Sample Schedule

​The representation of these course requirements on a year-by-year basis is just a suggestion. Students are free to take these courses in any order they choose, provided they have mastered the course-specific prerequisites.

Design Concentration

First Year

Second Year

Third Year

Fourth Year

*CSC 378 is the first of a two course sequence (8 credit hours). It counts for both the capstone and the Junior Year Experiential Learning. The second course in the sequence is a special section of CSC 399. Both quarters must be completed to receive any credit.

Development Concentration

First Year

Second Year

Third Year

Fourth Year

*CSC 378 is the first of a two course sequence (8 credit hours). It counts for both the capstone and the Junior Year Experiential Learning. The second course in the sequence is a special section of CSC 399. Both quarters must be completed to receive any credit.

 

ISM 101

FOUNDATIONS OF INTERACTIVE & SOCIAL MEDIA

This course approaches the study of Interactive and Social Media through the analysis of interactive media artifacts (e.g. games, apps, websites, etc.) in order to develop a shared language for what are common components of all interactive artifacts. Students will also examine how delivery platforms (e.g. smart phone, tablet, interactive kiosk, desktop, phone) constrain and afford different interactivity. Students will conduct weekly product analysis along with a final project where they inventory and analyze all of the interactive artifacts they use in a 48 hour period. PREREQUISITE(S): none.

GD 105

INTRO TO VISUAL DESIGN

This course introduces the basic concepts of design for time-based digital media. Students study the principles of composition and color theory, and how these are affected by movement, duration and display. Vector and bitmap manipulation tools are explored in relation to game design, video and Internet production. PREREQUISITE(S): None

ISM 210

INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION (FORMERLY IM 210)

This course familiarizes students with the user interface development process, including user and task analysis, interaction design, prototyping and evaluation. Students study human perception, cognition and motor abilities as they relate to the design of interactive systems. In a series of projects, students design and revise prototypes as they apply a user-centered design process. Emphasized topics include user profiles, information architecture and usability testing. Students provide written analysis of their research and process. PREREQUISITE(S): None

GD 200

GRAPHIC DESIGN I

This course introduces the world of graphic design in a social and historical context. The goals are to explore formal structures and research methods with emphasis on the role of analysis and conceptual thinking as the first tasks of the print and multi-media designer. The course includes basic instruction in typography, color, problem-solving in print and on screen. PREREQUISITE(S): GD 105, ART 105, ANI 105 or GPH 211.

GD 110

WEB DESIGN

Students will use current industry standard design applications such as Photoshop and Illustrator, and beginning hand-coding in HTML, CSS for introductory web design. An introduction to visual design fundamentals will include composition, typography, web color, and digital imaging. Informational navigation, structure, front-end design, and implementation will be studied. PREREQUISITE(S): None

ISM 220

INTERACTIVE DESIGN & PROTOTYPING (FORMERLY IM 220)

This course applies interactive media principles for a variety of contexts with a goal of exploring relative merits among common interaction paradigms. Based on assessed needs and intended functionality, students create working prototypes that demonstrate a range of design patterns, particularly those with a high level of interactivity such as rich internet applications, games, and visual simulations. Emphasis is given to visual design principles and aesthetics for creating interesting and engaging interactive experiences. PREREQUISITE(S): ANI 105

IT 278

COMMUNITY-BASED TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS

Project development in cooperation with a community service organization. Students will assess urban community Web needs, develop and implement a Web solution. PREREQUISITE(S): IM 210, IS 215, and IT 232

ISM 222

INFORMATION VISUALIZATION

This course discusses the basic problems and techniques of visualizing quantitative and qualitative data. Topics include: perception, types of information, representation of univariate and multivariate data and relational information, analysis of representations, presentation, and dynamic and interactive visualizations. Students will create visualizations using graphical software PREREQUISITES: LSP 120

GAM 240

PLAYGRAMMING

This workshop introduces computer programming to artists and game designers. Programming is an art, but before students can create masterpieces they first need to explore, play, and sketch with code. Students learn basic concepts and techniques of computation and apply these to craft gameplay experiences, improvisational experiments, and software toys. Students will author code from scratch and remix code to complete their weekly projects. No prior programming experience or knowledge is required. PREREQUISITE(S): None

GAM 208

VIRTUAL WORLDS AND ONLINE COMMUNITIES

Environments such as social networking sites, multiplayer online games and other online communities are becoming an increasingly large part of how we work, play, and learn. This course introduces the fundamentals for the interdisciplinary study of cyberculture and online social behavior. By examining core scholarship in this area, together with analyzing an existing virtual world, game, or online community, students will learn to research and understand new technologically-enabled social forms as they are emerging. PREREQUISITE(S) WRD 104

IT 238

INTERACTIVE WEB SCRIPTING

Advanced scripting with javascript and the Document-Object Model (DOM) for creating web pages. Object-oriented principles applied to user interfaces and event handling. Application of Ajax. Use of libraries such as jQuery. PREREQUISITE(S): IT 130

ISM 360

USER-CENTERED EVALUATION

Overview of user research and usability evaluation methods. User research includes interviews, profiles and scenarios. Usability evaluation methods include expert inspections and usability testing. PREREQUISITE(S): ISM 210.

