Game Programming

Overview

Learning in a collaborative studio environment, gain the programming skills necessary to work in the field of video game development and immersive technology. Using game development best practices, you learn from the perspective of a programmer and apply technical and problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and logic to develop games using C# programming and Unity game engine.

Using industry standard programming languages and game engines, this program covers:

• Scripting
• Functional programming 
• Algorithms
• Systems
• Managers
• Object-oriented programming
• Software architecture
• Programming patterns

Work experience

• Work placement is a mandatory credit course, providing the opportunity to apply your knowledge and skills outside of the classroom. 
  • Opportunities are typically unpaid and last approximately 5 weeks.
  • Transportation, accommodations and other costs related to work placements are your responsibility. 
• This program is eligible for an optional cooperative education (co-op) credit course between year one and two.  
  • Co-op placements provide the opportunity for paid, full-time work in a field related to your program. Opportunities typically last 12 to 16 weeks.
  • Our co-op program follows Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL) guidelines.
• For more information visit Work Experience Opportunities 

Choose NSCC

• Our instructors come from industry with world-class experience and skills.
• This program was developed with industry – for industry, ensuring your skills are current and relevant.

Other info

• This sector is experiencing tremendous growth in our region, and it’s anticipated this will lead to a growth in demand for graduates of this program.  
• It's highly recommended that you gain familiarity with the software and processes used in industry prior to attending NSCC by exploring the following tutorials:
  • Roll-a-ball Tutorial – requires free Unity software

September 2023

Campus	Full time/part time	Delivery	Availability
Truro Campus/Online Truro	Full time	Blended Delivered through a combination of in-person and scheduled online classes.	Seats available

Admission requirements

• High School Graduation Diploma, or equivalent.
  • International students – High school diploma equivalency and English language requirements vary by country. View details
• Entrance portfolio - an entrance portfolio is a significant factor in determining your admission into the program. For detailed information on what your portfolio needs to include, see the Game Programming Portfolio Requirements (PDF 192KB)

Program requirements

• Portfolio development – As part of your studies at NSCC, you develop a portfolio of your work; the portfolio captures your achievements and profiles your skills to employers.

Tuition

Tuition amounts are for the 2022-23 academic year. Program costs and fees (textbooks, supplies, etc.) are additional. 2023-24 tuition will be announced in the late Spring.

Tuition, fees and program costs

In addition to annual tuition, there are program costs (books, tools, etc.) and student fees for college services, health and dental plans, your student association and parking.

View detailed program fees page(s). Please note that amounts on these pages are meant for planning purposes only. They don't represent final amounts owing.

• Game Programming - Year 1
• Game Programming - Year 2

Career options

• C# programmer
• Unity/engine developer
• Game programmers
• Generalist programmer
• Software developers
• Software architect
• Gameplay programmer
• AI programmer
• Project managers
• Game designers*
• QA (quality assurance) testers
• Programming for AR/VR and other interactive applications and immersive technologies