Computer Games Development
Entry requirements
A level
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
UCAS Tariff
A typical offer will be a UCAS Tariff score of 88 - 112. A minimum of two full A-levels (or equivalent) is required. Every application is considered on an individual basis.
About this course
Love playing videogames? Why not be part of a team that develops them? On our practical degree, you will have the opportunity to gain technical skills and theoretical knowledge to help you become a confident and competent Games Developer. From programming, software design and asset development to character animation, this course will cover the industry latest to help you stay up-to-date, ensuring you’re ready for the working world upon graduation.
**Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?**
This degree will help you gain a strong knowledge and competence in software development, focusing on your development of software for computer games. It provides a balance of theory and practice in software engineering, systems, computing and games development, preparing you for employment in this exciting field. While the course focuses on software development in the context of games, the skills and knowledge you acquire are equally applicable to the production of software for sectors such as banking, manufacturing and retail.
The relevance of the degree is also underpinned by the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) Curriculum Framework (2008). We are a member of the PlayStation® Vita Academic Development Programme run by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), which provides access to professional console development hardware and software tools.
We are an NVIDIA CUDA Teaching Centre. We are also a member of TIGA, the trade association representing the UK's games industry.
Opportunity modules are a key part of the BNU curriculum. You’ll choose modules in both your first and second year from a broad selection in areas such as sustainability, entrepreneurship, creativity, digital skills, personal growth, civic engagement, health & wellbeing and employment. Opportunity modules are designed to enable you to develop outside the traditional boundaries of your discipline and help you to further stand out from the crowd to future employers.
**What will I study?**
During the first year you will develop your programming skills (C#) and apply them to the development of 2D mobile and console games and 3D levels within a commercial game engine. Other modules provide a taste of other disciplines in the games industry, including an introduction to games design and 3D modelling. Further modules provide a theoretical and practical understanding of the hardware on which games are deployed.
In second year you will continue to develop your programming skills (C++) and apply them to the development of realistic AI and graphical applications using a graphics library.
You'll also be taught about the processes involved in managing the development of complex games within large teams and as a member of your own team, develop a game in collaboration with students on other courses, such as BA (Hons) 3D Game Art, BA (Hons) Audio and Music Production, BA (Hons) Animation and BA (Hons) Visual Effects.
During your third year, you will develop a physics engine and integrate it into a games engine. You will also extend your understanding of the more complex AI techniques used within games and gain an insight into how games companies operate. A major component of the final year is the project, which provides an opportunity to develop a game or related software application.
**What are my career prospects?**
You will be well placed to pursue a career within the growing games and media sectors as Tool, Engine, Level, Graphical or AI Programmers. Alternatively, you may use the transferable skills gained to follow a career in the mainstream software industry.
Modules
**Year one**
**Core**
Programming Concepts
Computer Architectures
Level Design
Maths for Games
Game Design
**Opportunity**
2 x 10 credit year one Opportunity modules
**Year two**
**Core**
Graphical Programming
Object Oriented Analysis and Design
Object Oriented Programming
Project
**Optional**
Agile Project Management
3D Asset Design
Virtual Environments
Virtual Production Project
**Year three**
**Core**
Advanced Programming
AI for Games
Project
Advanced Team Project
**Optional**
Game Engine Development
Design Patterns
Critical Systems
Software Testing and QA
Physics Engine Programmer
Assessment methods
We have a strong computing department at the University, with a dedicated team of academics and professionals delivering industry-relevant courses in a suite of well-equipped computer labs.
You’ll benefit from small class sizes that give you a chance to develop close working relationships with the tutors and other students. You’ll learn through a mixture of lectures, seminars and workshops with one-to-one and small group teaching, as well as written assignments and practical exercises. You will also learn from guest speakers and benefit from valuable networking opportunities. Course assignments reflect real-life problems because we believe that’s the best way to learn – and it’s more fun!
We also encourage you to gain work experience whilst studying and actively look for clients for your project work, which provide you with the opportunity to develop your skills in a work-base setting.
Where possible, assessments are tied to real-world contexts and constraints, allowing you to practically demonstrate the skills you have developed. You may also be assessed through projects, in-class assignments, workshops, presentations and formal written exams.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
Buckinghamshire New University offers a range of bursaries and scholarships. For more information, please visit https://www.bucks.ac.uk/study/fees-and-funding/financial-support-bursaries-and-scholarships
The Uni
Buckinghamshire New University
School of Creative And Digital Industries
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Computer games and animation
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Computer games and animation
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
This is a relatively new subject area for this kind of data, so we don’t currently have very much information to display or analyse yet. Gaming is a growing industry, and if it continues to grow we should see the rather high unemployment rate coming down over the next few years. Much the most common jobs for graduates who do get work after six months are in programming roles - but as things stand, be aware that jobs in the field are very competitive and personal contacts - either through family, friends or via specialist employment agencies - are a crucial way into the industry so be prepared to talk as well as code!
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Computer games and animation
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£22k
£21k
£26k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
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It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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