BSc (Hons) Games Development

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BSc (Hons) Games Development

Institution code: N39
Course 3 Year UCAS code: I610
Course 4 Year UCAS code: I611
Course length: 3 or 4 year options

All courses starting in September 2021 will run as a hybrid of on-campus and digital teaching and learning and will follow UK government safety advice. We may need to adjust course delivery if advice changes. We will notify applicants and students of any changes directly.

You will learn the end-to-end process of making games and prepare for a successful career on our Games Development degree – at a university ranked in the global top 50 by industry veterans at The Rookies in 2020.

“Ask why and ask why does it have to be that way and can it be better?” – Charles Reeves, Director of User Experience Design at Aviva and previously at Call of Duty gives a guest lecture at NUA.

You will explore the mechanics of playful interaction on our BSc (Hons) Games Development degree as you develop skills in prototyping and user testing.

You are a games designer, developer, or coder who wants to learn the end-to-end process of making games and prepare for a successful career in a dynamic and rapidly-evolving industry.

You will work with different technologies and platforms, including console, web, mobile, PC, augmented and virtual reality.

How you think, make decisions, and develop ideas will evolve as you learn to code games that give users an exceptional experience. And you will be part of the NUA Games community, interacting and collaborating with your peers on our sister course, BA Games Art and Design.

Workshops, technical demonstrations and live briefs will help prepare you for a career in the games industry.

NUA Games is a member of the Sony PlayStation First Academic Partnership Programme, and was ranked as the UK’s best educational institution in 2017. The Rookies, a global panel of games industry experts, ranked NUA in the world’s top 50 in 2020.

Games development – your way

You will be exposed to a variety of industry-standard platforms and technologies – including virtual, augmented, mixed and extended reality – but will always focus on your own personal and professional interest.

Applying computer science, and knowledge of emerging technologies to the creation of prototypes, you’ll create different types of game for different audiences, based on evidence gathered through research, observation and practical experimentation.

You’ll evolve how you think, make decisions, and develop ideas, to ultimately code games that give users an exceptional experience.

Indie or in-house: games career options

You will acquire and develop the creative tools to develop unique and innovative games – and we’ll teach you how to make them successful. You’ll get a thorough grounding in the business of games, learning how to develop, distribute and licence games products as an independent producer.

Typical careers paths include

Games Designer
Game Programmer
DevOps Engineer
Game Developer
UI Programmer
Product Designer

Web Designer
Software Researcher
Engineer
Software Developer
AI Programmer

You’ll also get specialist creative careers advice from our team in the Ideas FactoryNUA to help support you as you plan your career.

Course specifications
Three year degree
Four year degree
Course costs

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Course content

Year 1
Gain core Games Development skills through the design and development of a 2D game for a specific platform and audience
Research and develop aspects of game interface design through the application of digital design principals and frameworks
Learn the fundamental skills associated with software engineering for games and build core technical competency
Undertake development projects using industry standard practices and frameworks, incorporating relevant coding languages and libraries
Develop techniques for the collection and analysis of user interaction data and explore industry standard research methods
Develop prototyping, user testing skills and gain understanding of the role of cognitive science within game design
Develop awareness of the digital project lifecycle, key milestones and processes by designing and developing a fully functional web-based game project.

Year 2
Gain a deeper understanding of applied games development through the design and development of a 3D game for a specific platform and audience
Work within an industry standard integrated development environment (IDE) to develop more sophisticated programming techniques
Examine the principals of physics and mathematics that underpin games to simulate real-world environments
Examine the principles of data structures to push the boundaries of what is possible in 3D.
Investigate the use of algorithm and system design within the context of games
Identify and develop a technical specialism and area of interest
Deepen your project management experience using digital tools for developing and tracking progress, delivery and results
Develop awareness of issues concerning professional practice, funding structures, curation/display, enterprise and entrepreneurship
Consolidate and develop games testing processes.

Year 3
Develop advanced technical skills and demonstrate proficiency in your chosen specialism
Undertake work with non-traditional interface technology to deliver an experience to the player, e.g. using augmented reality, virtual reality or motion sensing
Opportunities to pitch ideas to industry professionals
Develop awareness of how to publish, license and create profitable games
Refine and apply advanced research skills toward the completion of a final project that will demonstrate craftsmanship and mastery of games development techniques as you enter the industry.

Student work

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Entry requirements
Portfolio guidance
Fees and funding
Four year degree

Typical UK offers

A / AS Levels – GCE

3 A-level qualifications at grades BBB to include a science/technical subject (e.g. maths, physics, computer science). Where candidates are not taking 3 A-levels, NUA will consider combinations of A-level/AS-level and other Level 3 qualifications.

BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF or RQF)
Distinction, Merit, Merit in a science/technical subject (e.g. maths, physics, computer science)

BTEC Diploma (QCF or RQF)
Distinction*, Distinction in a science/technical subject (e.g. maths, physics, computer science)

UAL Extended Diploma
An overall Merit in a science/technical subject (e.g. maths, physics, computer science)

Access to Higher Education Diploma (Art and Design)
Pass in a science/technical subject (e.g. maths, physics, computer science)

International Baccalaureate Diploma
A minimum of 27 points

NUA welcomes applicants of all ages from all backgrounds. Your application will be primarily assessed through your portfolio, responses to questions asked and personal statement, so even if you have no formal qualifications or do not meet our typical offers it can still be worth applying.

