Excellence By Commitment

The Professional Certificate in Digital Game Development program is an intense, seven term, 17-month professional development program for digital game developers. The curriculum was designed by expert educators and instructional designers to meld the theory and practice of game-related coursework.

During the 17 months, every student builds a portfolio through three student team projects that is proof positive of professional level knowledge and skills. During the first student project, small teams develop a 2D game engine and game demo. From that project, formal, cross-disciplinary teams design and develop a basic 3D game mod demo using a provided game engine and development tools. The final, formal capstone project is an original 3D game demo developed by larger teams consisting of level designers, artists and programmers.

At The Guildhall at SMU, our curriculum is focused around a team approach and interdisciplinary thought and action. We have set up our program so that there are three different people with three different skill sets working on a game. One person alone cannot program, design and develop the original concept art for a game, it takes a team-centric environment, and that is the stringent equation that we adhere to. While working in your teams, you will take on lead roles at time; you will learn management this way, as well as through your team game production courses. You will learn traditionally as well as through self expression and exploration.