Graduate Studies course on D&D?

[MerricB]

D&D for Credit

How would you like to take D&D for credit? Columbia University is planning a 3-credit graduate studies course on D&D -- in fact, researchers were here at WotC last week, interviewing members of R&D!

(see the News on the D&D website - http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/welcome)

Huh?

Cheers!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Damn! Was I born at the wrong time or what...

Inspired me to write a song, though. Wanna hear it? Here it go...

Gamer American...they got dragon shirts!
Gamer American...they got bags of dice!
Gamer American...they take D&D for credit...

Get an F!

 

[Jdvn1]

If only this were more common...

 

[Psion]

/me looks for a way to convince a course advisor this fits into an engineering degree program...

 

[mhacdebhandia]

Just today I was mulling over the role D&D might have in an analysis of representations of the Devil and demonic creatures in popular culture.

I also recall that there were courses on Star Trek in the Seventies.

 

[Ruavel]

not sure I need any more encouragement...

I'm already looking at ways I can use the next three years of multimedia study to improve the way publishers present materiel to buyers...

mmmmmm... interactivity...[/Homer]

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'll just say this...

My knowledge of devils and demons- gleaned at least in part from the 1Ed Monster Manual- helped me earn an A on a quiz in my Biblical Themes in Literature class...

And because of my performance during the verbal Q&A in which I answered all the questions-quickly & correctly- like this:

Prof: Who was the Lord of the Flies?
Me (raising hand): Beelzebub
Prof: Who was the Angel of Death?
Me (raising hand): Azrael
Prof: Who was the Babylonian Diety of the air?
Me (raising hand): Pazuzu
Prof: What devil was known as the Light Bringer?
Me (NOT raising hand-no one else is trying now): Lucifer
Prof: AKA?
Me (NOT raising hand-no one else is trying now): The Morningstar

Room full of stares.

 

[MarauderX]

Room full of stares.

That's gotta be fun in Sunday School too.

"Get on the treadmill, my son; you must be properly excercized."

Edit: Also found this -
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/bulletin/uwb/subj/COMS/W4995-20053-004/

Evolution of D&D hosted by... the department of Computer Science? The geek shall inherit the mirth, or something.

 

[Imruphel]

Hmmm, is anyone else here familiar with the jokes about certain universities offering courses in basketweaving...?

About 20 years ago, before environmentalism became the new opiate of the masses, a university in Brisbane, Australia offered degrees in Environmental Science. These degrees were disparaging referred to as "Bachelor of Growing Marijuana" which, admittedly, some of the students were supposedly quite good at.

All that said, I can imagine such a course being a useful part of a computer science degree for future game programmers.

 

[MerricB]

I brought the topic up with Charles Ryan in this thread:
http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=544247

Charles Ryan:
Actually, I think this is less a course on playing D&D, and more a case study course on the history, growth, and impact of the brand on popular culture and the business world. I believe it's part of an MBA program.

They interviewed a whole bunch of folks (including me), mostly from R&D but also from other areas of the company. I believe that the interviews were intended to fill out the students' understanding of D&D's history and the current state of the brand and the business.

Cheers!