Game Design Course Results in Career Options
Did you know that by attending one game design program, such as Centennial College's Software Engineering Technology - Interactive Gaming (co-op) you are opening yourself up to a career in which you can apply for multiple roles in a company? That's because this training offers preparation for roles such as:
Database administrator: This person installs, configures, upgrades, administers, monitors and maintains databases in an organization. He or she also develops and designs database strategies, system monitoring and improves database performance and capacity, and plans for future expansion requirements.
Computer programmer: This professional who graduated from a game design program corrects errors by making appropriate changes; conducts trial runs of programs and software applications; compiles and writes documentation of program development and subsequent revisions; writes, updates, and maintains computer programs or software packages to handle specific jobs; consults with managerial, engineering, and technical personnel to clarify program intent, identifies problems, and suggests changes; performs or directs revision, repair or expansion of existing programs to increase operating efficiency or adapt to new requirements.
Software tester: This role involves testing, planning and evaluating the quality of software components. Testers must detect major software flaws. They analyze the context of software systems and apply testing types and levels (component, integration, system, and acceptance tests) to various software development models. They conduct static tests (based on detection, correction and improvement). Lastly, they write evaluation and incident reports.
Software developer: Completing Centennial College's game design courses will also allow you to become a software developer, who is concerned with facets of the software development process. This work includes researching, designing, implementing and testing software. A software developer may take part in design, computer programming, or software project management; and contribute to the overview of the project on the application level rather than component-level or individual programming tasks.
Centennial College's game design program allows you to apply to such a range of jobs because of its emphasis on ensuring grads can contribute to these various phases of the game programming life cycle. This is achieved through the coverage of object-oriented software design methodologies, user-oriented interface design, Microsoft's .NET, DirectX, XNA, Software Testing and QA, C#, Java, J2EE, Oracle, MS-SQL Server, Unix/ Linux, HTML/ XML, Rational/ WebSphere, database concepts, web interface design, introduction to game and simulation, functions and number systems, game programming, object oriented software engineering and more. The game design courses are taught through practical aspects such as two software developmental projects.
Students also partake in three separate game design program work placements, all of which are paid. They are completed after an Employment Pre-placement course, which teaches interview techniques, workplace etiquette, co-op activities that they'll have to complete and more. To partake in co-op, students must complete a minimum of 80 per cent of Year 1 courses, a minimum C grade in COMM-170/171 and a 2.5 GPA or greater for COOP-221.
Game design program applicants must have completed at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. In addition, compulsory English 12C or U or skills assessment, or equivalent and Math 11M or U, or 12C or U, or skills assessment, or equivalent are also required. Students are placed in the appropriate English level based on a skills assessment.
