SlugAtlasUC Santa Cruz

CMPM 170Rapid Prototyping

5 creditsUndergraduateStudent Option

Working in multiple small teams, students practice multiple cycles of the interactive media design process. Cycles involve ideation, research, prototyping, release, and reflection. Students will understand how to follow the design process as a way to build knowledge, understanding, and empathy for a system’s users rather than just as a means to produce those systems. The course draws on design philosophies from inside and outside of the computer games industry. (Formerly Game Design Studio I.)

Prerequisites

Prerequisite(s): CMPM 120. Enrollment is restricted to senior computer science: computer game design majors or by permission of the instructor.

  • Enroll in lecture and associated discussion section.

Find a section and add it to your scheduleLive seat counts, time-conflict checks and the walk from your previous class.

When it runs

Fall 2026Open Fall 2026

SectionTypeWhenWhereInstructorSeats
01Lecture
Tue Thu 3:20pm–4:55pm
ClassroomUnit 001S. Gorman, T. A. LeckmanWait List 65/65
02Lecture
Tue Thu 3:20pm–4:55pm
ClassroomUnit 001S. Gorman, T. A. LeckmanOpen 50/65

Spring 2026Open Spring 2026

SectionTypeWhenWhereInstructorSeats
01Lecture
Mon Wed 5:20pm–6:55pm
J Baskin Engr 152N. AlticeOpen 53/60

Fall 2025Open Fall 2025

SectionTypeWhenWhereInstructorSeats
01Lecture
Tue Thu 3:20pm–4:55pm
J Bask Aud 101T. A. Leckman, R. JhangianiClosed 89/89
02Lecture
Tue Thu 3:20pm–4:55pm
J Bask Aud 101T. A. Leckman, R. JhangianiClosed 72/72

Who teaches it

InstructorRatingDifficultyWould take againReviews
Samantha Gorman3.0 / 52.0 / 50%1
Tad Leckman4.6 / 52.3 / 594%16
Nathan Altice3.6 / 52.8 / 560%24
Rohan Jhangiani 5.0 / 53.0 / 5100%1

From RateMyProfessors, which is student-submitted and not a survey. Small review counts move a long way on one bad quarter.

SlugAtlas is a student project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by UC Santa Cruz. Course data is a snapshot of the public class search; myUCSC is authoritative for enrolment.