (3 cr.)
ENGL-102 Composition 2 (3 cr.) or
ENGL-102HON Honors Composition 2 (3 cr.)
COMST-100 Fundamentals of Communication (3 cr.)

Analytic Reasoning and Natural Sciences (10-11 credits)

At least one math or statistics course and one natural science course with a lab is required

CS-141 Introduction to Programming (3 cr.) or
CS-144 Computer Science I (4 cr.)
Course Selective-1 :
Course Selective-2 :

Arts and Humanities (6 credits)

Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 credits)

Social Responsibility and Ethical Reasoning (3 credits)

Courses must be selected from the list of approved social responsibility and ethical reasoning courses.

Course Selective-1 :

Electives to reach 40 Stout Core credits

Course Selective-1 :

Students must also take courses with the following designations:

Racial and Ethnic Studies (6 credits*)

*Students can select courses that count for more than one requirement within General Education (GE), Racial and Ethnic Studies (RES), and Global Perspectives (GLP).

Global Perspective (6 credits*)

Complete 6 credits of global perspective (GLP) approved courses, including GLP-approved instructor-led study abroad courses, or complete a program of university-approved work or university-approved study abroad not led by UW-Stout instructors.

Course Selective-1 :
Course Selective-2 :
*Students can select courses that count for more than one requirement within General Education (GE), Racial and Ethnic Studies (RES), and Global Perspectives (GLP).
*Students can select courses that count for more than one requirement within General Education (GE), Racial and Ethnic Studies (RES), and Global Perspectives (GLP).

Major Requirements (80 credits)

Game Design Core (20 credits)

GDD-100 Introduction to Game Design (4 cr.)
GDD-200 Introduction to Video Game Development (4 cr.)
GDD-325 Exploratory Game Design and Development (4 cr.)
GDD-450 Game Art, Design and Development Capstone I (4 cr.)
GDD-451 Game Art, Design and Development Capstone II (4 cr.)

Studio Requirements (33 credits)

ART-100 Drawing I (4 cr.)
ART-101 Two-Dimensional Design Foundations (4 cr.)
ART-103 Three-Dimensional Design Foundations (4 cr.)
ART-200 Drawing II (4 cr.)
DES-176 Introduction to Digital Narrative (3 cr.)
or
MUSIC-350 Digital Sound Studio (3 cr.)
DES-205 Design Drawing and Concept Visualization (3 cr.)
DES-220 Introduction to 2D Digital Imaging (3 cr.)
DES-225 Pixel and Vector Art (3 cr.)
DES-350 3D Game Art and Engines (3 cr.)
DES-372 3D Modeling and Animation I (3 cr.)
DES-390 Professional Practices in Design (1-2 cr.)
DES-349 Cooperative Education Experience (1 cr.) or
DES-497 Field Experience - Elective (1 cr.)

Studio Selectives (18 credits)

Art Studio Selectives (3 credits)

Additional ART-XXX courses may be available; seek approval from Program Director prior to start of course to verify suitability.

ART-209 Painting I (3 cr.)
ART-211 Contemporary Sculptural Practices I (3 cr.)
ART-213 Ceramics I (3 cr.)
ART-215 Metals and Contemporary Art Jewelry I (3 cr.)
ART-218 Intaglio Printmaking (3 cr.)
ART-219 Relief Printmaking (3 cr.)
ART-220 Serigraphy Printmaking (3 cr.)
ART-221 Lithography Printmaking (3 cr.)
ART-222 Monotype Printmaking (3 cr.)
ART-279 Comics I (3 cr.)
ART-300 Drawing III (3 cr.)
ART-375 Art Photography Studio (3 cr.)
ART-379 Comics II (3 cr.)
ART-401 Life Drawing II (3 cr.)

Drawing Selective (3 credits)

Choose one of the following courses:

ART-301 Life Drawing I (3 cr.)
DES-405 Advanced Design Drawing (3 cr.)

Media Selective (3 credits)

Choose one of the following courses:

DES-176 Introduction to Digital Narrative (3 cr.)
MUSIC-350 Digital Sound Studio (3 cr.)

Studio Selectives (6 credits)

Additional ART-XXX or DES-XXX or PHOTO-XXX or VID-XXX courses may be available; seek approval from Program Director prior to start of course to verify suitability. Some courses listed may require pre-requisites or instructor permission.

ART-209 Painting I (3 cr.) or higher
DES-118 Fundamentals of Animation (3 cr.)
DES-200 Design Concepts and Problems (3 cr.)
DES-210 Typography I: Letterform (3 cr.)
DES-222 Board Game Production & Processes (3 cr.)
DES-310 Graphic Design I (3 cr.)
DES-321 Digital Imagery Studio (3 cr.)
DES-325 Introduction to Web Design (3 cr.)
DES-360 Graphic Design II (3 cr.)
DES-361 Transmedia Studio (3 cr.)
DES-370 User Experience Design (3 cr.)
DES-371 Interactive Media Design (3 cr.)
DES-373 3D Modeling - Hard Surface (3 cr.)
DES-374 3D Modeling - Organics (3 cr.)
DES-378 Animation Production (3 cr.)
DES-380 Signage and Exhibition Design (3 cr.)
DES-381 3D Character Animation (3 cr.)
DES-389 Typography in Motion (3 cr.)
DES-405 Advanced Design Drawing (3 cr.)
MUSIC-350 Digital Sound Studio (3 cr.)
PHOTO-110 Mobile Device Photography: Visual Literacy and Image Narrative (3 cr.)
PHOTO-130 Introduction to Still and Moving Image Photography (3 cr.)
VID-420 Virtual and Augmented Reality Video Applications (3 cr.)
VID-430 Visual Effects and Compositing (3 cr.)

Technical Selective (3 credits)

Choose one of the following courses:

DES-325 Introduction to Web Design (3 cr.)
DES-373 3D Modeling - Hard Surface (3 cr.)
DES-374 3D Modeling - Organics (3 cr.)
DES-381 3D Character Animation (3 cr.)

Art and Design History Requirements (9 credits)

ARTH-224 Survey of Art-Renaissance Through 20th Century (3 cr.)
ARTH-340 History of Interactive Media (3 cr.)
Course Selective-1 : Art History Selective (3 cr.)

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Game Design and Development-Art, B.F.A.

Introduction

Program Requirements

Program Requirements

Stout Core (40 credits)

Communication Skills (9 credits)

Analytic Reasoning and Natural Sciences (10-11 credits)

Arts and Humanities (6 credits)

Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 credits)

Social Responsibility and Ethical Reasoning (3 credits)

Electives to reach 40 Stout Core credits

Students must also take courses with the following designations:

Racial and Ethnic Studies (6 credits*)

Global Perspective (6 credits*)

Major Requirements (80 credits)

Game Design Core (20 credits)

Studio Requirements (33 credits)

Studio Selectives (18 credits)

Art Studio Selectives (3 credits)

Drawing Selective (3 credits)

Media Selective (3 credits)

Studio Selectives (6 credits)

Technical Selective (3 credits)

Art and Design History Requirements (9 credits)