Our two games courses encourage you to become entrepreneurial in the way you approach the gaming industry - an important skill given the number of independent games, particularly for mobile phones and tablets that are hitting the marketplace. What's more, this dynamic degree duo share their first year of study, which means you can easily transfer to BSc (Hons) Games Techology at the end of your first year if you feel that your skills and passions would be better suited to the other pathway.
The Games Programming course will see you become a proficient programmer and give you a clear understanding of how to apply those techniques to the games industry. Furthermore you’ll develop your knowledge of artificial intelligence, giving you a broad range of skills that can be put to good use in the context of games programming.
There are five dedicated games labs on campus - one in the brand new Fusion Building which includes 27 new seminar rooms, three lecture theatres, research space, roof-top terraces and numerous catering facilities, and a store from which you can take out equipment for your projects, including Oculus headsets, Leap Motion devices, graphics tablets, iPads and Android tablets. 91% of our final year students said they have been able to access specialised equipment, facilities, or rooms when they needed to – why not come and meet us and see these for yourself?
In order to take advantage of new approaches to learning and teaching, as well as developments in industry to benefit our students we regularly review all of our courses. This course is currently going through this process and we will update this page in April 2017 to give you full information about what we will be offering once the review process has concluded.
Facilities
Location
Start date
Bournemouth
(Dorset)
Fern Barrow, Talbot Campus, BH12 5BB
Start date
On request
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Subjects
Credit
Object oriented training
Artificial Intelligence
Object-oriented training
Teaching
Graphics
Project
Industry
Programming
Media
Learning Teaching
Course programme
Course details
On this course you will usually be taught by a range of staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This will include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners, demonstrators, technicians and research students. You will also benefit from regular guest lectures from industry. We have an industrial advisory panel who offer guidance on course content. They regularly host guest talks and Q&A sessions for our students. Amuzo recently mentored a student group, offering them office space and support on their premises.
Year 1
Core units
Creative Business Awareness: An overview of the creative technology industry and how businesses of different sizes work in this sector. You'll take part in business simulations and develop professional skills such as team working, project management, presentation and information communication.
Media Devices & Networks: Here, you'll learn about the basic operations of computers and media devices, and network limits and capabilities to merge audio, video and gaming equipment and multimedia content across networks.
Software Programming: Learn about the practices of planning, designing and using computer programs for audio and media application.
Computer Graphics for Games: The aim of this unit is to introduce students to a number of the fundamental mathematical concepts that are used to underpin the understanding of computer graphics used in game development.
Games Production Techniques 1: A double-weighted unit that will introduce you to games development focused on beginner’s level, to develop your understanding of modern game creation for the rest of the course. The unit will look at the history of computer games across the last few decades and hardware and software.
Year 2
Core units
Commercial Business Environment: An opportunity to develop commercial and professional skills for operating a business in the creative industry. The unit incorporates teamwork on simulated business projects.
Group Project: Develop multidisciplinary team working skills through delivering a project. You'll gain knowledge of production processes and be able to communicate your ideas effectively in person and online.
Programming for Graphics & Games: You'll develop a game engine for advanced 2D sprite base games and 3D graphics rendering. There's a particular focus on the mathematical and technical theory needed for gaming software.
Mobile Games Programming: Sound and software programming for creating games and 3D graphics for mobile platforms. There will be a particular focus on developing for platforms like the iPhone and the iPad.
AI Game Programming: The artificial intelligence needed for games programming. You'll look at key AI algorithms and how they're used in games.
Object Oriented Techniques: Gain object oriented analysis and design skills, along with knowledge of algorithms and data structures to create software architectures for object oriented programs. You'll analyse game needs to make rues that separate games into components.
Year 3 (Placement)
You may choose to complete an optional 30-week minimum placement or a short 8 week industrial work placement which can be carried out anywhere in the world. You'll get an opportunity to include a period of academic study during this time. The placement year offers a chance to gain experience and make contacts for the future.
Year 3/4 (Final year)
Core units
Innovation & Business Development: Develop your own innovative business ideas. You'll gain skills and experience to set up and manage your own business in the creative industry.
Individual Project: An opportunity to apply what you've learnt to develop multimedia, network and business systems. You'll practice problem solving for research, synthesis, realisation and evaluation, and present your project using oral, written and modelling techniques to a professional standard.
Graphics & Computational Programming: Become an expert in graphics hardware and GPU programming with a focus on the technical theory needed for developing advanced visual graphics. You'll look at the shader technology and GPU programming paradigms.
Game Engine Programming: You'll look at theories for designing game engines and investigate the architecture of commercially available engines in the game industry.
Scheduled learning and teaching activities
Contact hours
The hours below give an indication of how you can expect to spend your time during each year of this course. You will learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops and practical sessions. Your independent learning could include reading books and journal articles, working on group projects, preparing presentations, conducting library research and writing your assignments.
In addition to the taught units on this course you will spend time in our dedicated studios using the latest software. Your third year is spent in an industry environment. In your final year, you will spend a significant amount of time on self-directed learning in order to create a unique and substantial project that can be exhibited online.
Year 1 – 33% of your time will be spent in timetabled learning & teaching activities
Learning and teaching: 392 hours
Independent learning: 808 hours
Non-credit bearing learning and teaching: 82 hours
Year 2 – 29% of your time will be spent in timetabled learning & teaching activities
Learning and teaching: 362 hours
Independent learning: 838 hours
Non-credit bearing learning and teaching: 56 hours
Year 4 - 16% of your time will be spent in timetabled learning & teaching activities
Learning and teaching: 242 hours
Independent learning: 948 hours
Non-credit bearing learning and teaching: 6 hours
64% of the course is assessed by coursework
Year 1: 85%
Year 2: 85%
Year 3: 0% (placement)
Year 4: 87%
Throughout the course you will be assessed by coursework culminating in your final year research project, but you will also undertake group work and written exams.
Programme specification
Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.
Download the programme specification for BSc (Hons) Games Programming.
Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.
All statistics shown are taken from Unistats, Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE), BU institutional data and Ipsos MORI (National Student Survey) unless otherwise stated.
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