Degrees & Curriculum

The following degrees and certificates are offered as part of the Digital Gaming and Interactive Media program at Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWTech). 

Applied Bachelor's Degree

LWTech is offering the state’s first Applied Bachelor’s Degree in Digital Gaming & Interactive Media. It is an intense two-year program where a cohort of students will work collaboratively in teams that simulate the digital game development workplace. Students will gain competencies in areas such as: game design, animation, virtual reality, and program management. Students will have an opportunity to be part of game/interactive media design projects from conception through distribution. In addition to digital game design, students will gain interactive media skills, preparing them to work as an interactive media designer in a wide range of industries, including: healthcare, aerospace, transportation, and more.

Students will be able to transfer to the applied bachelor's degree with an associate degree in LWTech's Digital Gaming & Interactive Media, or a digital design degree from a community or technical college. Classes include 3D Game Design, Digital Story Telling & Mythology, Designing for Interactive Technology, Principles of Game Mechanics, and more. This is the first degree of its kind in the state of Washington offered by a public institution. 

This degree is designed for students with these associate degrees:

• LWTech Digital Gaming
• LWTech Design (previously MMDP)
• Game design emphasis from another college or university
• Design emphasis from another college or university

Associate Degree

The Digital Gaming and Interactive Media AAS-T degree is designed to train students for entry-level positions in the game/media field. Graduates will be able to create animated graphics applicable to gaming, marketing, advertising, educational, and interactive media that use 3D animation.

Courses are delivered through face-to-face, online, and hybrid methods allowing students to practice skills necessary in industry. Students will conduct industry research to identify career pathways, learn professional practices including copyright, file management, portfolio development and workplace ethics. Students culminate their learning experience at the end of their studies with a showcase of their portfolio to industry professionals.

Digital Gaming and Interactive Media AAS-T degree graduates will:

• be prepared to obtain an entry-level position in their field
• demonstrate technical proficiency and creative skills as related to the digital gaming field
• manage files and content in a manner suitable for industry
• convey characters and concepts through traditional art methods
• compare, and evaluate electronic games taxonomy and design theory
• mod game levels in current level editing tools
• create and edit basic scripts in related software
• rig and animate characters and props in current industry tools
• create props, levels, and textures in current 3D tools
• present ideas, pitches, and portfolios to industry and peers
• demonstrate critical thinking, teamwork, communication, intercultural appreciation, and information literacy skills
• meet Social Science, Humanities, Written Communication, and Quantitative Reasoning distribution area outcomes