Computer Science (BS): Game Development Concentration
Program Overview & Accreditation
The Department of Computer Science in the College of Engineering at NC State 福利逼站 offers a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree. This program provides a comprehensive technical education and is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET ().
The First-Year Foundation
Students begin their academic journey by completing the standard Engineering First-Year curriculum. This foundational year includes essential coursework in the humanities, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and computing. Upon successful completion of these requirements, students apply to join the Department of Computer Science as degree-seeking students via the College鈥檚 Change of Degree Application (CODA) process.
Core Curriculum & Skills
Our curriculum is designed to transform students into versatile problem solvers. Core courses provide a rigorous foundation in the social, ethical, and technical dimensions of the field, teaching students to specify, design, implement, and test complex software systems. Key areas of study include:
- Programming languages and data structures
- Software engineering and secure systems design
- Computer systems and architecture
- Theory of computation
- Teaming and professional communication
Advanced Specializations & Electives
Starting in the junior year, students consult with advisors to customize their degree through advanced electives. These courses allow for deep exploration into specialized fields, including:
- Systems & Infrastructure: Cloud computing, computer architecture, networks, sensor systems, and database management.
- Intelligence & Data: Artificial intelligence, data science, and social computing.
- Security & Privacy: Cryptography, privacy, and network/software security.
- Interfaces & Media: Computer graphics, human-computer interface design, game development, and web services.
- Development: Compilers, DevOps, and educational technology.
Game Development Concentration
North Carolina is a top-tier hub for the multi-billion-dollar gaming industry. This concentration prepares students for careers in entertainment software as well as "serious games" used in training, education, and visualization. Students complete 21 credit hours of games-focused technical coursework. To support the multidisciplinary nature of the field, students select electives from the arts, such as fiction writing, film, or music composition. Students must complete a dedicated, games-focused semester-long project, either by building a game in the Senior Design Center or through a faculty-mentored research project.
Capstone Experience: The Senior Design Center
All Computer Science majors complete their degree with a semester-long team project under the auspices of the Senior Design Center. Many of these projects are supported by industrial sponsors, allowing student teams to work directly with industry representatives. This capstone experience challenges students to solve real-world technical problems while mastering the communication and process skills required for professional success.
Departmental Information
The Department of Computer Science is located in Engineering Building II on NC State鈥檚 Centennial Campus.听听
Plan Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major Field of Study Requirements | ||
| Math | ||
| 惭础听141 | Calculus I 1 | 4 |
| 惭础听241 | Calculus II 1 | 4 |
| 惭础听242 | Calculus III | 4 |
| 惭础听305 | Introduction to Linear Algebra and Matrices | 3 |
| 厂罢听370 | Probability and Statistics for Engineers | 3 |
| Sciences | ||
| 颁贬听101 &补尘辫;听颁贬听102 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science and General Chemistry Laboratory 1 | 4 |
| 笔驰听205 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I 1 | 4 |
| 笔驰听208 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II | 4 |
| CSC Major | ||
| 颁厂颁听116 | Introduction to Computing - Java 1 | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听216 &补尘辫;听颁厂颁听217 | Software Development Fundamentals and Software Development Fundamentals Lab 1 | 4 |
| 颁厂颁听226 | Discrete Mathematics 1 | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听230 | C and Software Tools | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听246 | Concepts and Facilities of Operating Systems for Computer Scientists | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听316 | Data Structures and Algorithms | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听326 | Software Engineering | 4 |
| 颁厂颁听333 | Automata, Grammars, and Computability | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听379 | Ethics in Computing | 1 |
| 颁厂颁听492 | Senior Design Project | 3 |
| Other Major | ||
| 颁厂颁听201 | Fundamentals of Applied AI 2 | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听301 | Problem Solving with Applied AI | 3 |
| Other Restricted Electives - Group B | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听331 | Communication for Engineering and Technology | 3 |
| Concentration Courses/Groups/Electives | ||
| 颁厂颁听481 | Game Engine Foundations 1 | 3 |
| CSC Games Core 1 | 3 | |
| CSC Games Restricted Electives 1 | 6 | |
| Games Restricted Electives | 9 | |
| Games Project (verify requirement) 3 | ||
| College Requirements | ||
| 贰听101 | Introduction to Engineering & Problem Solving 2 | 1 |
| 贰听102 | Engineering in the 21st Century 2 | 2 |
| 贰听115 | Introduction to Computing Environments | 1 |
| 贰颁听205 | Fundamentals of Economics | 3 |
| 辞谤听贰颁听201 | Principles of Microeconomics | |
| 辞谤听础搁贰听201 | Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | |
| General Education Program Requirements | ||
| 贰狈骋听101 2 | 4 | |
| GEP Humanities | 6 | |
| GEP Social Sciences | 3 | |
| GEP Elective | 3 | |
| GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 3 | |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 2 | |
| GEP Global Knowledge (verify requirement) | ||
| GEP Foundations of American Democracy (verify requirement) | ||
| World Language Proficiency (verify requirement) | ||
| Total Hours | 121 | |
- 1
A grade of C or higher is required.
