GSD 390

Fall 2026 Part of Term 1

Part of Term 1
Aug 24-Dec 9
Special Topics in Game Studies & Design

Credit: 1 TO 3 hours.

Advanced study or skills-based instruction in an emerging or special topic related to Game Studies and Design not covered in normal course offerings.

Approved for both Letter and S/U grading. May be repeated if topics vary.

Section Status updates every 10 minutes.
GSD 390 class schedule data for fall 2026
Status CRN Type Section Time Day Location Instructor Section Details
1
77859
Laboratory-Discussion
AN2
1:00PM -3:40PM
F
0060 Siebel Center for Design
Velazquez, J
Availability:
Open
Part of Term:
1
Date Range:
08/24/26-12/09/26
Credit:
3 hours
Section Title:
Animation for Games
Section Info:
This course is designed to build a strong foundation for Game Art Animation. You will become familiar with Blender’s interface and navigating both 2D and 3D workspaces, build a strong working knowledge of the basics for animation and design.
1
78560
Laboratory-Discussion
BLN
9:30AM -12:10PM
F
0060 Siebel Center for Design
Velazquez, J
Availability:
Open
Part of Term:
1
Date Range:
08/24/26-12/09/26
Credit:
3 hours
Section Title:
Intro to 3D Game Art
Section Info:
This course is designed to build a strong foundation for Game Art Development. You will become familiar with Blender’s interface and navigating the 3-D workspace, build a strong working knowledge of the basics for 3-D modeling and design. You will learn the basic skills needed to create 3d models and apply textures and lighting and get a feel for animating, and rendering. Blender is available for Windows and Mac OS.
1
78029
Laboratory-Discussion
DBU
3:30PM -4:50PM
MW
146 Armory
Baird, D
Availability:
Open
Part of Term:
1
Date Range:
08/24/26-12/09/26
Credit:
3 hours
Section Title:
Introduction to Unreal
Section Info:
This course is intended to be a beginning introduction to the video game development engine Unreal Engine. Starting from the ground up, it will introduce you to the interfaces, systems, structure, and general workings of UE. Over the course of the class you will be putting together a simple game that can act as both a personal reference for what you’ve learned as well as a demo for your portfolio. No programming experience required.
1
81636
Laboratory-Discussion
EB
3:30PM -4:50PM
TR
215 Gregory Hall
Butt, E
Availability:
Open
Part of Term:
1
Date Range:
08/24/26-12/09/26
Credit:
3 hours
Section Title:
Exploring Escape Rooms
Section Info:
This course will explore the history and practice of Escape Rooms alongside foundational concepts in design for physical puzzle games. Students will survey the history of “escape” games, from the genre’s roots in mystery novels, live-action roleplaying games, immersive theatre, and point-and-click adventure games, to current implementations. After the course, students will be able to trace the historical media influences on modern escape rooms, discuss current challenges in escape room design, and prototype simple puzzle games in a medium of their choice (analog or digital).
1
78012
Online
JGP
2:00PM -3:20PM
TR
n.a.
Hurtado Duarte, P
Availability:
Open
Part of Term:
1
Date Range:
08/24/26-12/09/26
Credit:
3 hours
Section Title:
AI Systems in Games
Section Info:
Guided exploration of AI tools and how they can be used to design and build games.
1
78069
Laboratory-Discussion
MCR
9:00AM -11:40AM
W
1002 Siebel Center for Design
Curtin, M
Availability:
Open
Part of Term:
1
Date Range:
08/24/26-12/09/26
Credit:
3 hours
Section Title:
Concept Art for Video Games
Section Info:
This course teaches students how to collaboratively generate video game concept art, gain industry perspective, and prepare for the role through a simulated studio’s pre-production lifecycle. Students will leave the class with a visual record of their work to showcase to potential employers. To fully benefit from the course, a level of proficiency and confidence in drawing is recommended. Students can work in either traditional or digital mediums (BYOL for digital).
1
80772
Laboratory-Discussion
U2D
9:30AM -10:50AM
TR
146 Armory
Baird, D
Availability:
Open
Part of Term:
1
Date Range:
08/24/26-12/09/26
Credit:
3 hours
Section Title:
2D Digital Game Design
Section Info:
An introduction into the design behind 2D digital games. Students will study the design decisions behind 2D games, what stories that can tell, and the beginning skills to make their own. By the end of the course students will have a design doc and the beginnings of a prototype of their own game.
1
79791
Online
URP
ARRANGED
n.a.
n.a.
Bregermann, J
Availability:
Open
Part of Term:
1
Date Range:
08/24/26-12/09/26
Credit:
3 hours
Section Title:
Unreal Programming
Section Info:
In the Unreal Programming (C++) course for beginner-level students, I would introduce the fundamentals of C++ programming within the Unreal Engine environment. We would start with the basics of C++ syntax, including variables, data types, loops, and conditional statements. Next, students would learn about object-oriented programming concepts such as classes, inheritance, and polymorphism, and how these are applied in Unreal Engine. I would cover essential topics like memory management, pointers, and references, which are crucial for efficient game development. Students would also gain hands-on experience by writing and integrating C++ code with Unreal Engine to create simple game mechanics, manipulate game objects, and handle player inputs. Additionally, we would explore Unreal Engine’s API and how to use it to extend the functionality of games. By the end of the course, students would have a solid foundation in C++ programming and be capable of developing basic games and interactive applications in Unreal Engine.
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