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Course Descriptions

Currently accepting applications Apply now >> Next program starts: Autumn 2008 Program location: Bellevue Next information meeting: Tues., July 29 (see details >>) Sign up to receive e-mail updates >> Contact a program representative >>

Interested in taking a single class? Some courses (designated by a below) may be open on a space-available basis to professionals who are not seeking the certificate. See Single-Course Enrollment for details.

Throughout the four quarters of the Game Development Certificate Program, students have the chance to create their own 3D game engine. Practical homework assignments allow students to create features for their engine that enable them to implement a modest 3D, multiplayer game demo.

The certificate program focus is PC-based games, with concepts extendible to console games. Student assignments are PC-based.

Each 30-hour course meets three hours per week for 10 weeks. Upon successful completion of a course, three Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are earned. Twelve CEUs are required to earn the certificate.

Autumn Course

Introduction and Graphics

Bellevue, Thursdays, 6:00-9:00 p.m., Sept. 25-Dec. 4, 2008 (no class Nov. 27); $660; 3 CEUs. Instructor: Dan Chang

The first course lays the foundation for the other three courses. In this course, students write code to perform basic graphic operations, then extend their code to become a simple third person maze game by adding a player character, user controls, a second character and sounds. Topics covered include overviews of computer graphics, 3D mathematics, game architecture, physics, sound, spatial partitioning, path finding and collision detection. Non-technical topics include overviews of team structures and business models.

Winter Course

Advanced Graphics

Bellevue, Thursdays, 6:00-9:00 p.m., Jan. 8-Mar. 12, 2009; $660; 3 CEUs. Instructor: Juan Carlos Arevalo Baeza

This course begins by covering core architecture concepts relevant to a cutting-edge 3D game engine. Students are introduced to scene graphs, resource managers and the render pipeline before moving on to advanced effects. Shaders using HSL (High-Level Shading Language) are introduced, and various rendering effects, such as normal mapping, particle systems, shadows, single mesh skinning and high dynamic range lighting, are covered.

Prerequisite: Game Development: Introduction and Graphics

Spring Course

Artificial Intelligence

Bellevue, Thursdays, 6:00-9:00 p.m., Apr. 2-June 4, 2009; $660; 3 CEUs. Instructor: Steve Rabin

This course covers AI in games. Topics include AI architecture, movement, path planning, agent awareness, tactics/strategy, learning and genre specific issues. Students extend the code they developed in the first and second courses by implementing techniques such as flocking, A* pathfinding, terrain analysis, agent communication/cooperation and agent learning. Students will share and present the culmination of their projects during the final session.

Prerequisite: Game Development: Advanced Graphics

Summer Course

Networking and Multiplayer

Bellevue, Thursdays, 6:00-9:00 p.m., June 25-Aug. 27, 2009; $660; 3 CEUs. Instructor: David Koenig.

This course introduces the concepts of multiplayer game development. Topics covered in class include the network protocol stack, packet systems, synchronous and asynchronous coding principles, client/server architectures, lag soothing techniques, security practices, and protocol debugging. Student projects involve the implementation of game protocol and extending a game to support multiple players.

Prerequisite: Game Development: Artificial Intelligence or 1-2 years professional experience as a game developer.

How to sign up for single-course enrollment in this course