To update and modernize the current curriculum of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with Specialization in Game Design and Development (BSIT-GDD), GDD chairperson Mr. Norman Lee and his faculty team reconstructed the curriculum into Bachelor of Science in Interactive Entertainment and Multimedia Computing (BS-IEMC), which will be offered to freshmen students this coming school year 2015-2016.

Made possible by the contributions of the GDD faculty members and School of Design and Arts animation professors, it was said that it took them five to six Saturdays to build the curriculum. “For three years, we’ve been looking at the possibility of updating the curriculum. We felt that we needed to revisit the curriculum because we wanted to modernize it,” Lee said in an interview.

According to Lee, they needed to determine first what is needed five to 10 years from now, the competences of a graduate and their skill in their chosen major. Next, they needed to set their expectations for the IEMC student’s CAPSTN (Capstone Project), their thesis subject, and finally breaking it down further to settling what subjects and skillsets are needed to deliver for the next CAPSTN.

In terms of skills, Lee envisions that the change in curriculum will be the next step for Benildean game designers to achieve “AAA” quality games, from 3D assets to in depth storylines. Graduates of the new program are expected to have a deeper skill level due to the fact that they are given a chance to decide on a major on the third term of their first year, either being a game developer or a game artist. In the previous curriculum, students were taught both aspects, development and art, thus being unable to focus on one.

Feedback from alumni was also an encouragement to Lee and his team to upgrade the program.

“My opinion is that the newly offered course is great for those students who wants to choose between the two roles—programmer and artist—after they finish First Year Second Term [as they wouldn’t] need to increase more skills on the other because they will only choose one. I think they can concentrate [better] on one skill already without having failures,” shared 112 BSIT-GDD student Bryan Leynes.

BS-IEMC is the first program recognized under CHED’s new memorandum. Current GDD students will still be under the GDD program; however, it is yet to be decided if GDD students can shift to BS-IEMC.