GDIAC Courses
Students can individual courses in game design. All undergraduate students from colleges across Cornell are eligible to complete the Minor in Game Design (see below). Two courses comprise the core of the game design minor, and the academic core of GDIAC:
- CIS 3000: Introduction to Computer Game Design [current course website]
- CIS 4002: Advanced Projects in Computer Game Design [current course website]
Students enrolled in these courses individually or in sequence are engaged in design projects that can span a single or multiple semesters. At the close of both Fall and Spring semesters, students present their projects at the GDIAC Public Game and Game Technology Showcase. Many GDIAC students work on game design research and game development over a series of semesters, resulting in an extensive portfolio of work in game design. Communication skills and an attention to game industry genres are built into these core courses, and CIS 3000 satisfies the College of Engineering's technical writing requirement.
The Game Design Minor
Although the College of Engineering sponsors the Minor in Game Design, all undergraduate students from colleges across Cornell are eligible to complete the Minor. Official minor audits are completed through the Computer Science Department Undergraduate Office (303 Upson Hall).
To apply for the Game Design Minor:
- Complete the coursework required for the minor. (See Requirements, below.)
- Obtain the form Application to Certify Completion of an Engineering Minor from Engineering Advising in 167 Olin Hall.
- Obtain an official transcript from the University Registrar's Office in B7 Day Hall.
- Complete form and attach the copy of your transcript on which you have highlighted or underlined each course used for the minor.
- Submit the form and the transcript to the Computer Science Undergraduate office, 303 Upson Hall.
Requirements for the Game Design Minor
To complete the minor, the student must take at least six (6) courses (18 credit minimum) chosen as follows:
Required Courses: Complete the following two courses:
Additional Courses: Choose four of the following courses:
- CIS 5640: Computer Animation
- COM S 5643: Physically Based Animation
- COM S 2110: Computers & Programming
- COM S 4450: Computer Networks
- COM S 4620: Introduction to Computer Graphics
- COM S 5620: Interactive Computer Graphics
- COM S 4700: Foundations of Artificial Intelligence
- COMM 4220: Psychology of Television (and Beyond)
- ECE 4760: Digital Systems Design Using Microcontrollers
- INFO 3450: Human-Computer Interaction Design
- INFO 4400: Advanced Human-Computer Interaction Design
- COGST 3420: Human Perception: Graphics, Art, and Visual Display
Academic Standards:
- A letter grade of C or better is required for each course in the minor.
- CS Students may not count COM S courses towards the completion of this minor.