Earning a minor in Game Studies and Design from the University of
Montevallo offers students a unique opportunity to academically explore
the interdisciplinary concepts involved in game studies and design from a
liberal-arts perspective. Students choosing this minor will be able to
select classes from a wide variety of disciplines including English,
marketing, mathematics, philosophy and sociology; all of which play
pivotal roles in the design and composition of the vast majority of
games throughout history. In the GSD core classes, students will explore
the historical and cultural impact of different genres of games
including video games, board games, card games, role-playing games and
other varieties of games.
A minor in Game Studies and Design (GSD) consists of 24 credit
hours. Students choosing this minor will select four courses from the
following: English 361 (Creative Writing), English 301 (Special Topics:
Technical Writing for Games), Marketing 351 (Principles of Marketing),
Mathematics 202 (Mathematics of Games), Philosophy 300 (Special Topics:
Aesthetics of Games), Sociology 303 (Special Topics: Sociology of
Games).
The following four core courses are required of all students in
order to successfully complete the minor: GSD 210 (History of Games),
GSD 225 (Survey of Modern Games), GSD 301 (Game Design Workshop I), GSD
302 (Game Design Workshop II).
What exactly are the core classes for the GSD minor?
History of Games: An exploration of the history of games
from ancient times to modern day.
This course spans from ancient times until the early- to mid-1900s.
It is the first semester in a two-semester study of games. The second
semester, A Survey of Modern Games, will pick up the study of games in
the mid-1900s until the present. In this course, students will examine
the long-running global history of games. To this end, students will
learn to play historically important games, explore the cultural
backgrounds and significance of games and study the evolution of their
mechanics and design.
Survey of Modern Games: A continuation
of the History class that will study popular world games and game
franchises from the 20th and 21st centuries, examining and critiquing
their impact, technique, design and style. This course will primarily
focus on video games and will include video-game theory.
Game Design Workshop I and II: This two-semester
course provides students with a theoretical and conceptual understanding
of the field of game design, along with practical exposure to the
process of creating a game. The workshop will introduce students to the
fundamentals of game design, which will be applicable to a variety of
games including card, board, role-playing and video games. Topics will
include concept and design elements that will continue from this
workshop through to the second workshop. By the end of this two-semester
workshop, students will be familiar with the theoretical foundation of
game design, and will also be comfortable enough in processes to start
designing their own games, as well as critically analyze other people’s
games. Over the course of the two semesters, students will develop a
prototype of at least one game.
