The Universities at Shady Grove

Bachelor of Science in Simulation and Game Design

Students who have completed 56 college-level credits can transfer to The University of Baltimore’s B.S. in Simulation and Game Design program at The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) in Rockville, Maryland.

USG is a partnership of nine University System of Maryland universities, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs from across the state at its campus in Montgomery County.

As a UBalt student attending USG, you will pay the same tuition and have the same financial aid opportunities as does any other UBalt student (you may pay differing fees based on your home campus). Your classes at USG will be taught by UBalt faculty, and you’ll graduate with a UBalt degree.

Why choose USG?

Consider your job prospects: USG is located along Montgomery County’s “technology corridor,” which is home to 1,200 IT companies employing over 90,000 people, according to the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development. Furthermore, Maryland boasts the largest concentration of computer game developers outside of California, with more than 100 game-development companies and agencies in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., area.

Through theory-focused coursework and hands-on experience, our bachelor’s program will prepare you to land an exciting and fulfilling career in this booming industry.

How does the program work?

• Classes are held weekdays during daytime hours.
• You’ll choose to specialize in one of two content areas: technical art or coding and development.
• Through dual capstone seminars, you'll work closely with professionals to test and build games and simulations, and you'll graduate with a portfolio of projects to showcase your skills.

Global Game Jam at USG

Each year UBalt's Simulation and Game Design program hosts Global Game Jam at The Universities at Shady Grove. The event, which takes place concurrently at locations around the world, is an annual weekend-long competition where designers, developers and artists compete in teams to create the most impressive video game possible in only 48 hours.

This worldwide “hackathon” focused on game development and demonstrations draws gamers of all kinds and all skill levels. Past Global Game Jam at USG keynote speakers have included Dave Inscore, an 18-year game industry veteran and founder of Big Huge Games, and Bruce Nesmith, game designer at Bethesda Softworks and lead designer on the top-selling release, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Global Game Jam is a great opportunity for students in the Simulation and Game Design program to not only design and test drive games, but also to network with some of the gaming industry’s biggest leaders.