- 2
A grade of C- or higher is required.
- 3
Students must complete a departmentally approved Games-focused project as part of 颁厂颁听492, 颁厂颁听490, or 颁厂颁听499.
CSC Games Core
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 颁厂颁听461 | Computer Graphics | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听486 | Computational Visual Narrative | 3 |
CSC Games Restricted Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 颁厂颁听411 | Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听454 | Human-Computer Interaction | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听461 | Computer Graphics | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听462 | Advanced Computer Graphics Projects | 3 |
| CSC 48* | 3 | |
| 颁厂颁听582 | Computer Models of Interactive Narrative | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听584 | Building Game AI | 3 |
Games Restricted Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 颁厂颁听281 | Foundations of Interactive Game Design | 3 |
| 颁翱惭听327 | Critical Analysis of Communication Media | 3 |
| 颁翱惭听427 | Game Studies | 3 |
| 贰狈骋听282 | Introduction to Film | 3 |
| 贰狈骋听288 | Fiction Writing | 3 |
| 贰狈骋听376 | Science Fiction | 3 |
| 贰狈骋听377 | Fantasy | 3 |
| 贰狈骋听492 | Special Topics in Film and Media Studies | 3 |
| 惭鲍厂听306 | Music Composition with Computers | 3 |
听Other Restricted Electives - Group B
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CSC Restricted Elective Courses | 1-6 | |
| ACC听310 | Intermediate Financial Accounting I | 3 |
| ACC听311 | Intermediate Financial Accounting II | 3 |
| ACC听330 | An Introduction To Income Taxation | 3 |
| ACC听340 | Accounting Information Systems | 3 |
| ARS听306 | Music Composition with Computers | 3 |
| BUS听320 | Financial Management | 3 |
| BUS听340 | Information Systems Management | 3 |
| BUS听360 | Marketing Methods | 3 |
| BUS 4** | ||
| CHE听435 | Process Systems Analysis and Control | 3 |
| CHE听465 | Colloidal and Nanoscale Engineering | 3 |
| CSC听427 | Introduction to Numerical Analysis I | 3 |
| CSC听428 | Introduction to Numerical Analysis II | 3 |
| DSC听405 | Data Wrangling and Web Scraping | 1 |
| DSC听406 | Exploratory Data Analysis for Big Data | 1 |
| DSC听410 | Data Internship Preparation for Social Impact | 1 |
| DSC听412 | Exploring Machine Learning | 1 |
| EC 3** | ||
| EC 4** | ||
| EC 5** | ||
| ECE 3** (except for ECE听309) | ||
| ECE 4** | ||
| ECE 5** | ||
| EED听401 | Teaching Undergraduate Engineers | 3 |
| 辞谤听EED听501 | Teaching Undergraduate Engineers | |
| EED听411 | Societal Foundations for Engineering Education | 3 |
| 辞谤听EED听511 | Societal Foundations for Engineering Education | |
| EED听414 | Ethics for Engineering Education | 3 |
| 辞谤听EED听514 | Ethics for Engineering Education | |
| EED听495 | Special Topics in Engineering Education | 1-3 |
| EED听502 | Engineering Education : Content, Assessment, and Pedagogy | 3 |
| EED听509 | Field Experiences in Engineering Education | 3 |
| EED听595 | Special Topics in Engineering Education | 1-3 |
| EMS听480 | Teaching Mathematics with Technology | 3 |
| GC听320 | 3D Spatial Relations | 3 |
| GC听350 | Applied CAD/D and Geometric Controls | 3 |
| GC听420 | Visual Thinking | 3 |
| GN 5** | ||
| ISE听311 | Engineering Economic Analysis | 3 |
| ISE听361 | Deterministic Models in Industrial Engineering | 3 |
