Games Design and Production with Industry Placement
UCAS Code: G471
Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
96-112 UCAS Tariff points - Minimum of 2 A levels with grades CCC - BBC
AS levels are accepted in combination with Level Three qualifications; including A-levels and BTECs.
Pass level 3 QAA approved Access Diploma .96 to 112 UCAS tariff points.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
Grade C or grade 4 (or above) in Maths and English GCSE is required.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
96 to 112 UCAS tariff points.
Accepted in combination with other Level Three qualifications.
Accepted in combination with other Level Three qualifications. 96-112 Ucas Tariff Points.
Accepted in combination with other Level Three qualifications.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
96-112 Ucas Tariff Points
Accepted in combination with other Level Three qualifications.
96 to 112 UCAS tariff points.
96 to 112 UCAS tariff points.
UCAS Tariff
Minimum number of A2 subjects or equivalent - 2
You may also need to…
Attend an interview
About this course
The dynamic world of computer games production is at the cutting edge of creative media and one of the largest growth areas, internationally, within the creative industries.
The industry experience module will provide an invaluable opportunity for you, not simply to put your academic, creative and technical knowledge and skills into practice in a relevant professional context, but also to acquire first-hand experience of organisational structures, practices and processes as well professional networks within the creative industries.
Offering a unique mix of both the creative and the technical; the course has become well known for developing technically savvy, creatively aware and future thinking professionals.
The course has produced graduates who have found employment both within the Triple A sector (Travellers Tales, Rockstar) in balance with students working in more independent creative studios such as Matmi and Mi.
The course continues its success in 2015 with the release of A Pixel Story (Lamplight Studios), A nomination and running up for Flatliners (Triple Ox) and securing of incubation space for Galatic Enforcer (Uh Ho Studos) at the Landing, Media City UK.
Modules
Year 1: Year 1 takes you through the basic art and design processes and technical fundamentals of programming as well as the design and planning of creative games across platforms. You will also learn how to solve problems using design theory through practice, look into the emergent use of entertainment technologies and cover the fundamentals of 2D and 3D digital graphics. Theoretical modules cover the historical and social issues surrounding creative media, and project management skills are embedded across several modules.
Year 2: Year two builds on the design, planning and prototyping of a game and development production skills. Your elective modules enable you to specialise in the areas covered in the first year, such as 2D/3D character and environment art and graphics.
The opportunity to take part in an industry placement module of up to 16 weeks will prove invaluable. You’ll put your creative and technical knowledge into practice, acquire first-hand experience of organisational structures and processes and build your professional network. An appropriate placement will be arranged by you, with our assistance, with the aim of finding one that matches your own particular creative direction and ambitions.
Year 3: In the third year you will learn about patents, copyrights and other means of legal protection as well as the economics and structure of the industry. You will also work as part of a team to produce a prototype game and undertake an individual portfolio (chosen from Programming; Art and Graphics; Sound and Music; Design). You will write a practice-based dissertation in the final year allowing you to combine the theoretical and practical work into a single project.
The Uni
University of Salford
School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology
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.
Computing
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.
Computing
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
£27k
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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