Computer Games Programming and Design with Digital Arts Foundation Year

If you’re looking to study a computer games programming and design or digital arts degree, but don’t have the relevant qualifications or experience, this foundation year will help you develop the core skills and knowledge to progress onto one of our related industry-focused undergraduate degrees.

You’ll cover key subject areas such as game art, game design, animation, CGI, VFX and code, and work on exciting practical projects designed to help you learn key digital design skills. You’ll also be supported to develop key transferable skills in preparation for your degree level studies.

To aid study, you’ll have full access to Solent’s industry-standard facilities, including specialist labs and high-end dual computers equipped with industry software such as 3ds Max, Maya, Substance, Photoshop, Unreal Editor and Unity.

You will be taught by passionate staff who are experts in their fields, with a wealth of real-world experience and knowledge.

Learn from staff who are experts in their field and who have vast industry experience.

What does this course lead to?
This foundation year will help you build the relevant skills and knowledge to enter onto one of our related degree programmes. This can lead to a career in the multi-billion pound games industry in areas such as video game studios and art production, to film and animation studios.

Who is this course for?
Solent’s Foundation Year in Digital Arts is intended for students without the required UCAS points for direct entry. This could be mature students returning to education, students without the required qualifications, or students looking to change career path after completing further education qualifications.

FOUNDATION MODULES
Digital Art Design
Digital Art Industries
Digital Art Projects
Digital Art Discovery
Digital Art Final Project
Digital Art Portfolio

On successful completion of this foundation year, you will automatically progress onto Year 1 of the BSc (Hons) Computer Games Programming and Design course where you will study the following modules:

YEAR 1 - CORE MODULES
Collaborative Game Development
Gameplay and Game Design
Maths for Games
Object Oriented Development
Programming Fundamentals
Scripting for Game Engines

YEAR 2 - CORE MODULES
Artificial Intelligence for Games
Gameplay Programming
Gamer Psychology and UX Design
Producing Games

YEAR 3 - CORE MODULES
Computer Games Major Project
Indie Game Development
Project Research and Professional Development
Studio Practice

YEAR 2 - OPTIONS (please note that not all options are guaranteed to run)
Cinematic and Narrative Design for Games
Level Design and Rapid Prototyping
Network Game Programming
Tools Programming and Engine Architecture

YEAR 3 - OPTIONS (please note that not all options are guaranteed to run)
Casual and Competitive Game Design
Graphics Programming

The course adopts a balanced, student-centred teaching and learning strategy programme of study combining critical thinking and practical skills. Students are encouraged throughout the course to develop their own thinking and creative skills across a range of topics and scenarios as they work towards their degree. Delivered through lectures, labs, seminars, and workshops, learning and teaching is structured to allow a logical, coherent and progressive attainment of knowledge and skills.

Lab based teaching enables students, guided by tutors, to develop key concepts and skills to tackle briefs that increase in complexity each year. During lab sessions, students have frequent one-to-one opportunities to interact with tutors and fellow students, and consequently lab sessions are used as an effective tool to develop the sense of community and belonging. As project work is used extensively throughout the Computer Games courses, lab teaching provides the ideal environment for students to explore, develop and formulate responses and present solutions in relation to module learning outcomes and project briefs.

Students are expected to engage proactively with their learning. This includes taking responsibility to attend all timetabled sessions and understand that attendance and full participation in the course will impact upon their ability progress and achieve.

Level 4 introduces students to fundamental concepts in game design and programming skills, underpinning the knowledge and skills needed to study in this field. Students will also be introduced to essential skills including research, academic writing and referencing, both creative and critical thinking and use of relevant software as well as a first touch with cross-course collaborative modules (studio modules) to improve their team-work skills. Whilst students are encouraged to embrace the challenge of studying at higher education, approaches to teaching and learning at Level Four are designed to provide students with ample opportunities for formative feedback and support such that by the end of this level students become confident learners ready for progression.

Level 5 extends the knowledge and skills base to a higher order of intellectual thinking, analysis and synthesis. Level 5 students explore progressive concepts, subjects and, as a consequence, knowledge and understanding in greater depth and breadth. Students have the opportunity at level 5 to explore advanced theories in computer game design as well as software development principles, and gain sophisticated asset development techniques and visualisation skills that can be applied to larger projects and wider contexts. Furthermore, students acquire more in-depth team-based development soft skills that are essentially for projects of much larger scope.

On successful completion of Level Five students will have acquired practical, cognitive and transferrable skills manifested in the application of knowledge to complex scenarios and deployed through critical judgement and increased levels of confidence and self-assurance.