JPCatholic Announces New Minor in Computer Programming

Starting Fall 2021, JPCatholic students will have the opportunity to pursue a minor in Computer Programming. A new sequence of courses will be taught by John Kassab, a Senior Software Engineer at Sony PlayStation with over 15 years of experience as a software engineer.

“This new minor, while open to any student, will be particularly valuable in expanding the course offerings for gaming students who are also interested in computer science and programming,” said Prof. Max Hulburt, Chair of the Game Development program. “This robust set of courses will expand their skill sets within gaming but also allow them to pursue broader applications of programming and prepare for a wider variety of career directions upon graduation.”

In total, the minor is planned to contain nine courses, as outlined below. It leverages three existing programming-related courses in the curriculum and adds four new programming courses aimed at a more general programming application, along with a capstone experience at the end of the sequence.

Existing Courses:

• DIGM130 Introduction to Gameplay Logic Scripting
  (Previously titled “Introduction to Programming”)
• DIGM131 Game Scripting I
• DIGM231 Game Scripting II

New Courses:

• Introduction to Java Programming
• Introduction to Python Programming
• Advanced Programming I
• Advanced Programming II
• Capstone Experience I
• Capstone Experience II

The Capstone Experience will take place over two quarters and be tailored to the individual student’s interest. One option is to take on a significant programming role on a game senior project. In this case, the student would enroll in DIGM490 & DIGM491 (Production Studio I & II) to fulfill these credits. These senior capstone courses are already built into the Game Development emphasis.

Other options for the Capstone Experience, including web or app development for gaming or business, could be explored in the Independent Study format, overseen by the Computer Programming professor.

“This new minor represents another investment in our Game Development program and the overall student experience,” said Bob Keith, Chief Academic Officer and Professor of Creative Entrepreneurship. “Over time, we believe these new courses will be attractive to students in our other programs as well, including Business.”

More details on the Computer Programming minor and new course descriptions will be provided here in the coming months.