GAM 229

DESIGN WRITING AND PRESENTATION

This lecture course focuses on effective communication throughout the development process from writing game design documents to playtesting reports and postmortems. Special attention will be paid to the critical and analytical components of design writing and the clarity of articulation. A further emphasis is put on the preparation and delivery of engaging presentations, particularly game pitches. PREREQUISITE(S): GAM 226 and WRD 104

IT 320

CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Design and use of Content Management Systems (CMSs) to manage unstructured digital media throughout the enterprise, simplify the publication of Web content, and locate and link content at any level of an organization. Discussion will focus on key users, their roles and responsibilities, collaborative workflow, and versioning. Students will become familiar with available CMSs, design a database-driven Website focusing on separation of the content's semantic layer from its layout, and implement a system using a variety of open-source software. Prerequisite(s): IT 130

ISM 320

ADVANCED PRINCIPLES OF INTERACTIVITY

This course will use complex interactive web projects to challenge students to solve real-world problems. Students will build upon the organizational and analytical strategies learned in IM I while expanding their knowledge of Flash subjects such as site integration, utilizing remote data and manipulating video. PREREQUISITE(S): IM 220 Interactive Media I

IT 223

DATA ANALYSIS

(FORMERLY CSC 323) Application of statistical concepts and techniques to a variety of problems in IT areas and other disciplines, using a statistical package for simple data analysis. Course topics include descriptive statistics, elementary probability rules, sampling, distributions, confidence intervals, correlation, regression and hypothesis testing. PREREQUISITE(S): MAT 130 or placement

CSC 378

SOFTWARE PROJECTS FOR COMMUNITY CLIENTS

This is the first course in a two-quarter sequence (winter/spring) for CTI students that satisfies both the Senior Year Capstone requirement and the Junior Year Experiential Learning requirement. The second quarter will be a special section of CSC 399. You will earn four quarter hours of credit for each quarter for a total of eight quarter hours of credit. You must complete both quarters to receive any credit. We work with a community service organization, chosen with help of the Steans Center for Community-based Service Learning. As a community-based service learning course, students will have the opportunity to assess urban community needs in technology, and use problem-solving methods and strategies to make a substantial difference in an inner-city community group, usually by developing an application or a web site.

CSC 399

INDEPENDENT STUDY

Independent study supervised by an instructor. Independent study form required. Can be repeated for credit. Variable Credit. PREREQUISITE(S): None.

IT 130

THE INTERNET AND THE WEB

An introduction to the Internet, the World Wide Web, and web development for students with a strong interest in technology. Students will create interactive web pages by writing HTML and CSS and by programming in JavaScript. Topics include the origins of the web, the roles and operations of web browsers and web servers, interacting with web applications through forms, and using style sheets to separate document structure and document formatting. PREREQUISITE(S): NONE.

IT 231

WEB DEVELOPMENT I

Introduction to framework-based web development. Students create interactive, dynamic web sites using a common web architecture and object-based database access. Programming for web development includes control structures, objects, functions, and use of composite data types. Prerequisite: IT 130

ISM 270

USER-CENTERED WEB DESIGN (FORMERLY IM 270)

Principles of interactive design for web pages and sites. Design patterns for information navigation. Use of HTML and CSS to produce standards- and accessibility-compliant web pages. Overview of technologies supporting dynamic and interactive content. Prerequisites: IT 130 or HCI 201

IT 240

INTRODUCTION TO DESKTOP DATABASES

This course will introduce students to the design, implementation and use of desktop databases. Major topics include: modeling using ER diagrams, creating and maintaining a database using a PC based application, compose and use queries in Structured Query Language, create and customize forms and reports, and integrate databases with other sources of data and applications. PREREQUISITE(S): NONE

IS 215

ANALYSIS AND DESIGN TECHNIQUES (FORMERLY IT 215)

This course presents a structured approach to analysis and design of an information system for a business. The systems development life cycle will be defined and described. Process descriptions, user and task analysis for interface development, prototyping, data flow and entity relationship diagramming will be presented. Case studies that promote critical-thinking skills provide the context for these techniques. PREREQUISITE(S): none

IS 280

COMMUNICATION FOR THE GLOBAL IT PROFESSIONAL

Development of professional communication and collaboration skills for the global IT workplace. Students cultivate proficiency with traditional in-person and electronic communications, modeling the conflict resolution, personal initiative, and personal presentation behaviors necessary for career advancement. Students become comfortable users of virtual communication and collaboration toolsets such as VoIP, collaborative editors, web presentation software, virtual team portals, and virtual scheduling tools. PREREQUISITE(S): WRD 104. For students required to take LSP 120, it is also a prerequisite.

ISM 225

WEB 2.0 BUILDING BLOCKS

This seminar course will provide students with a foundation in understanding the key computational infrastructures upon which today's social applications are built (e.g. social networks, cookies, cloud computing, media streaming, APIs, location-based awareness). Student will examine popular web 2.0 sites/apps and analyze for the inclusion of building blocks in order to understand how these building blocks facilitate the user experiences deemed essential for web 2.0 apps. Prerequisite(s): none