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University of Staffordshire

UCAS Code: I6K8 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Entry requirements

A level

A,E

AS

A,E

Pass Access to HE Diploma with 48 UCAS points

Extended Project

A*-E

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H5,H6,H6,H6,H6

OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate

D*-P

OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma

D*D*-PP

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate

D*-P

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma

PPP

OCR Cambridge Technical Foundation Diploma

D*D*,PP

OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma

D*-P

OCR Cambridge Technical Subsidiary Diploma

D*D*,PP

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

D*-P

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

D*D*-PP

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

D*-P

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

PPP

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

D*-P

UCAS Tariff

48

About this course

Course option

4years

Full-time including foundation year | 2025

Subject

Computer games programming

Aimed at aspiring programmers, our Computer Games Programming degree will show you how to create exciting games with professional hardware and software tools.

As members of the PlayStation® First Academic Program run by Sony, we have access to professional development hardware and software tools. Our labs will help you to develop for multiple platforms, including consoles, phones, tablets and PCs. We also have a usability lab for testing how people interact with games.

Staffordshire University is also a member of TIGA, the games industry body, which demonstrates the course adheres to industry requirements.

Our academics have experience in the industry and are engaged in research, so course content is always relevant. You’ll also get to hear our guest speakers discuss cutting-edge game development tools and processes.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: BSc (Hons) Computer Games Programming

Modules

Foundation Year Core: Games Design Foundations; Games Engine Foundations; Introduction to Games Scholarship; Introduction to Collaborative Enterprise; Programming Foundations
Year One Core: Bespoke Platform Development; C# Scripting for Games Engines; Computational Methods; Introduction to Graphics Programming; Mechanics Prototyping; Programming Fundamentals
Year Two Core: Applied Mathematics for Games; Game Artificial Intelligence; Junior Collaborative Games Development; Multiplayer Games Programming; Real-Time Rendering Framework
Year Two Optional: Game Audio; Tools Development; Experimental Systems; Real-Time Illumination Programming
Year Three Core: Games Development Project; Cross Platform Engine Development; Low-Level Platform Optimisation
Year Three Optional: Advanced Game Artificial Intelligence; Advanced Real-Time Graphics; Audio Programming; Cloud-Based Multiplayer Games Development

Assessment methods

Your course will provide you with opportunities to test your understanding of your subject informally before you complete the formal assessments that count towards your final mark. Each module normally includes practice or ‘formative’ assessments, for which you receive feedback from your tutor. Practice assessments are developmental and any grades you receive for them do not count towards your module mark. There is a formal or ‘summative’ assessment at the end of each module. This includes a range of coursework assessments, such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations, final year, independent project and written examinations. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£16,750
per year
International
£16,750
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni

Course location:

University of Staffordshire (Stoke Campus)

Department:

Digital, Technology, Innovation and Business

Read full university profile

What students say

We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

84%
Computer games programming

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

91%
Staff make the subject interesting
89%
Staff are good at explaining things
83%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
92%
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

87%
Library resources
69%
IT resources
91%
Course specific equipment and facilities
72%
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?

94%
UK students
6%
International students
90%
Male students
10%
Female students
71%
2:1 or above
15%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
C
C

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.

£26,000
low
Average annual salary
89%
med
Employed or in further education
73%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

60%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
7%
Design occupations
6%
Teaching and educational 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 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

£22k

£27k

£27k

£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.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
place
Staffordshire University | Stoke-on-Trent
Computer Games Programming
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time including foundation year 2025
UCAS Points: 112-120
Lower entry requirements
place
University of Sunderland | Sunderland
Game Development with Integrated Foundation Year
BSc (Hons) 4 Years Full-time including foundation year 2025
UCAS Points: 40
Nearby University
place
University of Salford | Salford
Games Design and Production with Foundation Year
BSc (Hons) 4 Years Full-time including foundation year 2025
UCAS Points: 64
Same University
place
Staffordshire University | Stoke-on-Trent
Computer Games Design and Programming
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time including foundation year 2025
UCAS Points: 112-120

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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