Game Design Program On Cutting Edge of Technology

When choosing a game design program, you must consider its industry accreditations. For a respected offering, choose Centennial College’s Software Engineering Technology – Interactive Gaming (Co-op), as it is officially known. The Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) and the Canadian Council of Technician and Technologies jointly approved accreditation of this program in 2011. This joint accreditation is the first of its kind in Canada. Graduates from the program may apply for certified membership to either CIPS or its provincial engineering technology association. Additionally, this game design program has met the national technology accreditation requirements established by the Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists and, as such, has received national accreditation status by the Canadian Technology Accreditation Board Lastly, The Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists recognizes game design program as meeting all the academic requirements for certification in the Technologist category.

 

Focused on interactive game software development, the offering prepares students to work as software developers, game programmers, software testers, computer programmers, system analysts, business analysts, web application developers, database administrators and applications. Graduates will be able to participate in various phases of the game programming life cycle, such as game design, three-dimensional graphics programming, game engine design, multiplayer online game programming and more.

 

But how does the program take students from novices to professionals? First and foremost, faculty members with experience, who use cutting-edge technology geared to industry standards, help students master the variety of topics covered in the game design courses. Among these topics are object-oriented software design methodologies, user-oriented interface design, Microsoft's .NET, DirectX, XNA, Software Testing and QA, C#, Java, J2EE, Oracle, MS-SQL Server, Unix/ Linux, HTML/ XML, Rational/ WebSphere, as well as introduction to database concepts, functions and number systems, web interface design, introduction to game and simulation, game programming, object oriented software engineering and more.

 

Secondly, a strong practical aspect ensures students of the game design program are job-ready upon graduation. The most notable practical feature is three terms of employment placement with a real employer. Students are prepared for this aspect through an Employment Pre-placement course, which teaches them about interview techniques, workplace etiquette, co-op activities that they’ll have to complete and more. In order to be eligible for co-op, students will have to complete a minimum of 80 per cent of Year 1 courses, a minimum C grade in COMM-170/171 and a 2.5 GPA or greater for COOP-221. This program’s co-op option is a paid placement. Also included in the practical aspects of this game design program are two software development projects.

 

Game design program applicant must have completed at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. In addition, compulsory English 12C or U or skills assessment, or equivalent and Math 11M or U, or 12C or U, or skills assessment, or equivalent are also required. Students are placed in the appropriate English level based on a skills assessment.

It is worth noting that qualified college or university graduates with a background in software can gain direct entry into semester three of this three-year program and receive their Software Engineering Technology – Interactive Gaming Co-op Advanced diploma in four semesters plus two work terms.