Introduction
The goal of the master of science (M.S.) degree in serious games is to prepare students to make professional contributions to the creation of games and related forms of media in areas such as learning, wellness, social connectedness, citizen science, issue advocacy, and infusing playfulness into everyday activities. The degree is offered through the UC Santa Cruz location in Silicon Valley, enabling connection and collaboration with local industry. The curriculum covers six key areas for serious games professionals—game design, game technology, eliciting and integrating subject matter knowledge, designing and conducting efficacy measurements, effective teamwork, and career planning—all within the context of the serious games field. Students can also take advantage of the opportunities for coursework and collaboration offered by its “sister” degree in games and playable media (also offered in Silicon Valley), as well as course offerings in games and related technologies on the Santa Cruz campus, and the potential for connections with the department’s field-leading research groups. The M.S. in serious games is a five-quarter program that begins in fall quarter 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 “Sample programs” section, below. The required courses are:
All of the following courses:
Plus one of the following options:
Students who lack sufficient technical preparation to enroll in GAME 230, Fundamentals of Game Engineering, must take both GAME 235, Game Development I, and GAME 236, Game Development II. Assessment of technical preparation will be performed based on completed coursework prior to entry into the program, discussion with the student, and, at the program’s discretion, use of a technical assessment examination.
Plus these two-credit courses:
GAME 280A should be taken four times during the degree program, while GAME 221 should be taken once.
One course from the elective list below.
Students are required to take one elective, and the recommended number is two. 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.
| CMPM 201 | Introduction to Computational Media | 5 |
| CMPM 202 | Computation Media Research | 5 |
| CMPM 203 | Computational Media Methods | 5 |
| CMPM 235 | User Evaluation of Technology | 5 |
| CMPM 244 | Artificial Intelligence in Games | 5 |
| CMPM 248 | Interactive Storytelling | 5 |
| CMPM 265 | Generative Methods | 5 |
| DANM 201 | Recent Methods and Approaches to Digital Arts and Culture | 5 |
| DANM 202
/MUSC 254Q
| Dialogues and Questions in Digital Arts and Culture | 5 |
| DANM 219 | Introduction to Electronics for Artmaking | 5 |
| DANM 241B | Modern Art: Cubism to Pop | 5 |
| DANM 250E | Collaborative Research Project Group: Experimental Play | 5 |
| DANM 254I
/MUSC 254I
| Empirical Approaches to Art Information | 5 |
| DANM 281 | Special Topics in Digital Arts and New Media | 5 |
| GAME 210 | Game Art Intensive | 5 |
| GAME 215 | Audio Direction | 5 |
| GAME 232 | Advanced Game Technologies | 5 |
| GAME 238 | Computer Graphics for Games | 5 |
| GAME 290A | Advanced Topics in Games | 5 |
| CSE 201 | Analysis of Algorithms | 5 |
| CSE 210A | Programming Languages | 5 |
Master's Capstone Project
Completion of a master's capstone project is required for the master's degree. These are generally collaborative projects, created together with other students in the serious games M.S. program. Students typically work together in the ideation and rapid prototyping course (GAME 255, first year, spring quarter) to develop ideas that are “pitched” as projects for the rest of the capstone sequence (GAME 256 and GAME 257, second year, fall and winter quarters). The capstone sequence is completed through interdisciplinary teamwork, 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. 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 and another core serious games faculty member, and which may contain members of the serious games or games and playable media program faculty, or 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 with more technical background
| Fall Year 1 |
GAME 230, Fundamentals of Game Engineering (5 credits) |
| GAME 200, Game Design Systems (5 credits) |
| GAME 280A, Games Proseminar (2 credits) |
| Winter Year 1 |
Elective 1 (5 credits) |
| GAME 250, Foundations of Serious Games (5 credits) |
| GAME 280A, Games Proseminar (2 credits) |
| Spring Year 1 |
GAME 231, Game Technologies (5 credits) |
| GAME 255, Serious Games Studio I (5 credits) |
| GAME 221, Professional Development for Game Makers I (2 credits) |
| Summer |
Internship or Sponsored Project |
| Fall Year 2 |
GAME 251, Games User Research (5 credits) |
| GAME 256, Serious Games Studio II (5 credits) |
| GAME 280A, Games Proseminar (2 credits) |
| Winter Year 2 |
Elective 2 (5 credits) |
| GAME 257, Serious Games Studio III (5 credits) |
| GAME 280A, Games Proseminar (2 credits) |
Sample program with less technical background
| Fall Year 1 |
GAME 235, Game Development I (5 credits) |
| GAME 200, Game Design Systems (5 credits) |
| GAME 280A, Games Proseminar (2 credits) |
| Winter Year 1 |
GAME 236, Game Development II (5 credits) |
| GAME 250, Foundations of Serious Games (5 credits) |
| GAME 280A, Games Proseminar (2 credits) |
| Spring Year 1 |
GAME 231, Game Technologies (5 credits) |
| GAME 255, Serious Games Studio I (5 credits) |
| GAME 221, Professional Development for Game Makers I (2 credits) |
| Summer |
Internship or Sponsored Project |
| Fall Year 2 |
GAME 251, Games User Research (5 credits) |
| GAME 256, Serious Games Studio II (5 credits) |
| GAME 280A, Games Proseminar (2 credits) |
| Winter Year 2 |
Elective (5 credits) |
| GAME 257, Serious Games Studio III (5 credits) |
| GAME 280A, Games Proseminar (2 credits) |
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.