Serious Games M.S.

Introduction

The M.S. in serious games prepares next generation designers and developers for games and interactive experiences that have a purpose other than entertainment, such as experiences that can serve as applications for education, informal learning, health or training. We expect students coming into this degree to be highly motivated to make social impact by designing experiences targeting different markets, such as EdTech, health and wellbeing, personal enrichment, fitness, and medicine. The degree is offered through the UC Santa Cruz location in Silicon Valley to enable students to connect and collaborate with the local industry in the markets mentioned above. 

The curriculum covers four core competencies: (1) game design and development, which includes working in a group to design, develop software experiences, elicit user input and test the user experience (similar to its “sister” degree games and playable media also offered in Silicon Valley Campus); (2) fundamental knowledge of working with experts in an application area to develop and measure a targeted impact; (3) statistical analysis, modeling and simulation; and (4) conducting efficacy measurements and developing summative evaluation measures.  

The M.S. in serious games is a five-quarter program that begins in fall quarter, includes career planning courses and activities, and encourages student internships during summer. Students are expected to complete coursework in five academic quarters, without leaves of absence.

Requirements

Course Requirements

Students are required to complete at least 50 credits for the M.S., and more credits are recommended for students without full preparation before beginning the degree, as discussed in the “Planners” section, below. The required courses are as follows:

All of the following courses:

Plus one of the following options:

Three courses from the elective list below

Students are required to take a minimum of three electives. These electives may be of two types: computational media electives and subject matter electives. Students are expected to take at least one computational media elective.

Computational media electives are offered at the Silicon Valley or Santa Cruz campus of UC Santa Cruz and focus on games, or related forms of computational media, or related topics in computing and culture. The current offerings in this category are listed below. Subject matter electives are taken to deepen a student’s understanding of the specific subject matter on which they may develop a game, or may already be developing a game. These may be drawn from across the graduate and upper-division undergraduate curriculum at UC Santa Cruz, given that the potential subject areas for serious games are vast.

Master's Capstone Project

Completion of two master's capstone projects are required for the master's degree targeting two different Serious Games markets, and thus enabling students a diverse portfolio targeting different markets and application areas. These projects are usually done in collaboration with other students and involve a design process of ideation, user experience inquiry and design, rapid prototyping and development given a stakeholder, usually a subject matter expert who defines the project goal, desired impact and outcomes. The two capstone projects are completed through interdisciplinary teamwork working closely with a stakeholder, which is also how the professional field is organized. Students are evaluated based both on their individual contributions to the project and on the overall success of the project as a whole given the stakeholders’ goals, desired impacts and outcomes. Each project will be demonstrated via a public presentation, and this demonstration constitutes part of the final project evaluation.

Evaluation of projects is performed by a committee consisting of at least three people, comprised of at least the Serious Games vice chair, a Computational Media Faculty member, and an outside member, who can be a faculty member, an industry practitioner, or other members of the program advisory boards, or other instructors in the programs. A majority of the committee’s voting members are members of the UC Santa Cruz academic senate.

Planners

There are two primary paths through the first year of the degree. Students with less technical background take GAME 235, GAME 236, and GAME 231 in their first year, while those with more technical background take GAME 230 and GAME 231 in their first year.

The sample programs include summer internships or sponsored projects. These are not required, and do not bear academic credit. They are, however, strongly suggested.

Sample program for students with more technical background

Sample program for students with less technical background

Transfer Credit

Up to three School of Engineering courses fulfilling the degree requirements of the M.S. degree may be taken before beginning the graduate program through the concurrent enrollment program. The elective requirement of the M.S. program may also be satisfied through courses from other institutions or prior UCSC coursework. Petitions should be submitted along with the transcript from the other institution. For courses taken at other institutions, copies of the syllabi, examinations, and other coursework should accompany the petition. Such petitions are not considered until the completion of at least one quarter at UCSC.

At most, a total of three courses may be transferred from concurrent enrollment and other institutions.

Review of Progress

On an ongoing basis, the faculty reviews the progress of every student. Students not making adequate progress toward completion of degree requirements (see the Graduate Handbook for policy on satisfactory academic progress) are subject to dismissal from the program. Students with academic deficiencies may be required to take additional courses. Full-time students with no academic deficiencies are normally expected to complete the degree requirements at the rate of at least two five-credit courses per quarter, and move forward through the course sequences together with their cohort, remaining on track to complete the degree in five academic quarters.

Students receiving two or more unsatisfactory grades (U or grade below B) in the School of Engineering (SoE) courses, or who receive an unsatisfactory grade (U or grade below B) in a course in the Serious Games Studio sequence, are not making adequate progress and will be placed on academic probation for the following quarter of registered enrollment. Withdrawing or taking a leave of absence does not count as enrollment. Part-time enrollment is counted as a half quarter of enrollment. Students who are on academic probation or are not enrolled full time are no longer guaranteed any previously committed funding. Should students receive an unsatisfactory grade (U or below B) in a School of Engineering course while on probation, the Computational Media Department may request the graduate dean to dismiss that student from the graduate program. If after being removed from probation, the student again receives an unsatisfactory grade (U or below B) in a School of Engineering course, he or she will return immediately to academic probation.

Graduate students experiencing circumstances or difficulties that impact their academic performance should contact their adviser and the graduate director immediately. Students may appeal their dismissal.

Applying for Graduation

Students planning to graduate should refer to the Baskin School of Engineering Graduate Studies website.