Directions in Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation (MOVES)

Abstract

The Naval Postgraduate School has spent the last two years developing a new degree program called the Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation (MOVES) curriculum. That curriculum has turned into an Academic Group, a department-like structure, and a research center. We discuss the composition of that curriculum and the directions for the MOVES Research Center. Background The Naval Postgraduate School has had a successful research program in virtual environments for the last twelve years under the aegis of the NPSNET Research Group (http://www.npsnet.nps.navy.mil). Students attached to the NPSNET group have typically graduated with an MS in Computer Science, with a specialization in Computer Graphics and Visual Simulation. About two years ago, we desired to expand our course offerings in the virtual environment field, particularly with respect to human-computer interaction, physically-based modeling, and modeling and simulation. Within the confines of the defined Computer Science MS program, we found no room for expansion and decided to explore the potential for developing our own degree program. We found great sponsor interest in the development of that program and rapidly designed a new degree. The desire of the sponsors of MOVES was for students who understood applied computer visual simulation technology, and the application of quantitative analyses to human-computer interaction in visual simulation technology. We wanted to work from our successes in what we had been doing and add onto that degree program. We constructed a two year, eight quarter program that is roughly 1/2 computer science and 1/2 operations analysis and mathematics. The program looks very much like a double major with a fully packed eight quarters. We educate people in modeling, virtual environments and simulation fundamentals and their application. The MOVES program offers MS degrees in MOVES, with a Ph.D. program under development for consideration by the NPS Academic Council. Initially, we did not create a department but rather a degree program comprised of existing courses from several departments. We are now in the process of forming our own department as our student population has grown from zero to twenty-four in two years and will climb to more than seventy at the end of another two years.