The pathway below represents an efficient and effective course taking sequence for this program. Individual circumstances might require some changes to this pathway. It is always recommended that you meet with an academic counselor to develop a personalized educational plan.
The courses have been intentionally placed and should be prioritized in
the order
in which they appear. If you are unable to take all the courses in
a semester, you
should prioritize enrolling in the courses in the order below.
Some courses have
been noted as “Appropriate for Intersession” 
. Should you need (or want) to take
classes
in the summer and/or winter intersessions,
the program recommends these courses as appropriate for the condensed
schedule of
the intersessions.
Some pathways combine a “Certificate of Achievement” and an “Associate
Degree”. If
you are pursuing only the Certificate of Achievement, you are only
required to take
the courses marked “Program Requirement” 
.
All pathways include at least one “Gateway Course” 
which introduces you to the program and/or field of study and helps you
decide if you want to continue with this Academic and Career Path.
Most Associate degrees (though not Associate Degrees for Transfer)
require satisfying the SMC Global Citizenship requirement. If the Program
Requirements do not include a “Global Citizenship course” 
, be sure to select a General Education course that also satisfies Global Citizenship.
Effective Fall 2026
The Game Design Foundation program is an introduction to the professional design and prototyping processes used to create engaging and meaningful interactive experiences. The required coursework provides students with a solid foundation in the principles of game design, user interface (UI) design, and user experience (UX) design as well as hands-on experience with digital design and authoring tools.
Throughout the program, students learn to develop professional skills, to demonstrate those skills in effective entry-level portfolios, and to work collaboratively on team-based projects. Students may also participate in internships with industry partners when available.
Students who successfully complete the Game Design Foundation program will be prepared to transfer into the Interaction Design program.
Upon completion of the program, students will:
- Demonstrate the principles of game design, user interface (UI) design, and user experience (UX) design by creating engaging and original game prototypes.
- Evaluate historical and current video games to assess the effectiveness of all storytelling, gameplay and design elements.
Icon Key
-
Gateway Course
-
Program Requirement
-
General Education -
Appropriate for
Intersession
-
Available Online -
Global Citizenship
Semester 1
15 Units
This course is an introductory overview of the electronic game development process that underlines the historical context, content creation strategies, and future trends in the industry. The course will also explain how games are produced, tested, and released. This course will also cover the history of game platforms up to the most recent systems, and the expanded growth in Mobile, Casual, and Serious game development.
The focus of this course is on building a solid understanding of play mechanics: the formal elements of play, the dramatic elements that make a game meaningful to its players, and the system dynamics that shape the overall experience. Lectures will use historical and current games and genres to illustrate key concepts. Topics include strategy and tactics, resource management, emergent complexity, puzzles and puzzle development, and the business of games. Students will also learn the process of design through prototyping and playtesting.
The course serves as an introduction to the fundamentals of typography. Students learn about the history of the letterform and type development, the core concepts and the professional vocabulary, as well as the technologies and their applications in the typographic practice. The primary focus of the course is on developing the basic skills necessary to understand and apply typography in visual communication.
This course provides an overview of digital applications used in the field of Graphic Design for the purposes of image manipulation, vector graphics, and publication design. Also covered: Operation Systems, file management, and computer navigation basics.
This course provides an exploration of intellectual, psychological, social and physical factors that impact lifelong learning, well-being and success. Topics include motivation and self-efficacy; critical thinking, academic integrity and active study strategies; health issues and lifestyle choices; relating to others as a global citizen; written and oral communication; time management; career exploration; and educational planning.
- E - Lifelong Understanding and Self-Development
Semester 2
15 Units
This introductory course provides an overview of the 3D real-time creation tool, Unreal Engine, as it may be applied to a variety of disciplines, such as game development, architectural visualization, and filmmaking. Topics covered include 3D objects, materials, lighting, physics, cameras and effects. In addition to the technical skills needed to effectively use the software, students will also be introduced to professional workflows for a range of careers.
This is a faculty-supervised studio course that will enable students to produce game prototypes for portfolio inclusion. Working in teams, students will develop original game design documents, turning them into physical prototypes for common tabletop game formats such as board games, card games, or dice games. Instruction will focus on iterative design, playtesting, and successful communication. Each team will develop multiple prototypes, and team members will assume different roles for each design.