| ISE 4** | ||
| ISE 5** | ||
| LOG听335 | Symbolic Logic | 3 |
| LOG听435 | Advanced Logic & Metamathematics | 3 |
| LOG听535 | Advanced Logic and Metamathematics | 3 |
| MA听302 | Numerical Applications to Differential Equations | 1 |
| MA听341 | Applied Differential Equations I | 3 |
| MA听351 | Introduction to Discrete Mathematical Models | 3 |
| MA听401 | Applied Differential Equations II | 3 |
| MA听402 | Mathematics of Scientific Computing | 3 |
| MA听403 | Introduction to Modern Algebra | 3 |
| MA听405 | Introduction to Linear Algebra | 3 |
| MA听407 | Introduction to Modern Algebra for Mathematics Majors | 3 |
| MA听408 | Foundations of Euclidean Geometry | 3 |
| MA听410 | Theory of Numbers | 3 |
| MA听412 | Long-Term Actuarial Models | 3 |
| MA听413 | Short-Term Actuarial Models | 3 |
| MA听425 | Mathematical Analysis I | 3 |
| MA听426 | Mathematical Analysis II | 3 |
| MA听427 | Introduction to Numerical Analysis I | 3 |
| MA听428 | Introduction to Numerical Analysis II | 3 |
| MA听430 | Mathematical Models in the Physical Sciences | 3 |
| MA听432 | Mathematical Models in Life Sciences | 3 |
| MA听437 | Applications of Algebra | 3 |
| MA 5** | ||
| MAE 3** | ||
| MAE 4** | ||
| MAE 5** | ||
| MIE 3** | ||
| MIE 4** | ||
| MSE 3** | ||
| MSE 4** | ||
| MSE 5** | ||
| 惭鲍厂听306 | Music Composition with Computers | 3 |
| NE 3** | ||
| NE 4** | ||
| NE 5** | ||
| OR 5** | ||
| PHI听425 | Introduction to Cognitive Science | 3 |
| PSY听307 | Industrial and Organizational Psychology | 3 |
| PSY听340 | Human Factors Psychology | 3 |
| PSY听400 | Perception | 3 |
| PSY听420 | Cognitive Processes | 3 |
| PSY听425 | Introduction to Cognitive Science | 3 |
| PY 4** | ||
| PY 5** | ||
| ST听372 | Introduction to Statistical Inference and Regression | 3 |
| ST 4** | ||
| ST 5** | ||
CSC Restricted Electives听
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CSC听236 | Computer Organization and Assembly Language for Computer Scientists | 3 |
| CSC听302 | Introduction to Numerical Methods | 3 |
| 辞谤听CSC听580 | Numerical Analysis I | |
| CSC听342 | Applied Web-based Client-Server Computing | 3 |
| CSC听401 | Data and Computer Communications Networks | 3 |
| 辞谤听CSC听573 | Internet Protocols | |
| CSC听402 | Networking Projects | 3 |
| CSC听405 | Computer Security | 3 |
| CSC听406 | Architecture Of Parallel Computers | 3 |
| 辞谤听CSC听506 | Architecture Of Parallel Computers | |
| CSC听408 | Software Product Management | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听411 | Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | 3 |
| 辞谤听CSC听520 | Artificial Intelligence I | |
| CSC听412 | Compiler Construction | 3 |
| 辞谤听CSC听512 | Compiler Construction | |
| CSC听414 | Foundations of Cryptography | 3 |
| 辞谤听CSC听514 | Foundations of Cryptography | |
| CSC听415 | Software Security | 3 |
| 辞谤听CSC听515 | Software Security | |
| CSC听416 | Introduction to Combinatorics | 3 |
| CSC听417 | Theory of Programming Languages | 3 |
| CSC听418 | Software Analysis and Design | 3 |
| CSC听419 | DevOps: Modern Software Engineering Practices | 3 |
| 辞谤听CSC听519 | DevOps: Modern Software Engineering Practices | |
| CSC听422 | Automated Learning and Data Analysis | 3 |
| 辞谤听CSC听522 | Automated Learning and Data Analysis | |
| CSC听431 | File Organization and Processing | 3 |
| CSC听433 | Privacy in the Digital Age | 3 |
