M.S. in Computer Graphics and Animation 2006

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The M.S. in Computer Graphics and Animation is a study of the technical and aesthetic foundations, design and development of Computer Graphics. This program prepares students for technical careers in the graphics industry. Several fundamental principles provide the basis for this curriculum:

• Computer graphics professionals, no matter their area of specialty, will need a solid grounding in both perception and technology.
• To be successful in the workplace, computer graphics professionals will need to be able to work well in multidisciplinary environments.
• To inculcate the flexibility required to adapt to rapid changes in technology and industry norms, students will need to be well versed in the foundations of the discipline.
• Practical experience must be coupled with theory to prepare students for the workplace.

The degree has five components:

• Prerequisite Phase
• Fundamental Phase
• Core Phase
• Advanced Phase
• Electives

In this program, students will:

• Develop a sensitivity to human perception, including a comprehension of fundamental design concepts, color theory, and the interaction of light with surfaces;
• Build a deep understanding of such technical concepts as interaction design, modeling objects, controlling cameras, rigging characters for animation and using particle and surface techniques;
• Learn to apply perceptual and technical abilities in creating shaders, textures, characters, scenes and animations;
• Acquire hands-on experience with a wide range of commercially-available tools;
• Develop a grasp of fundamentals that allow implementations beyond the extant user interfaces; and
• Become appreciative of the two “cultures” of computer graphics – the one drawing on communication design and the other deriving from computer science.

The degree program offers two concentrations: a Technical Director concentration and a Developer concentration. While both concentrations have a balance of technical and aesthetic, the Technical Director will have a greater emphasis on the aesthetic while the Developer concentration will focus on the technical. After graduation, Technical Directors will be ready for jobs assisting Creative Directors in such activities as creating virtual sets, adjusting lighting and rigging characters for animation. Developers will learn technologies for graphics systems development, including game engines and plug-ins.

The M.S. in Computer Graphics program consists of 13 courses with six or seven prerequisite courses. Students choosing the Technical Director concentration take six courses while students taking the Developer concentration take seven courses.

Grade and GPA requirements

Grades: Students must receive a grade of B- or better in each prerequisite course and a C- or better in all other courses. 

GPA: Students must maintain a graduate level GPA of 2.50 or higher while pursuing their degree. Students will not be approved for graduation with less than a 2.50 GPA. Students with a GPA of 3.85 or higher will graduate with distinction.

Prerequisite Phase

The courses in the Prerequisite Phase for the MS in Computer Graphics and Animation are:

Both concentrations

Technical Director concentration *

The CGA developer Track.

*The Technical Director prerequisite track requires two quarters of programming in either Java or C/C++ so students entering with prior coursework in C++ will satisfy this requirement. Any TD student who wishes to eventually take courses in the Developer track as electives are encouraged to take the C++ programming track CSC 261 and CSC 262 to satisfy their prerequisite programming requirement.

By taking these courses and receiving a grade of a B- or better in each, the student will have completed the requirements of the Prerequisite Phase. All or part of the Prerequisite Phase may be waived if a student has the equivalent academic background. Alternatively, students with practical experience may complete a Graduate Assessment Examination (GAE) to show competency in a prerequisite. All students are blocked from enrolling in Foundation  Phase courses prior to completing their prerequisites. The student must submit an online Change of Status request when the Prerequisite Phase is completed to inform the Student Services offices that the block can be removed. The online request must be submitted two weeks before the student intends to register for graduate level classes. The student will then be considered a fully admitted student, and may pass to the Graduate Phase of the program. Students may submit the Change of Status request by logging in to MyCTI.

Fundamental Phase

The courses in the Fundamental Phase for the MS in Computer Graphics and Animation are:

Core Phase

The Core Knowledge Phase courses for the MS in Computer Graphics and Animation are:

Advanced Phase

The Advanced Phase courses for the MS in Computer Graphics and Animation are:

Both concentrations

Technical Directors concentration

Developers concentration,

Elective Courses

All electives should be chosen from the following list, as long as the course has not been otherwise used to satisfy degree requirements. Students in the Technical Director track of this degree will have 3 electives and students in the Developer track will have 4 electives.

Last Modified: Wednesday December 19, 2007