Visual Effects for Games and Real-Time Media

Combine strong technical expertise in visual effects (VFX) with game programming and creative design skills. Learn to develop visual and audio effects for real-time media such as games, film, TV, immersive experiences and more.

Our degree is perfect for aspiring VFX artists who want to develop technical expertise and imaginative storytelling skills. Unlike other VFX degrees, this course focuses on real-time methods. That means creating effects that you can see, hear and feel, using professional software like Houdini and game engines such as Unreal Engine, alongside other programming and software tools.

From day one you’ll work with industry-standard tools, exploring topics such as game development, cinematography, graphics programming, audio design and real-time production techniques. Abertay is Scotland’s first Houdini Certified School Partner and Adobe Creative Campus. Houdini is industry software widely used to develop VFX and 3D animation. Alongside this you’ll work with game engines such as Unreal Engine and Unity, and learn how to build projects for a variety of platforms, from PC to games consoles to Mixed Reality.

You’ll gain hands-on experience through studio collaborations, developing a portfolio that mirrors professional practice and pipelines. We have close contacts with companies such as Sony, Microsoft, Epic Games, Vicon, Industrial Light and Magic, Wild Child Animation and more. This mixture of industry toolsets and contacts, alongside real-world projects, helps you gain the skillset employers are looking for.

You’ll graduate able to design and develop high-level integrated audio and visual effects in real-time. You’ll also have a strong awareness of the emerging trends and technologies in this fast-moving field. With demand for real-time VFX expertise increasing, you’ll be ready to join this exciting and evolving industry.

Abertay ranked top three in Scotland for overall satisfaction in Computer Games & Animation in the 2025 National Student Survey.

https://www.abertay.ac.uk/course-search/undergraduate/visual-effects-for-games-and-real-time-media/#modules

A mixed assessment strategy is used on the course. Most modules are assessed through coursework, which may include project work and student-led presentations.

You’ll spend around 12-15 hours per week in lectures, tutorials and laboratories. Lectures are used to present key concepts, theories and techniques. Tutorials and laboratory-based activities increase your understanding of the subject and allow you to develop your competence and confidence in technological and theoretical work.

Throughout your degree, you’ll be required to actively participate in group work, discussions, seminars, and private study.

In Year 3, for example, you’ll take part in a large-scale Professional Project, working in a mixed team of programmers, artists and designers on a live-style brief in a simulated studio environment.

You’ll follow real production pipelines, respond to feedback from staff and external experts, and leave with a portfolio piece that shows how you collaborate on complex real-time VFX work.

Our projects and reviews are informed by partners across games and virtual production – including studios such as Sony, Disney, Microsoft, Blizzard, Epic Games, ILM, Pixomondo and others – and we use these relationships to create live project and placement opportunities where possible.