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Computer Science (Games Development)

Entry requirements


120-128 UCAS points to include a minimum of 2 A Levels Applicants are required to have Grade B/5 in GCSE Maths. If you hold a Grade C/4 in GCSE Maths, please contact the institution

Considered in combination.

Pass Access to HE Diploma (e.g. Computing/IT/Science/ Humanities/Engineering) with at least 33 Level 3 credits at Merit and/or Distinction to include 12 credits at level 3 in Maths with Merit.

Considered in combination.

Considered in combination

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

27-30

Maths and English accepted within as GCSE equivalent.

120-128 UCAS points from Higher Level Maths and English considered within as GCSE equivalent at H1-H7 or O1-O4

Considered in combination.

Considered in combination.

Considered in combination. Applicants are required to have Grade B/5 in GCSE Maths We will consider Maths modules within the BTEC alongside Grade C/4 GCSE Maths - enquire at institution.

Considered in combination. Applicants are required to have Grade B/5 in GCSE Maths We will consider Maths modules within the BTEC alongside Grade C/4 GCSE Maths - enquire at institution.

Considered in combination. Applicants are required to have Grade B/5 in GCSE Maths We will consider Maths modules within the BTEC alongside Grade C/4 GCSE Maths - enquire at institution.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DMM-DDM

Applicants are required to have Grade B/5 in GCSE Maths We will consider Maths modules within the BTEC alongside Grade C/4 GCSE Maths - enquire at institution.

Considered in combination. Applicants are required to have Grade B/5 in GCSE Maths We will consider Maths modules within the BTEC alongside Grade C/4 GCSE Maths - enquire at institution.

Considered in combination.

120-128 UCAS points to include 2 Advanced Highers Applicants are required to have Grade B/5 in GCSE Maths or an equivalent

Considered in combination with Advanced Highers

T Level

M-D

Merit to Distinction Overall depending on the Mathematics units studying within the T Level pathways

UCAS Tariff

120-128

To include a minimum of 2 A Levels Applicants are required to have Grade B/5 in GCSE Maths. If you hold a Grade C/4 in GCSE Maths, please contact the institution

Considered in combination

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

4 years | Sandwich | 2024

Subjects

Computer science

Computer games

Create your own apps, games, virtual and mixed reality solutions to build your profile as a versatile developer. This course challenges you to innovate in the games sector while applying your highly transferable skills using game technologies to solve real-world problems. Work individually and as part of a team, establishing your portfolio and career trajectory.

- **Build your profile as a versatile developer** Attract industry attention with an extensive portfolio of tech demos and indie game releases. Explore and reflect your interests and skillset through deep-dive solo projects. Collaborate in team projects to develop bigger games and more expansive systems.

- **Prepare yourself for the real-world work requirements in the industry** Learn the skills and experience the full development cycle from initial concept through design process and implementation to final project delivery and product release.

- **Dive into game dev and get involved** Join our active games and developer community, participate and compete in exhibitions and national events such as EGX, Develop, the Tranzfuser and the Global Game Jam. Meet like-minded people, present your ideas and build fun games.

- **Gain professional accreditation** Get a degree that's accredited by, and entitles membership of, British Computer Society, BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT.

We are a member of TIGA, the professional body for games developers in the UK.

Modules

In Year 1 you take part in core software development topics that underpin game development: programming, data structures and algorithms, security, and databases to build a highly transferable skills base. You will apply this fundamental knowledge to game development, solving gameplay problems and creating experiences with modern game engines.

In Year 2, core game programming skills are refined and then expanded upon with artificial intelligence. You learn about novel interface prototyping, game engine technologies, and player communication techniques. Establish your working processes, improve your coding, build exciting prototypes that showcase your passion for games. Knowledge gained in earlier stages of the computing programmes is consolidated and integrated into a substantial project. Students work in teams, champion professional roles, using game technologies to design and develop a solution for a given scenario.

Take advantage of the wide range of opportunities in related sectors, from small studios to multinationals, based in the UK or overseas and undertake a placement year.

In your final year you'll build a team and start a company – we have a track record in supporting student enterprise and generating start-ups. We have a strong developer community with regular game jams, hackathons, career fairs and developer conferences. Focus on your career path, selecting options to enable you to achieve a substantial individual project leading to a position or role in your chosen sector. A substantial individual project showcases your game development skill as you focus on topics such as industry engagement and graphics programming.

The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry and up to date information can be found on our website

Assessment methods

For up to date details, please refer to our website or contact the institution directly.

The Uni


Course location:

University of Plymouth

Department:

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Read full university profile

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.

78%
Computer science
89%
Computer games

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 science

Teaching and learning

80%
Staff make the subject interesting
77%
Staff are good at explaining things
69%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
82%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

93%
Library resources
74%
IT resources
95%
Course specific equipment and facilities
57%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

82%
UK students
18%
International students
89%
Male students
11%
Female students
66%
2:1 or above
22%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
D

Computer games and animation

Teaching and learning

92%
Staff make the subject interesting
92%
Staff are good at explaining things
85%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
90%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

94%
Library resources
79%
IT resources
98%
Course specific equipment and facilities
60%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

67%
UK students
33%
International students
73%
Male students
27%
Female students
62%
2:1 or above
8%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
C
D

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 science

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.

£25,000
med
Average annual salary
95%
med
Employed or in further education
81%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

70%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
7%
Information technology technicians
3%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals

This is a newly-classified subject area for this kind of data, so we don’t currently have very much information to display or analyse yet. The subject is linked to important and growing computing industries, and over time we can expect more students to study them — there could be opportunities that open up for graduates in these subjects as the economy develops over the next few years.

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.

£24,000
med
Average annual salary
93%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

70%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
8%
Information technology technicians
3%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals

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 science

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£25k

£25k

£28k

£28k

£34k

£34k

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.

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.

£25k

£25k

£28k

£28k

£34k

£34k

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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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

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:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here