Games Development with Integrated Foundation Year

Develop a professional games portfolio and industry-relevant skills, specialising in game art, technical design, and design and production, while gaining hands-on experience with a wide range of tools and technologies across the full game production pipeline.

Why study this degree?

1. Industry-focused skills preparing you for careers in games and creative technology
2. Hands-on, games-first learning through making and prototyping
3. Strong focus on player experience and game design thinking
4. Flexible pathways across art, technical design, and production
5. Experience with industry tools, technologies, and pipelines
6. Development of critical and reflective practice

The games industry is at the forefront of innovation, with technologies extending into a range of sectors. The sector continues to push boundaries, driving the development of new tools, workflows and creative practices.

With access to industry-standard tools and technologies, you will create engaging and imaginative games that explore storytelling and player experience. You will also gain insight into different roles within the industry, with a focus on visual development and how game narratives are designed and delivered.

Game making is central to this course, supporting you in developing your own practice within a supportive and critically engaged environment. Working both independently and collaboratively, you will develop skills in games culture, game design fundamentals, and game engine technologies.

Integrated Foundation Year
You will be introduced to the fundamental principles of games development, animation and illustration. Your foundation year gives you the time, space and support to explore your strengths, build confidence and prepare for the demands of project-based, industry-focused learning. Modules are as follows:

Module 1: Diagnostic exploration - making informed choices
Module 2: Technical - Technical knowledge in practice
Module 3: Specialist - Innovating specialist practice
Module 4: Integration - Integrated practice for progression to Higher Education

After completing your Integrated Foundation Year, you will study the following:

Year 1
In your first year, you will build a strong foundation in games development, exploring programming, software development, computer systems, and mathematics for games. Through practical projects and technical experimentation, you will develop the core skills required to create, test, and develop interactive game systems while establishing the foundations for further technical study.

Modules may include:
Rave Beginnings in Games
Computer Systems
Software Development 1
Mathematics for Games
Working in Games
Game Software Development

Year 2
In your second year, you will deepen your technical expertise through software development, algorithms, computer graphics, and artificial intelligence. Working on collaborative studio projects, you will apply these skills to the development of interactive game systems while strengthening your problem-solving, communication, and technical design capabilities. Through team-based development and applied projects, you will gain experience of the tools, workflows, and production practices used within contemporary game studios.

Modules may include:
Software Development 2
Algorithms
Computer Graphics
Artificial Intelligence
Games Studio Culture
Game Team Project

Year 3
In your final year, you will apply your knowledge through advanced areas of games development, including game engineering, game physics, and large-scale project work. Through studio-based development and your major project, you will strengthen your technical, professional, and production skills while developing a portfolio that demonstrates your ability to design, build, and deliver complex game technologies.

Modules may include:
Game Physics
Game Performance
Games Studio Project
Game Engineering
Final Major Project

All modules are subject to revalidation.

To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:

• Course does not award QTS