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University of Bedfordshire

UCAS Code: G453 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Entry requirements

A level

B,B,C

112 Tariff points

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

DMM

112 UCAS Tariff points

UCAS Tariff

112

About this course

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2025

Subject

Computer games

The creation and production of computer games has grown to become a huge, rapidly evolving industry with a growing need for talented technical and creative. This course’s hands-on approach to games development prepares you for the workplace, turning game ideas into playable demos right from the start. It also allows you to specialise in one of three areas in your second year: games programming; games design; or games graphics.

**Facilities and Specialist Equipment**
- Specialist animation and graphics labs with VR technology, high-spec computers, and motion-capture and green-screen studios.

- Cutting-edge software, from Autodesk 3ds Max and Maya to Unreal Engine and Blender, means you become familiar with the tools used in industry right from the start.

- Study alongside like-minded people in our vibrant, purpose-built STEM building with modern computing labs, group study hubs and bespoke teaching spaces.

**Partnerships and Collaborations**
- We are members of Ukie, which offers you benefits such as attending game conferences; applying for internships and mentorships; joining games-related events such as game jams; and receiving portfolio help and advice.

**Your Student Experience**
- Share teaching with students from our BSc (Hons) Computer Animation & Visual Effects course and benefit from the exchange of ideas and understanding.

- Learn to tackle complex problems through practical projects designed to meet the needs of players, industry and society.

- From your second year, select one of three areas in which to specialise:

games programming - learn industry-standard programming techniques and languages including C# and C++ so you can turn designed gameplay into a
playable form
games design - design immersive player experiences and game environments, levels, mechanics and game systems
games graphics - create artwork models and animations tailored for use in games using the latest graphics techniques in game engines.

- Benefit from regular practical sessions, studio sessions and, during your final year, supervisory meetings that support continuous learner-teacher interaction and help you reflect on your progress.

- Thrive under the guidance of our dedicated academic success tutors, there to support you through your studies.

- Our staff’s real-world expertise feeds directly into their teaching, keeping you up to date within this rapidly progressing industry.

Modules

Areas of study include:
- Fundamentals of Creative Technologies
- Games and Digital Asset Design
- Prototyping and Visual Programming
- 2D Graphics and Digital Art
- Principles of Games Programming
- Professional Industry Portfolio
- Studio Development Project
- 3D Graphics and Animation
- Applied Games Design
- Applied Games Programming
- Compositing for Visual Effects
- Desktop Applications Development and Software Engineering
- Mobile Application Development
- User Experience Design
- Web Technologies and Platforms
- Disruptive Technologies
- Undergraduate Project for Creative Technologies
- Advanced Games Design
- Advanced Games Programming
- Advanced Graphics for Games
Every effort is made to ensure this information is accurate at the point of publication on the UCAS website. For the most up-to-date information, please refer to our website.

From the second year onwards, you will select an area of specialism from Games Programming, Games Design or Games Graphics

**Games Programming Specialism**
- Learn a variety of Industry standard programming techniques and languages including C# and C++ enabling you to develop the ability to take designed gameplay and realise it into a playable form.
- Work with existing game engines as well as programming the underlying systems required to develop game engines tailored to the emerging needs of projects.
- Learn to manage a game development project individually and part of an interdisciplinary team, including use of source control programs.
- Develop game code for a variety of platforms (e.g. PC, console, mobile, web…) and experiment with emerging technologies to enhance your skills and employability in working on the cutting edge of games programming.
- Produce proof of concept prototypes that will develop into full-fledged games, applying games specific software testing methods to evaluate and iterate to produce high quality outputs.

**Games Design Specialism**
- Design immersive player experiences and game environments, levels, mechanics and game systems.
- Learn how to create in-game challenges and obstacles to be overcome and enjoyed without excessively frustrating players.
- Follow a typical game development lifecycle from a designer’s perspective, from initial concept development through to pitching, pre-production, prototyping and release phases.
- Learn to playtest games and use game-specific techniques such as expert heuristic evaluation for playability, focus groups and data analytics to iteratively refine and improve your designs for better gaming experiences.
- Learn to professionally document game designs and express ideas and designs clearly to team members.
- Learn to apply theory and practice from computer science, psychology, affective computing studies, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), User Experience (UX) design, ludology ("the study of games and play") and visual design principles to develop innovative and deeply engaging and enjoyable gameplay experiences.

**Games Graphics Specialism**
- Learn to create artwork, models and animations that are tailored for use in games using the latest graphics techniques in game engines.
- Learn concept development skills and sketching in 2D graphics programs, 3D modelling, rigging and animation of assets such as props, scenery, characters or whole environment or level designs.
- Work with a wide range of software packages used by games industry professionals to develop your own unique range of creative and representational skills.
- Develop shaders and other procedural assets and learn to extend the functionality of the software packages and games engines used.
- Learn professional drawing techniques and carry them through from sketches to 2D and 3D game assets.
- Learn to create stunning levels and game environments with cameras and lighting effects.

The Uni

Course location:

Luton Campus

Department:

School of Computer Science and Technology

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What students say

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

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

67%
UK students
33%
International students
94%
Male students
6%
Female students
77%
2:1 or above
50%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
E
A

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.

£23,000
med
Average annual salary
65%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

33%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
21%
Information technology technicians
7%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

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.

£20k

£20k

£27k

£27k

£29k

£29k

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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Course location and department:

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Teaching Excellence Framework (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.

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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?

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