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Issue date: 4/4/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Jason Hook, Photographer Senior Jonathan Bunn plays a game he created called "The Invaders," in his Handheld Game Development Class.

Gaming has been a growing market in the past decade.

With new advancements and more job opportunities awaiting, the computer science department will be adding new curriculum to help students be more suited to the entertainment and gaming industry after graduation.

"As recently as 10 years ago, there hadn't been a big demand for game developers or anyone working in entertainment software," said Dr. Tim Roden, head of the computer science department. "Now, especially the last five years, there is a demand for programmers who have experience in computer graphics and related subjects."

Currently, the department puts emphasis on business applications, but with the addition, students will also be able to expand their knowledge to the gaming and entertainment world.

"If they [students] wanted to do something in scientific or entertainment-related professions, they pretty much had to learn that on the job," Roden said.

The department will also be adding an Entertainment Computing Lab equipped with about a dozen high-tech computers with all the newest software needed for students who chose to participate in the field of study.

Along with the new facilities, starting this summer, four new classes will be added for students with a pertained interest in the gaming industry, including a basic introductory class for students outside of the computer science department.

Roden hopes that the introductory class will spark the interest of students around the campus and urge them to participate in the new programs.

"I think that these classes will help further the desire to be a computer science major," interested junior Thomas Veal said. "These have been long awaited and I can't wait for these new improvements."

With the gaming industry booming by over 20 percent in the last half decade as stated in "Game Developer," students with a degree in computer science can expect to start out at $58,000 a year.

"As long as we are offering them the latest and greatest tools, software, computing and instruction in that kind of technology, they will be able to go out and get jobs in the computer game industry or even the movie industry," Roden said.

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