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California State University-Chico · Computer Animation and Game Development Program

Computer Animation and Game Development

Bachelor of Science in Computer Animation and Game Development

Bachelor'sBSGame DevelopmentDedicated degree

Overview

A 120-unit B.S. with a shared major core in modeling, texturing, visual scripting and production, and two options: animation production or game development. All majors take a simulated studio course; a laptop meeting published specifications is required.

Official program title
Computer Animation and Game Development
Exact award
Bachelor of Science in Computer Animation and Game Development
Source: catalog.csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Degree level
Bachelor's
Discipline
Degree type
Dedicated degree
School and department
Source: catalog.csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Location
Chico, CA
Tracks and concentrations
Option in Game Development · Option in Animation Production
Source: catalog.csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Why this program is listed

Dedicated B.S. in Computer Animation and Game Development with an option in game development.

Source: catalog.csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026

We list dedicated game degrees and officially named game concentrations at institutionally accredited US schools. Eligibility rules

Format, length and attendance

Delivery, campus attendance, schedule and study intensity are separate facts, each shown only as the school states it. Online coursework does not by itself mean there is no residency, exhibition, internship or proctored exam.
Delivery
On campusClasses meet on campus.Classes meet on campus.
Source: catalog.csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Campus attendance
Regular campus attendanceClasses meet on campus (campus and hybrid programs).
Study intensity
Not published
Duration
Not verified
Credits
120 units
Source: catalog.csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Start terms
Fall, Spring
Source: csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Entry routes

  • First-year entry. Open to first-time college students (freshman admission).Source: csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Curriculum

What the school publishes about the program's game design, programming, art and production content. Tools and engines are listed only when the school names them — a program not listed as teaching Unity or Unreal may still use them, but we have not verified it.

The game development option (33 units) covers video game design, level design, game scripting, game asset production, interactive storytelling, pre-production, mobile game development and video game production; the core includes Advanced Production and an internship or special problems course.

Game design topics

  • Game development option courses: Video Game Design, Level Design, Introduction to Game Scripting, Video Game Development, Game Asset Production, Interactive Storytelling in Video Games, Video Game Pre-Production, Mobile Game Development, Video Game Production.
    Source: catalog.csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Production and team projects

  • Game production pipeline with iterative design, scripting, prototyping and Agile Scrum in simulated studio environments.
    Source: catalog.csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026
  • All majors take a simulated studio course.
    Source: csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Tools and engines named by the school

  • Software used includes Unity, Unreal Engine, Autodesk Maya and MotionBuilder, Houdini, ZBrush, Substance tools and Jira/Confluence.
    Source: csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Internship

Other published details

Tracks, concentrations and specializations

Hardware and software requirements

Hardware
Laptop required: Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX, Windows 11.
Source: csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Software
Software is mostly free for enrolled students or available in CAGD labs; students should not buy software before classes start.
Source: csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Admissions and portfolio

Required, optional and not-required items are shown exactly as the school states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.

Portfolio

Portfolio policy not published

The school's pages we checked do not state a portfolio policy for this program. That does not mean no portfolio is required — ask the admissions office.

Application fee
Required$70 — Nonrefundable application fee of $70.
Source: catalog.csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Tests

SAT/ACT and English-language test policy: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances. How to prepare a game design portfolio

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the intake the school printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

  • Application deadline

    October 1–December 15 · for Fall (August start, year not printed)

    The school does not print a year with this date.

    Source: csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026
    Year not printed

  • Application deadline

    July 1–August 31 · for Spring (January start, year not printed)

    The school does not print a year with this date.

    Source: csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026
    Year not printed

Tuition and costs

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.
CategoryAmountBasis and year
In-state — Undergraduate tuition, California resident, full-time (estimated standard budget)From the school-wide rate table for this level$6,838per academic year · 2026-2027Source: csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Undergraduate tuition, WUE, 12 units (estimated standard budget)From the school-wide rate table for this level$10,258per academic year · 2026-2027Source: csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Out-of-state — Undergraduate tuition, non-resident, 12 units (estimated standard budget)From the school-wide rate table for this level$18,142per academic year · 2026-2027Source: csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Other published fees

Mandatory Campus Fees (undergraduate, estimated standard budget)
$2,506 per academic yearMandatory
Source: csuchico.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Understanding tuition and equipment costs

Scholarships, assistantships and funding

Awards published by the school for this program or for students at this level. “Guaranteed” only when the school says every eligible student receives it. Loans must be repaid and are not scholarships. Scholarships guide

Program-specific funding: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Accreditation and authorization

Institutional accreditation covers the school. Programmatic accreditation is shown only when it is named for this program — it is never transferred from another department or degree.

Institutional accreditation

  • WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 12, 2026

Programmatic accreditation

None verified for this program. Game design degrees do not require one specific specialized accreditation.

International applicants

Not verified for this program.

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last checked October 12, 2026.
  1. catalog.csuchico.edu/academic-standards-policies/fees-tuition-refunds-holds/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 12, 2026
  2. catalog.csuchico.edu/colleges-departments/college-communication-education/computer-animation-game-de — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 12, 2026
  3. catalog.csuchico.edu/colleges-departments/college-communication-education/computer-animation-game-de — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 12, 2026
  4. DAPIP — WSCUC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-12) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 12, 2026
  5. csuchico.edu/academics/college/communication-education/departments/computer-animation-game-developme — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  6. csuchico.edu/academics/college/communication-education/departments/computer-animation-game-developme — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  7. csuchico.edu/admissions/first-time/index.shtml — Official admissions page, verified October 12, 2026
  8. csuchico.edu/cost-aid/cost-of-attendance.shtml — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 12, 2026

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Same degree level and primary field. Listed for discovery, not ranked.

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