If you are studying at the time of your application and your application is successful it is likely that you will receive a conditional offer.

If the qualification that you are studying is not shown, do not worry as we are able to accept other pre-entry qualifications as well as combinations of different qualifications. Please do contact our Student Recruitment Team if you have any queries.

International applications

We accept qualifications from all over the world. To find our entry requirements from a specific country, please check our dedicated international pages.

Most international students are required to hold an English language qualification. Applicants are required to have a minimum UKVI approved IELTS exam score of 6.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in each section. Equivalent English language qualifications are acceptable such as, IB English language syllabus A or B/English Literature (Grade 4).

We also accept some alternative English qualifications. Learn more about our English entry requirements.

You can email us on international@nua.ac.uk if you’d like to discuss your application individually.

BSc (Hons) Games Development degree portfolio guidance

Your portfolio should be relevant to this course, but you can include a wide range of work that shows your technical competence, creative problem solving, industry awareness and career aspirations.

You may wish to include some of the following:

One or two games or game elements created using any software
A coding project that you’ve undertaken (any coding language is accepted)
Sketches, interface diagrams or prototypes that demonstrate your design skills
A short piece of critical writing (ideally a game analysis, critical review or ‘post-mortem’)
Demonstrations of problem solving (sorting glitches)
Examples of experimental collaborative projects (such as attending Game Jam events)
Details of any relevant placement or work-related experience you may have participated in

Further portfolio advice and tips

Get more advice on presentation formats, layouts and when to submit your portfolio in the application process.

Fees and Funding

The cost of your course is determined by your status as either ‘UK or ‘International/EU’, so it’s important to check your fee status. If you’re unsure, the UKCISA website will help you determine whether you’re eligible to pay a UK fee (also called a ‘home’ fee). If you’d prefer to speak to NUA directly, please contact student.finance@nua.ac.uk

UK students are eligible for a tuition fee loan from the UK government, meaning you won’t have to pay your fees up front. Further details about tuition fee loans are provided below. International students are not eligible for the UK government tuition fee loan.

2021/22 Tuition Fees for new entrants

Citizen status	Course	Fee
UK	Undergraduate degree (full-time three and four year degree)	£9,250

International (including EU)

Undergraduate degree (full-time three and four year degree)

£15,900

Fees will remain the same for each year of your course.

International students

Find out more about 2021 fees for international students and the scholarships and support available.

Financial support for UK students

Tuition fee loans and loans for living costs are available, as well as non-repayable NUA bursaries that take into account family income. Find out how to apply for funding.

Tuition Fee Loan for undergraduate study – 2021/22

Tuition fee loans are available for UK students.

Available to cover the full cost of your tuition
You don’t have to pay for your course up front yourself
Only start paying back when you are earning over £26,575 per year

Maintenance Loan for undergraduate study – 2021/22

Student Maintenance Loans are available from Student Finance England for UK students to help with living costs such as accommodation, food, clothes, travel and course expenses. The amount students receive is dependent on household income and any maintenance grant received.

A loan of up to £9,203 may be available if you live away from home.
A loan of up to £7,747 may be available if you live with your parents.

Different figures may apply if you are currently based in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

How can you find out more?

To learn more about loans, repayment calculations and other financial support, visit Student Finance. If you have any questions about fees, please email us: student.finance@nua.ac.uk

Scholarships

Find out about scholarship programmes available to NUA applicants.

Bursaries

For new entrants whose household income is assessed as £25,000 or less, the university will offer a contribution towards the costs of studying at NUA (such as equipment, materials and other course-related costs). Find out more about bursaries at NUA.

NUA alumni, staff and feeder staff discount

All NUA alumni are eligible for a £1,000 discount on NUA postgraduate degree fees. All NUA staff and staff from feeder institutions are eligible for a £500 discount on NUA postgraduate degree fees.

Four year degree – BSc (Hons) Games Development

Four year degrees offer students a chance to build on their experience within their undergraduate course of choice.

Year 0 will help to build confidence and develop subject specific practical, creative and conceptual skills – making full use of University studios and workshops.

Typical UK offers and entry requirements for Year 0 entry

GCE A/AS Levels
2 A-level qualifications at grades CC or higher.

BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF or RQF)
Merit, Merit, Pass in an art, design or media related subject

BTEC Diploma (QCF or RQF)
Distinction, Merit in an art, design or media related subject

UAL Extended Diploma
An overall Pass

UAL Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
An overall Pass

Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Pass

Access to Higher Education Diploma (Art and Design)
Pass

International Baccalaureate Diploma
A minimum of 24 points

If you are studying at the time of your application and your application is successful it is likely that you will receive a conditional offer.

Find out more

Related Courses

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Students

Thomas Russell

"I enjoy my contact time with tutors and being surrounded by such creative students and staff. The workshops have shaped my technical skill but for me, self-directed study has been the more rewarding."

BA (Hons) Games Art and Design