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Certificate Requirements
Students are expected to start and successfully complete the program in 17 months. Successful completion is based upon maintaining a minimum GPA greater than or equal to 2.7 in the program which consists of:
- 24 term credit hours (TCH) in Game Study
- 6 TCH in Game Development Practicum
- 32 TCH in the student's chosen area of specialization (Art Creation, Software Development, Level Design)
Registration
Students will receive registration procedures, dates, class schedules, and invoices for each forthcoming term electronically one month prior to the start of that term.
Withdrawal Policy
Students desiring to withdraw from the Guildhall must initiate a Student Petition for Withdrawal form, obtain approval from the academic director of the Guildhall, and submit completed form to the Office of the Director. The effective date of the withdrawal will be the date the form is submitted. A student who officially cancels or withdraws may be entitled to a refund for the term in which they leave the program based on the effective date of the withdrawal and the following schedule:
Refund Rates for Withdrawal | |
On or before term payment due date: | 100% |
Day following payment due date to day prior to first day of term: | 95% |
1st day thru 5th day of term: | 50% |
NO refund will be issued after the 5th day of the term. | |
Standards of Progress
Grade | Interpretation | Points Per TCH |
A | Excellent Scholarship | 4.00 |
A- | Excellent Scholarship | 3.70 |
B+ | Good Scholarship | 3.30 |
B | Good Scholarship | 3.00 |
B- | Good Scholarship | 2.70 |
C+ | Fair Scholarship | 2.30 |
C | Fair Scholarship | 2.00 |
C- | Fair Scholarship | 1.70 |
D | Poor Scholarship | 1.00 |
F | Failure | 0.00 |
I | Incomplete | * |
W | Withdrawal from The Guildhall | * |
Note: | * These grades are not included in grade point average. | |
Satisfactory Progress
The Guildhall at SMU maintains a selective admissions policy and strict academic standards for continued enrollment. Satisfactory progress toward a certificate by a student is defined as successful completion of all required courses for each term. A student admitted to the digital game development certificate program and allowed to continue enrollment is considered to be making satisfactory progress toward completion of the program, provided that the student receives a passing letter grade (A to C-) in each course for the term.
The cumulative nature of the material and the integrity of the cohort system require that students who fail a course leave the program. Students who are otherwise outstanding but receive a letter grade of D in a course may, once and only once during the program, petition the academic director of The Guildhall at SMU to demonstrate that they have acquired the knowledge presented in the failed class by taking a supplementary exam. Such petitions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and will be granted only if, in the judgment of the academic director, such an opportunity would be in the best interest of both the student and the program.
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