| 辞谤听CSC听533 | Privacy in the Digital Age | |
| CSC听440 | Database Management Systems | 3 |
| 辞谤听CSC听540 | Database Management Concepts and Systems | |
| CSC听442 | Introduction to Data Science | 3 |
| CSC听447 | Introduction to Cloud Computing | 3 |
| 辞谤听CSC听547 | Cloud Computing Technology | |
| CSC听450 | Web Services | 3 |
| CSC听451 | Robot Motion Planning | 3 |
| CSC听453 | Introduction to Internet of Things (IoT) Systems | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听454 | Human-Computer Interaction | 3 |
| 辞谤听CSC听554 | Human-Computer Interaction | |
| CSC听455 | Social Computing and Decentralized Artificial Intelligence | 3 |
| 辞谤听CSC听555 | Social Computing and Decentralized Artificial Intelligence | |
| CSC听456 | Computer Architecture and Multiprocessors | 3 |
| 辞谤听CSC听506 | Architecture Of Parallel Computers | |
| 颁厂颁听461 | Computer Graphics | 3 |
| 辞谤听CSC听561 | Principles of Computer Graphics | |
| 颁厂颁听462 | Advanced Computer Graphics Projects | 3 |
| 辞谤听CSC听562 | Introduction to Game Engine Design | |
| CSC听467 | Introduction to Quantum Algorithms | 3 |
| CSC听469 | Quantum Programming | 3 |
| CSC听471 | Modern Topics in Cybersecurity | 3 |
| CSC听472 | Cybersecurity Practicum | 3 |
| CSC听474 | Network Security | 3 |
| 辞谤听CSC听574 | Computer and Network Security | |
| 颁厂颁听481 | Game Engine Foundations | 3 |
| 辞谤听CSC听581 | Game Engine Foundations | |
| CSC听482 | Advanced Computer Game Projects | 3 |
| CSC听484 | Building Game AI | 3 |
| 辞谤听颁厂颁听584 | Building Game AI | |
| 颁厂颁听486 | Computational Visual Narrative | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听490 | Independent Study in Computer Science | 1-6 |
| CSC听491 | Special Topics in Computer Science | 1-6 |
| 颁厂颁听499 | Independent Research in Computer Science | 1-6 |
| CSC听501 | Operating Systems Principles | 3 |
| CSC听503 | Computational Applied Logic | 3 |
| CSC听505 | Design and Analysis Of Algorithms | 3 |
| CSC听510 | Software Engineering | 3 |
| CSC听517 | Object-Oriented Design and Development | 3 |
| CSC听530 | Computational Methods for Molecular Biology | 3 |
| CSC听537 | Systems Attacks and Defenses | 3 |
| CSC听541 | Advanced Data Structures | 3 |
| CSC听542 | Neural Networks and Deep Learning | 3 |
| CSC听546 | Management Decision and Control Systems | 3 |
| CSC听548 | Parallel Systems | 3 |
| CSC听563 | Visual Interfaces for Mobile Devices | 3 |
| CSC听565 | Graph Theory | 3 |
| CSC听568 | Enterprise Storage Architecture | 3 |
| CSC听570 | Computer Networks | 3 |
| CSC听572 | Optimizations and Algorithms | 3 |
| CSC听575 | Introduction to Wireless Networking | 3 |
| CSC听576 | Networking Services: QoS, Signaling, Processes | 3 |
| CSC听577 | Switched Network Management | 3 |
| CSC听578 | LTE and 5G Communications | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听582 | Computer Models of Interactive Narrative | 3 |
| CSC听583 | Introduction to Parallel Computing | 3 |
| CSC听591 | Special Topics In Computer Science | 1-6 |
| CSC听595 | Cybersecurity Practicum | 3 |
| ECE听482 | Engineering Entrepreneurship Senior Design I | 3 |
| ECE听483 | Engineering Entrepreneurship Senior Design II | 3 |
| MA听414 | Foundations of Cryptography | 3 |
| MA听416 | Introduction to Combinatorics | 3 |
| ST听442 | Introduction to Data Science | 3 |
Semester Sequence
This is a sample.
