Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in Real-Time Interactive Simulation (Pre-2020)

Students from the Academic Year 2020/2021 cohort onward will enroll in the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in Real-Time Interactive Simulation degree program, jointly offered by DigiPen Institute of Technology Singapore and Singapore Institute of Technology. The core curriculum is equivalent to the previous version of the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in Real-Time Interactive Simulation degree program.

Video games aren’t just entertainment — they’ve evolved into complex software systems that push the limits of what computers can accomplish. The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in Real-Time Interactive Simulation prepares you to build and optimize the technology at the core of these systems — from graphical algorithms to level editors to physics engines.

Through an in-depth study of mathematics and computer science — combined with real-world projects where you design and program your own fully playable games from start to finish — this program transforms you into an efficient software developer, able to understand, communicate, and solve problems at every stage of the development process.

Developers from all over the world have made their marks on the software engineering, enterprise technology, and video game industries after earning a BS in Computer Science in Real-Time Interactive Simulation degree from DigiPen. Will you join them?

For Degree Requirements and Sample Course Sequence, please refer to the Course Catalog.

Topics Covered

Students in the BS in Computer Science in Real-Time Interactive Simulation program will learn how to:

Program a variety of simulations and games, including two-dimensional and three-dimensional games.
Draft game design and technical design documents to aid in the scheduling and organizational aspects of game production.
Implement efficient graphical user interfaces (GUIs), including the management of windows, menus, and dialog boxes.
Create robust artificial intelligence algorithms to serve as the cognitive processes for computer-controlled game objects.
Apply concepts such as computer networks, TCP/IP, and internet programming to a multiplayer video game environment.

Student Projects

Multidisciplinary team projects make up a core component of the BS in Computer Science in Real-Time Interactive Simulation curriculum. As a student in the program, you will work with your classmates on a series of original game projects. In addition to building your own 2D and 3D graphics technology from scratch, you’ll have the chance to take on team roles in gameplay programming, artificial intelligence, game design, and other areas — applying classroom concepts toward tangible software products. These are just a few examples of what students in the program have created.

Phi

A 2D meditative adventure game in which the player controls a snake moving through puzzles on largely grayscale levels.

Seen from top down, a gray, slug-like creature moves while surrounded by a red-ringed circle of Greek lettering.

Help Slimes!

A 3D tower-defense game and third-person shooter which has players fend off attacks on a slime-infested planet.

A robot seen from behind confronting short green blobs of slime in a forested area with smoke and flames appearing ahead.

RoomScape

A 3D adventure puzzle game that confronts you with challenging mysteries to solve as you make your way out of a mysterious facility.

In a dark room, a sheet of paper reading "GaAm" is held up to a black-and-blue Periodic Table of Elements poster on the wall.

Career Outlook

BS in Computer Science in Real-Time Interactive Simulation graduates can pursue a variety of entry- and intermediate-level positions in software engineering, enterprise technology, and video game development.

Potential Careers

Data Scientist

The role of a data scientist is to collect, analyze, and make sense of large amounts of data — finding trends, discovering patterns, and identifying potential new strategies and solutions as a result. Data scientists often rely on a combination of computer science and machine learning knowledge to devise new methods of data analysis.

Software Engineer

The software engineer role is as varied as the companies who seek such professionals. In general, a person in this role will help in creating software capable of solving complicated problems.

Software Development Engineer

Software development engineer (SDE) positions can be found in any number of industries. The role of an SDE is typically to design and build computer systems and software — either from scratch or by modifying existing systems and codebase.

Entry-Level Job Titles

Computer Scientist
Software Developer
Software Analyst
Computer Programmer
Networking Programmer
Artificial Intelligence Programmer
User Interface Programmer
Web Programmer
Game Scripter

Senior-Level Job Titles

Lead Engineer
Lead Developer
Development Manager
Principal Engineer
Technical Director
Chief Technology Officer

Other/Related Job Titles

Producer
Program Manager
Technical Program Manager

Bachelor of Science inComputer Science in Real-Time Interactive Simulation (Pre-2020)