Monday, June 16, 2014

Software Engineering Technology Interactive Gaming Teaches Students Through Projects and Field Experience

Imagine being a member of the team that partakes 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. These people have many roles, including: developing software, programming games or computers, testing software, analyzing systems, developing web applications, administering databases and offering software support. However, despite the varied functions of professionals in software engineering technology, it only takes one program to be eligible to apply for any of them.

Centennial College's game design program - Software Engineering Technology - Interactive Gaming (Co-op) - is fully accredited by important organizations that demonstrate to employers the level of education students received. The first accreditation is the first of its kind in Canada, as it is jointly from the Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) and the Canadian Council of Technician and Technologies (CCTT). Graduates from the program may apply for certified membership to either CIPS or their provincial engineering technology association. The second accreditation came after it was determined that the program met the national technology accreditation requirements established by the Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists (CCTT). As such, it received national accreditation status by the Canadian Technology Accreditation Board (CTAB). The final accreditation is from the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists, which recognizes the Software Engineering Technology - Interactive Gaming program as meeting all the academic requirements for certification in the Technologist category.

These accreditations would be nothing without a stellar curriculum. Centennial College's offering balances theory and much practical, hands-on application in object-oriented software design methodologies, user-oriented interface design, Microsoft's .NET, DirectX, XNA, Flash, HTML5, software testing and QA, C#, Java, Java EE, Oracle, MS-SQL Server, Rational/ WebSphere, Mobile Application Development and more. Meanwhile, specific courses include: Introduction of Database Concepts, Software Engineering Methodologies, Game Programming, Software Testing and Quality Assurance, Java EE Programming, Emerging Technologies, Wireless Programming and many more - all of which are delivered using leading-edge technology geared to industry standards.

To further enhance everything students learn in each game design course, there are two software development projects and a co-op placement. Firstly, the projects are real-world business applications that require students to utilize all the technical and business skills acquired during their studies to build higher quality software. Secondly, the co-op component of the program gives academically-qualified students the opportunity to enhance their education by working three terms as paid employees in the field. The experience not only allows them to put classroom learning into practice, but also to expand their network.

No comments:

Post a Comment