Visual communication is among the most basic of human languages. Through the study of art, students acquire a rich understanding of human nature, values, psychology, aesthetics and history. Well-prepared artists, designers and educators are crucial contributors to our increasingly complex visual world -- career opportunities are numerous. Graduates of our program now work in a variety of fields, such as educators at the secondary and collegiate level, art directors, illustrators and graphic designers in advertising agencies, studio photographers and filmmakers, museum and gallery curators, certified art therapists and as independent studio artists with professional gallery representation.
The faculty in Art and Design believe visual literacy should be an essential skill for every well-educated and productive citizen. Since the invention of photography and increasingly in the multi-media environment fostered today by computers, everyone is inescapably subject to both the riches and hazards of visual culture. Thus, we urge every university student to consider taking at least one art course to fulfill a general education requirement in the art, humanities, music and literature area.
Admission to the Program
There is no formal admission process, however, students must receive a C or better in all of their classes and all students are required to submit portfolios every year. Failure to submit an annual portfolio will lead to removal from the department. By the end of the junior year, students choosing the Game Design and Motion Graphics major will submit another portfolio showing the artistic direction in which they will concentrate for the two-semester Senior Seminar, culminating in a professional group exhibition in the SXU Gallery.
Requirements
Game Design and Motion Graphics majors must earn grades of C or above in all courses required for the major.
Required course include:
Introduction
- ART 106: Introduction to Game Design (3)
- ART 113: Photography (3)
- ART 116: Computer Graphics (Vector Art) (3)
- ART 119: Digital Imagery (Pixel Art) (3)
- ART 108: Art in Virtual Reality (3)
- ART 128: Digital 3D Modeling (3)
- ART 138: History of Animation (3)
Intermediate
- CMPSC 204: Game Design Theory (3)
- ART 238: Intermediate 3D (3)
- CMPSC: elective (200, 206, or similar) (3)
- ART 268: Character Animation (3)
Four electives (chosen from any of the approved elective courses listed below).
Advanced
- ART 248: Motion Graphics (3)
- ART 327: Multimedia (Capstone) (3)
Recommended General Education Courses
- HIST 201: Digital Humanities (3)
- ANTH 105: Archeology (3)
- ANTH 101: Cultural Anthropology (3)
- MUS 100: Fundamentals of Music Theory (3)
- MATH 110: Geometry for Art and Design Students (3)
- PHYS 101: Physics for Non-scientists (3)
Approved Electives for Game Design and Motion Graphics
- ART 209: Figure Drawing I (3)
- CMPSC 200: Virtual Worlds (4)
- CMPSC 202: Programming I (4)
- CMPSC 203: Programming II (4)
- CMPSC 311: Data structures (4)
- CMPSC 206: Web Apps I (3)
- CMPSC 309: Issues in computing (3)
- MATH 112: College algebra (3)
- MATH 113: Trigonometry (3)
- MATH 201: Calculus I (4)
- MATH-200: Discrete math (3)
- MATH 110: Geometry for Art and Design (3)
- MGMT 330: Diversity in Organizations (3)
- MGMT 364: Entrepreneurship (3)
- MGMT 370: Organizational Behavior (3)
- MKTG 350: Digital Marketing (3)
- MUS 160: Music Production Techniques (3)
- COMM 220: Digital Audio Production (3)
- COMM 221: Digital Video Production (3)
- ENGL 210: Creative writing (3)
- PHYS 101: Physics for nonscientists (3)
- PHYS 201: General Physics I (4)
- PHYS 211: University Physics I (5)
Total credit hour requirement (51)