CSC404H1F: Video Game Design (Fall 2017)
Because of the intensely team-oriented nature of the course and the collaboration with OCAD University, there are only 40 seats available. Please make sure you have a backup plan should you not be given a spot in this course: we expect to receive more than twice as many applications as there are seats, and we can only select 40 students.
In order to apply, you need to have taken at least one of the official prerequisites:
- CSC301H Introduction to Software Engineering
- CSC318H The Design of Interactive Computational Media
- CSC384H Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
- CSC418H Computer Graphics
These basic prerequisites are meant to ensure that you bring useful skills to your team. In addition, other skills related to game design will help your application. These skills could include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Previous experience making games (as a hobby or professionally)
- Experience in working on a team to produce a large piece of software
- Experience with music and/or sound design
- Artistic experience (graphic design, illustration, 3D modeling, etc.)
NOTE: While the content of both offerings of CSC404H will be largely the same, because of scheduling, it will be easier to get a spot in the fall section. If you have no preference for section, please apply to both the fall and winter sections.
The Balloting Procedure
You will need to submit the following:
- A PDF of your most recent unofficial transcript from ACORN
- A PDF of your answers to the CSC404H course-specific questions
CSC404H Course-specific Questions
- What is your name and student number?
- What is your University of Toronto email address?
- What is the most interesting game that you have played, and what about that game’s design makes it so unique and interesting?
- Why are you interested in taking this course?
- Why should you be given a spot in the course?
- What technical skills do you have (including, but not limited to, courses that you’ve taken) that would be valuable for this course? Where possible, state the level of skill that you have for these skills.
- What non-technical skills do you have (art, music, etc.) that would be useful to game design? Again, gauge your skill level wherever possible.
- This course can require a large time commitment from the students in it. People who have taken this course in the past spent more time on it than they thought possible, because a) games that aren’t perfect will nag at you, and b) games never feel like they’re perfect. This is why we ballot the course, so people know what they’re getting into, and we have a sense of your level of commitment. Knowing all this, would you still be excited to take the course?
- Include the questions in your PDF in boldface, including the question numbers
- Please limit your submission to no more than two pages of 11-point text with 1-inch margins
Submit these two documents here by August 18, 2017. Decisions will be released by September 1, 2017.
We recommend all students enrol into their 2017-18 courses as though their ballot was refused. If a space in CSC404H is offered to you, we will contact you and you can then drop your “back-up” course.