Associate in Applied Science

What You Will Learn

County College of Morris (CCM) makes games. Create the games you want to play or influence others for good causes! While game developers create fun and interactive games, they also work on  training simulations and research-driven initiatives for social change. Game Development is a multidisciplinary skillset that includes design, programming, testing, 3D modeling, 2D and 3D animation, user interface design, project management, and audio creation. Everything you see in a game is created and proofed by an artist. Everything you read is written by a writer. Games come in many shapes and sizes, and more people are playing today than ever before. CCM students have made and published over 100 games on platforms like itch.io and Steam. Check them out at https://bit.ly/playccmgames.

CCM Game Development students learn how to:

  • Develop diverse, full-fledged experiences from start to finish, including digital, non-digital, and simulation games
  • Organize a large magnitude of tasks with a team of your peers
  • Design non-digital games
  • Understand the impact play and gaming has on societies
  • Identify, discuss, and solve systemic problems in the game industry

 

Our Game Development program follows industry curriculum standards and is designed to transfer to bachelor-level Game Development programs.

Game Development majors can find varied careers in the field. They can go on to create indie games on their own, open and run a small studio, or land a job at a larger company. For most people, game-making after college is the goal, but the skills learned in this degree carry over to many other fields.

The average salary for early-career workers with an associate degree in Software Development (including C# programming) is $59,000 per year, with a projected mid-career salary of $94,900 annually. *According to the 2019 PayScale College Salary Report.

Why Study Game Development at CCM?

There are many reasons why you should study Game Development at CCM:

  • Dedicated, passionate faculty and student body
  • Active learning classrooms where you work in teams to solve problems
  • Cultivate your network with long-lasting connections
  • Pick a game from our massive library and play on campus or link up with classmates in our Discord server
  • Diverse faculty and student body
  • Extra-curricular activities like clubs
  • tournaments
  • and fun events that allow you to get to know others in your field and learn outside of the classroom
  • Growing eSports athletic team
  • Small class sizes so you get individual attention from faculty
  • Faculty have industry experience to give you a real-world understanding of the field
  • Supportive environment with free tutoring and faculty office hours
  • Flexible terms and class schedules that fit into your busy life

Career Opportunities

With an associate’s degree you can become a:

  • QA Engineer
  • Game Tester
  • Level Designer
  • Junior Programmer
  • Character Artist (3D or 2D)
  • Animator (3D or 2D)
  • User Interface (UI) Artist
  • User Experience (UX) Designer

 

With a bachelor’s degree you can become a:

  • Gameplay Programmer
  • Software Engineer
  • Tools Programmer
  • Engine Programmer
  • Game Designer
  • Environmental Artist
  • Hard Surface Modeler
  • Special Effects (FX) Artist
  • Lighting Artist

Where You Can Go

Many of our Game Development graduates attend nearby New Jersey public and private institutions like Rutgers, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Montclair State University, Bloomfield College, Ramapo College of New Jersey, and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Other students have recently attended out-of-state schools such as Rochester Institute of Technology, Savannah College of Art and Design, Full Sail University, Digipen Institute of Technology, School of Visual Arts (NYC) and Becker College.

Contact Info

Information Technologies Department
973-328-5780
Emeriti Hall, Room 225