- Advisory: GAME 1
- Advisory: GAME 2
User Experience (UX) Design prioritizes the needs and wants of the user. The goal: create useful, meaningful, and ethical/sustainable interactions with a product, service or design. This introductory course will provide an overview of the design process and tools used within the UX field with a specific focus on mobile or web-based solutions. Students will collaborate to research, critique, and design a real-world project or projects to present to stakeholders.
This course serves as an introduction to the fundamentals of web design for students with existing command of digital design tools. Students will learn about the history and the nature of the Web as a medium for visual communication, it's underlying structures, and the foundational principles and methods of design for the Web. The course focuses on core concepts like site structure, treatment of text and images, the separation of content and presentation, as well as introduction to layout and positioning and allows students to apply these skills in creation of their own Web pages and sites.
- Advisory: DESIGN 13
ENGL C1000 (formerly ENGL 1) recommended for transfer options
See the full list: SMC GE Area 1A Course
Semester 3
15-17 Units
This is a faculty-supervised studio course that will enable students to produce 2D game prototypes for portfolio inclusion. Working in teams, students will develop original game design documents into playable software prototypes. Instruction will focus on the fundamentals of multi-platform software authoring including interactive storytelling, navigation metaphors, technical constraints, and usability. Students will gain experience working with media (text, graphics, animation, video, and audio), using authoring environments, and writing scripts to control interactivity. Emphasis will also be placed on iterative design, playtesting, and successful communication. Each team will complete one major 2D game prototype for portfolio development.
- Advisory: GAME 10
User Experience (UX) 2 builds on the knowledge acquired in UX 1. If projects in UX 1 focus primarily on mobile and web-based solutions, UX 2 embraces a more holistic view of the user experience. This may include looking at other interfaces (voice activation, wearables, etc.) and design types (service, interventions)—and even those we have not yet considered. Project outcomes may also be equally diverse with projects ranging from interactive campaigns to speculative prototypes. Students will collaborate to research, critique, and design real-world, theme-based project(s) to a group of a stakeholders.
- Advisory: DESIGN 23
COMM C1000 (formerly COM ST 11) or COM ST 21 recommended for transfer options
See the full list: SMC GE Area 1B Course
ENGL C1001 (formerly ENGL 2) recommended for transfer options
See the full list: SMC GE Area 3 Course
SMC GE Area 2 Course 3-5 units
Semester 4
15 Units
This is a faculty-supervised studio course that will enable students to produce 3D game prototypes for portfolio inclusion. Working in teams, students will develop original game design documents into playable software prototypes. Instruction will focus on advanced principles of multi-platform software authoring as well as on iterative design, playtesting, and successful communication. Each team will complete one major 3D game prototype for portfolio development.
- Advisory: GAME 20
Design and presentation of information is integral to all human cultures - from pictographs to alphabet to complex data visualizations. This course presents students with the opportunity to explore visual expressions of data and information, wayfinding systems and information-based narratives. Students will learn to create visual systems, data visualizations in print and on the Web, and effective and engaging presentations.
- Advisory: DESIGN 11
This course explores how to develop video games using software tools with underlying programming capabilities. Students learn the beginning skills needed to employ code to script the many game components necessary and use 2D and 3D physics, menu systems, and animations in test-driven development. The course also covers navigation and mobile touch.
- Advisory: CS 3
- Area IV-B: Language and Rationality (Group B) Option 2
This computer based course will introduce students to the fundamentals of digital audio design for video games, and provide them with the basic tools to use the technology effectively and creatively. Practical experience will be balanced by an emphasis on understanding the fundamentals of the technology and its applications within the game industry. Topics covered will include principles of good audio design; the essential hardware and software tools of music production in a digital environment; characteristics and differences between various audio formats; basic principles of sound waveform editing; and recording techniques for interactive and video integration.
- Advisory: DMPOST 2
This design course focuses on designing mobile touchscreen interfaces, including smartphones and tablets. Mobile design requires the skill of designing for smaller, hand-held devices and has its own set of characteristics and constraints. Students will conceptualize, design, and implement low-fidelity design prototypes of apps for mobile devices. Projects will cover best practices for mobile device design and the basics of mobile app prototyping, including design process, interface design, and interaction design patterns. NOTE: This course is not a mobile app development or programming course. For such courses, please see the Computer Science course offerings.
- Advisory: DESIGN 13
