Academic Distinction Statement

As our world grows more connected and complex, the Department of Software Engineering and Game Development makes our world more creative too. A leader of innovative software development methodologies and first-rate games, we construct reliable, secure and modern software and imagine immersive, extended realities and lush simulations. Our faculty’s breadth of expertise, buoyed by the resource richness of the greater Atlanta area, offers our students support, opportunities and memorable moments to build magic. 
ksu software and game development student working at his dual monitor computer

Degrees and Programs Overview

  • Bachelor of Science (BS) in Computer Game Design and Development
  • Bachelor of Science (BS) in Software Engineering
  • Minor in Computer Game Design and Development
  • Minor in Software Engineering
  • Master of Science (MS) in Software Engineering
  • Certificate in Software Engineering
  • Certificate in Software Engineering Foundation

Program Educational Objectives and Student Outcomes

  • Program Educational Objectives

    • Computer Game Design and Development graduates will be successful professionals in the field of gaming and computing, making valuable technical contributions to the design, development, and production of computer game systems and related applications.
    • Graduates will be socially responsible individuals capable of clearly articulating their professional and ethical principles in their chosen career.
    • Graduates are sufficiently prepared for their first and subsequent positions, as they are independent, life-long learners, including learning new, rapidly changing technologies and applying them in their chosen career.

    Student Outcomes

    Graduates of the program will have an ability to:

    • Analyze a complex computing problem and to apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions.
    • Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program’s discipline.
    • Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.
    • Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
    • Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the program’s discipline.

  • Program Educational Objectives

    • Graduates will apply their knowledge of software engineering principles and practices to define, design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain innovative and secure software solutions that meet user needs and address real-world challenges while also considering factors that have a cultural, environmental, economic, and ethical impact.
    • Graduates will pursue life‐long learning opportunities to enhance their technical, interdisciplinary, and interpersonal skills and demonstrate ethical principles in the application of software-based solutions to societal and organizational problems.
    • Graduates will develop and refine their leadership, effective communication, and collaboration skills to maximize software value and quality in a team setting.

    Student Outcomes

    Graduates of the program will have an ability to:

    • Identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
    • Apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
    • Communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
    • Recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
    • Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
    • Develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
    • Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

  • Program Educational Objectives

    • Advanced technical skills in software engineering, including proficiency in programming languages, software architecture design, and development methodologies.
    • Equipped with the leadership and communication skills necessary to effectively manage software engineering teams and projects. This includes skills in team building, communication, conflict resolution, and project management.
    • Prepared to adapt to new technologies and software development paradigms, as well as to innovate new software solutions in response to changing industry needs.
    • Committed to ethical and professional behavior, with a deep understanding of the impact that software engineering has on society.

    Student Outcomes

    Graduates of the program will have an ability to:

    • Demonstrate knowledge and utilization of software processes, software architecture or models, and the mapping of underlying techniques into the problem domain.
    • Demonstrate the ability to analyze, assess, verify and validate, and evaluate artifacts of software engineering systems.
    • Independently learn and research new topics in software engineering.

Software Engineering and Game Development Accreditation

The Bachelor of Science in Computer Game Design and Development is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria with no applicable program criteria.

The Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Software Engineering.

Why ABET Accreditation Matters

Why Gaming?

photo of ksu student sitting next to his gaming computer with virtual reality headset propped on head

Computer Game Design and Development is an exciting and interdisciplinary field that combines technical programming and software development with artistic fields such as animation, audio and real-time user interaction. This program covers breadth of the field and lets students customize their studies to "dive deep" in a area of their choice.

The computer gaming industry has matured and grown significantly from its nascent days of Pong in 1972 and home-grown startups such as Origin Systems and Sierra Online in the 1980s. Sales figures for the U.S. video game industry (including hardware and software) rose to $18.8 billion dollars in 2007, a 40% increase from $13.5 billion in 2006. The video game industry will reach a global total of $70 billion in revenue by 2015, claims market analysis firm DFC.

  • But development in the field of gaming is not limited to traditional console and PC domains. Rapidly evolving fields of computer gaming, including casual, serious/educational, online, and mobile games, offer new opportunities for growth. Models of game design and development are applicable to online social sites centered around collaboration and communication. Emergent social and free-to-play markets often dwarf their console and PC counterparts; for example, the Asian-user online social world "Habbo Hotel" boasts 90 million registered users.

    Finally, the military and industry are increasingly turning to simulation to help them meet their training needs, and the skills needed to develop high quality simulations are essentially identical to those necessary to develop high quality computer games. The military is also using gaming to assist in its recruitment efforts and to increase the general public's awareness of its operations.

    As a gaming professional, you can work in many fields including:  

    OCCUPATION WHAT YOU WILL DO MEDIAN PAY (2018)
    Video Game Designer Design core features of video games. Specify innovative game and role-play mechanics, story lines and character biographies. Create and maintain design documentation. $82,340

Why Software Engineering?

Software Engineering (SWE) represents one of the fastest growing segments of software professionals. Business and industry require Software Engineers in the fields of medicine, the military, domestic and international communications, aerospace engineering and many more. 

Software Engineering students at Kennesaw State University work in teams that deliver high-quality software products as they learn the fundamental concepts of Computer Science and what it means to be a software engineer. Advanced course work is selected from areas such as user interaction engineering, component-based development, embedded systems and other state-of-the-art methodologies and practices that reflect the fast-paced changes in the field.

  • Our SWE programs have flexible options via night and online courses, and small class sizes ensure students get to know their professors. Students receive hands-on experience through labs and classroom work.

    Top reasons to join Software Engineering at Kennesaw State University:

    • Georgia is in the Top Ten States of highest paid software engineers
    • Kennesaw State is the only public university in Georgia that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in Software Engineering.
    • KSU's BSSWE is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

    As a software engineering professional, you can work in many fields including:

    OCCUPATION WHAT YOU WILL DO MEDIAN PAY (2018)
    Software Developer Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs. Some develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or another device. $100,690
photo of ksu software engineering student in room with unreadable text covering walls and background of image