The Diploma in Games Design and Animation - (DGDA) is a diploma programme that have been developed in consultation with the industry to ensure students have the best opportunity to meet needs of employers and the industry. This course focuses on the art and design of computer games and animation where students will concentrate on specific needs as a professional game artist, designer, developer and animator.
This program defines the common body of knowledge and skills necessary for the professional practice of game design and animation. Learning curves involved game development cycle, through which all the following areas are covered: pitching game ideas to writing game design documents, creating concept art and developing technical design documents, modelling, coding, texturing and animating and finally testing and marketing the game. Students can develop their potential beyond this base as they continue to work and study.
The DGDA is conducted over the period of two-years on a semester basis (five long and two to three short semesters), where students will major in game design and animation. Given such academic exposure, graduates of the DGDA, therefore, would be in an advantage position to find career opportunities not only in the government sector, but more importantly, in the private and corporate sector.
Fundamentals of Game Art and Animation
This course teaches students about the planning, modeling, texturing, lighting, effects creation, and interface design that go into creating today's most advanced and stunning video games.
Drawing I: Basic Drawing Techniques
This course provides an overview of the methods and tools used for drawing. Students will develop a better understanding of the forms you are observing and become more skillful in representing those forms.
Introduction to Information Technology
This course provides a basic understanding of the computer system organization including hardware and software. It provides knowledge on software package and its application in problem solving.
Basic Discrete Mathematics
This course covers the introduction to set and its operation, logic, mathematical induction, permutation, combination, probability, relation and diagraph, function and graph theory. A wide variety of applications of Computer Science related to this course will be introduced.
Photography
This course emphasises hands-on activities to expose students to the ways of using the camera, the studio lights, and other tools.
Introduction to Programming
This course introduces the students to C programming, C operation and phrase, control structure phrase and functions.
Drawing II: Life Drawing
This course designed to allow the student to further develop his/her skills in life drawing and to begin to develop his/her work more independently.
Elements and Principles of Design
This course will teach the basics the road to creating, designing and implementing designs for a variety of design fields. In this introductory course, basic design thinking, theory and practice will be explored in an easy way.
Introduction to Multimedia
This course will cover all the components and functions of related computer and technology, and also technology trend in the next future such as multimedia and telecommunication in Malaysia. Student also will be exposes to the evolution, applications, multimedia basic requirements element of multimedia and multimedia element such as text, audio, video, animation and graphic on computer.
Colour Theory
This course brings together key elements of color theory, practice and application, and addressing a wide range of issues specific to game design.
Illustration for Game Art
This subject give the students opportunity to develop their skills via practical assignments in pursuing areas of study such as graphic design presentation, illustration and computer based techniques.
Principles of Animation
This course introduces the fundamental principles and techniques used in the production of animation.
System Analysis & Design
This course will emphasize on the basic concepts of developing an information system. It covers the survey phase of system analysis, system specification (data and process model), system design (database, input, output, interface and coding), system implementation and system support.
Conceptual Storytelling
This subject provides a solid foundation in the fundamentals of classical story and game structure and discusses the difficulties in bringing these two activities together.
Graphical User Interface Design I
This course introduce students to the basic concept and principles of user interface design.
Internet Programming
This course introduces the essential topics of internet programming. It includes the design of internet as well as the writing of programs to communicate and exchange information around the world via the internet.
Computer Network
This course discusses the basic concept and the terminology applied in the computer network, the relation and the differentiation between local are network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN).
Database System
This course provides an introduction to database: the concepts and basic terminologist, data model – hierarchical, network and relational, database design, SQL, issues in databases – integrity and security, current issues in databases.
2D Animation
This subject is designed to explain about all the different aspects and types of 2D animation. Students will produce animation on a cel, paper or using computer-generated images.
Graphical User Interface Design II
Topics discussed include kicking interface goals, interface paradigms, setting the style, information designs, usability, test method, conducting tests, critiques, screen based control, icons, branding and future directions.
Digital Video and Audio
This course discusses the basic principles and techniques of video production currently employed in documentation and the arts.
Storyboarding
This subject is designed to give students a fundamental working knowledge and understanding of storyboard. Students will learn the techniques of creating storyboard for computer games.
Introduction to Flash Games
This course will feature a creation of online and standalone games. Students will also create fun games using the tool of Flash.
Creative Studies
This course is designed to encourage creative thinking and problem solving for students in game designs program through group and individual activities.
E-Commerce
This course introduces the basic concepts and issues of electronic commerce that are related to the challenges and advantages of using information technology in the digital economy.
Project
This course covers topics for academic writing, including objective, scope, methodology, feasibility study, literature review and project analysis. This course also covers topics on implementation, assessment and project presentation. Students will produce a complete medium size project together with a documentation report whereby the project will be presented to a project evaluation committee in the program level.