Semester Sequence听3, 4
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| 颁贬听101 &补尘辫;听颁贬听102 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science and General Chemistry Laboratory 1 | 4 |
| 贰听102 | Engineering in the 21st Century 2 | 2 |
| 贰听115 | Introduction to Computing Environments | 1 |
| 贰狈骋听101 | Academic Writing and Research 2 | 4 |
| 惭础听141 | Calculus I 1 | 4 |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| 颁厂颁听116 | Introduction to Computing - Java 1 | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听201 | Fundamentals of Applied AI 2 | 3 |
| 贰听101 | Introduction to Engineering & Problem Solving 2 | 1 |
| 惭础听241 | Calculus II 1 | 4 |
| 笔驰听205 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I 1 | 4 |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| 颁厂颁听216 &补尘辫;听颁厂颁听217 | Software Development Fundamentals and Software Development Fundamentals Lab 1 | 4 |
| 颁厂颁听226 | Discrete Mathematics 1 | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听301 | Problem Solving with Applied AI | 3 |
| 惭础听242 | Calculus III | 4 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| 颁厂颁听230 | C and Software Tools | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听316 | Data Structures and Algorithms | 3 |
| 惭础听305 | Introduction to Linear Algebra and Matrices | 3 |
| 笔驰听208 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II | 4 |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 16 |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| 颁厂颁听246 | Concepts and Facilities of Operating Systems for Computer Scientists | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听333 | Automata, Grammars, and Computability | 3 |
| 颁厂颁听481 | Game Engine Foundations 1 | 3 |
| 厂罢听370 | Probability and Statistics for Engineers | 3 |
| Games Restricted Elective | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| 颁厂颁听326 | Software Engineering | 4 |
| 颁厂颁听379 | Ethics in Computing | 1 |
| CSC Games Core 1 | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听331 | Communication for Engineering and Technology | 3 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| Other Restricted Elective - Group B | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| 颁厂颁听492 | Senior Design Project | 3 |
| CSC Games Restricted Elective 1 | 3 | |
| Games Restricted Elective | 3 | |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CSC Games Restricted Elective 1 | 3 | |
| Games Restricted Elective | 3 | |
| 贰颁听205 | Fundamentals of Economics or Principles of Microeconomics or Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | 3 |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| 听 | Total Hours | 121 |
- 1
A grade of C or higher is required.
- 2
A grade of C- or higher is required.
- 3
One of the following two conditions regarding the major GPA is required: (l) the major GPA, which consists of all CSC courses attempted at NCSU, must be 2.0 or higher or (2) a student whose major grade point average is below 2.0 may graduate if no CSC course used to satisfy the major requirements has a grade below a C-.
- 4
Students must complete a departmentally approved Games-focused project as part of听颁厂颁听492,听CSC听498, 辞谤听颁厂颁听499.
Career Opportunities
Designing computer systems, and the software that runs on them is the job of computer scientists. Computer scientists find demand for their innovation, design, analysis, testing, and engineering skills across all domains. As a direct consequence of the increasingly critical role of computers in society, the discipline of computer science has enjoyed rapid growth for many years, with the trend likely to continue. 听Employment projections indicate a critical nationwide shortfall in the supply of people skilled in computing and information technology, and a resulting steady rise in demand and salaries, for decades to come. Computer Science graduates from NC State are in high demand, including by employers that are extremely selective in their national recruiting.听 Games concentration students are prepared to design and develop the games of the future.
Anchoring one corner of the world-famous Research Triangle Park, and located in modern state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities on NC State鈥檚 Centennial Campus, the department and its students and faculty benefit from strong and active industry partnerships. NC State Computer Science is one of the top suppliers in the nation of new graduate hires to a number of high-tech companies, including several Fortune 500 companies, some with a substantial presence in the Research Triangle. Starting salaries for our undergraduates now average over $75,000 and show a steady increase. Opportunities are also plentiful for graduate study for those who wish to pursue the field in more depth.
Career Titles
- Architectural Drafters
- Business Intelligence Analysts
- Clinical Data Managers
- Computer and Information Scientists
- Computer and Information Systems Managers
- Computer Hardware Engineers
- Computer Network Architects
- Computer Programmer
- Computer Science Professor
- Computer Systems Analyst
- Computer Systems Engineer
- Computer User Support Specialist
- Data Warehousing Specialists
- Database Administrator
- Information Security Analysts
- Information Technology Project Managers
- IT Administrator (Information Technology)
- Mathematician
- Project Management Specialists
- Robotics Engineers
- Scientific Linguist
- Software Developer
- Software Engineer
- Technical & Scientific Publications Editor
- Technical Publications Writer
- Video Game Designer
- Web Art Director
- Webmaster
Learn More About Careers
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Professional Organizations & Societies
- 听(ACM)
- 听(AITP)
- 听(NSPE)