Ontario college launches new programs focused on filling the skill gaps of today's game devs

Sheridan College is launching two new postgraduate programs in January 2012.

Game Level Design and Game Development – Advanced Programming are two gaming programs that will offer students the opportunity to experience a realistic industry environment with designers and programmers working together to create a video game.

The Game Level Design program is the first of its kind in Ontario, and prepares students with the skills "to bring together all the different aspects of the game—narrative, characters, rules and mechanics—to create the virtual environment in which all of these elements play out," says coordinator Avrim Katzman. The program will prepare students who already hold a degree or advanced diploma in the arts with "the specialized skill set required to succeed in the industry."

The Game Development - Advanced Programming certificate is geared to students who hold a degree in computer science or a diploma in computer programming. "The industry demands graduates who are well-rounded in computing, but who also possess the specialized skills required for game programming," says Lukasz Wawrzyniak, coordinator of the program. "This postgraduate program is intended to fill that niche."

"This approach mirrors the industry experience because the game designers have to work with more technical people," says Avrim. "The program is all about learning through doing." Students from both programs collaborate in multidisciplinary teams to produce quality video game projects in the final semester. In addition to hands-on experience, the final project offers students an opportunity to showcase their skills to potential employers.

The emphasis in both programs is on practical skills and problem-solving.