Welcome!
Before we get started, here is a great way to stay connected the McClure School - join us on Discord!
- The McClure School's Discord server (ECTatOhio) is at https://discord.gg/jmV7bQz - there is a channel just for BSO. Also, introduce yourself in the General channel so we can assign the correct roles to you.
- If you are interested in esports, the Bobcat Esports Discord server is at https://discord.gg/ohioesports - this server has a "pick-a-role" channel so you can identify your interests.
We are super excited to have you join the McClure School - this page contains basic information to get you started. Here you will find basic information that is common for the two degrees we offer, the ITS degree and the Virtual Reality and Game Development Degree housed entirely in the McClure School. We also offer an ECT Track in ITS that allows students to learn skills from both our ITS and VR & Game Development degrees. Additionally, in cooperation Media Arts and Studies we will offer for a final year a Games and Animation degree .
Learning Communities
As incoming Freshmen you have received information on joining a Learning Community -- please take advantage of this opportunity. Joining a learning community gives you a weekly check-in with an experienced faculty advisor as well as an OU student leader. You also take the same 2-3 classes as the other members of your learning community, giving you the chance to see familiar faces in class and the ability to talk about your classes will fellow students you will get to know well.This year we will have two learning communities classes.
BRICKS - Simplified
BRICKS is OU's new approach to general education. It can be a bit overwhelming to explain all the details.
For now, we just need to look at the requirements you want to address first (there are additional requirements for your Junior and Senior years that you will discuss with your advisor at a later time). Early on during your time here you are expected to complete basic Englishand Mathcourses (in a category called BRICKS Foundations) as well as classes in other BRICKS categories (there are four other categories). Some of these classes are included in your Learning Community courses. You may also already have credit for some of these classes from Advanced Placement and/or College Credit Plus options, so you will work with your advisor to figure out your best options.
BRICKS: Foundations, Written Communication (3 credit hours)
If you still need to complete this requirement, your DARS will tell you whether you should take this class in the Fall or in the Spring.
BRICKS: Foundations, Quantitative Reasoning (3 credit hours)
Here you may need to make a decision. If you do not already have credit for College Algebra you may choose to take Quantitative Reasoning if you prefer. However, the ITS/ECT major and various options in Games/VR major require College Algebra. The diagrams below shows you the options.
ITS and ECT Track Majors: In the coming semesters, you need to be able to take a statistics class which requires either a math placement level 2, or College Algebra (MATH 1200 or equivalent transfer credit).
- If your math placement is DV, you will need to take Math D005
- If your math placement is PL1, you will need to take Math 1200
- If your math placement is PL2, you are ready to take the Statistics requirement in a future semester
VR and Game Development: At a minimum you need to complete any BRICKS Foundations Quantitative Reasoning shown in your DARS. That could be Quantitative Reasoning, or College Algebra. You need to take College Algebra if you plan to include ITS or Computer Science classes in your plan of study. We also recommend statistics (which requires College Algebra or placement level 2) if your career goals center around game design.
BRICKS - other areas
BRICKS has four other areas (Pillars, Arches, Bridges and Capstone). You can check the number of credit hours per area in the diagrams shown below. Again, you need to make some decisions here. You may already have credit for some of these from AP or College Credit Plus. Depending on your major, some of the requirements will be met by courses you are required to take. Your task for this initial registration is to find classes in these areas that are not already covered by your degree choice. Some suggestions are shown following the links for each of the majors shown below.
Each of the four other areas has specific requirements for classes in different areas as well. Your advisor will guide you through these options for your registration during BSO.
Coding and scripting requirements for ITS, ECT track and VR&GD Majors
ITS 1801 Intro to Scripting- For students with little or no coding experience we strongly encourage taking ITS 1801 in the fall . This class teaches you how to break down problems into smaller steps and then construct a solution using a drag and drop environment, before moving into using the Python scripting language. The course looks at computing problems from diverse disciplines.
ITS 1801 lets students understand the differences between scripting and programming and how to match the requirements of a problem to a particular solution. The course starts with basic concepts like variables and loops and then elaborates on more advanced scripting features like functions and data structures. The course also introduces the basics of code version control.
ITS 1801 is not a required class and does not fulfill any requirement for any of our programs or tracks. However, students from any major, with no or little coding experience, are encourage to take it.
ITS 2801 Scripting Projects- This spring class is a required class for BC5384 VR&GD majors. It also fulfills the programming requirement for ITS (BC5329) and ECT Track (BC5383).
ITS 2801 is designed for students that have some foundational understanding of coding or scripting in any language. Students without basic coding or scripting experience should take ITS 1801 first.
The course develops intermediate and advance skills to solve simple computing problems using Python and Bash/PowerShell shells. It also includes an introduction to programming inside the Unity environment which is the key tool used in our school to develop VR, games and immersive experiences. The course gives students formal skills to use version control systems and create solutions with cloud-based services and diverse online data sources and programming interfaces.