Computer Games Development (with a foundation year)

Are you a keen programmer who wants to learn about games development in general, as well as technical games programming skills? This course is suited to those who aspire to work in an indie games studio or develop mobile games, and is also good preparation for a career as a software developer in the wider computing industry.

As members of the PlayStation® First Academic Program run by Sony, we have access to professional development hardware and software tools. Using industry standard games engines such as UDK and Unity, you’ll gain experience in developing games from an initial concept to finished product. You will then pitch your games to commercial studios such as Playground Games, Team 17 and Media Molecule.

As a graduate of this course you will be well equipped to work in the games industry as a gameplay programmer or indie developer. You will also have the skills to work in the wider computing industry as a software developer.

Many graduates from the Games Programming Scheme are currently working in companies such as Activision, Rockstar, Traveller’s Tales, Codemasters and others.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: BSc (Hons) Computer Games Development.

Course Modules

Foundation Year: Collaborative Game Pitch; Design Foundations; Engine Foundations; Programming Foundations

Year One: Core Programming Concepts for Games; Fundamentals of Game Artificial Intelligence; Indie Game Development; Introduction to Games Design

Year Two Core: Game Production Studio; Mobile Games Development
Year Two Optional: Experimental Games Production; Game Ready Asset Creation; Programming Architectures for Engines; Cross Reality; User Interface Design; Rational Level Design; Realtime VFX; Writing for Video Games

Year Three Core: Indie Business; Procedural Content Generation and a choice of one of the following: Final Year Project: Collaborative Project; Final Year Project: Dissertation; Final Year Project: Technical Artefact

Your course will provide you with opportunities to test your understanding of your subject informally before you complete the formal assessments that count towards your final mark. Each module normally includes practice or ‘formative’ assessments, for which you receive feedback from your tutor. Practice assessments are developmental and any grades you receive for them do not count towards your module mark. There is a formal or ‘summative’ assessment at the end of each module. This includes a range of coursework assessments, such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations, final year, independent project and written examinations. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark.