Computer Science for Games (with placement year) BSc (Hons)

The modules for this course can be found in the latest programme specification.

The BSc (Hons) Computer Science for Games is intended to provide you with the theoretical base, and the tools and techniques which software developers need, regardless of their field of application, but placed within the interesting, practical context of games design.

All modules are core.

Year 1

• Mathematics for Computing (20 credits)
  To provide the foundations for formal specification and modelling of computer systems.
• Technical and Professional Skills (20 credits)
  To equip students with a range of academic, professional, personal and technical skills; to provide fundamental subject specific concepts; to raise awareness of, and interest in, ethical issues such as sustainability within the context of the students' chosen discipline, intellectual property, copyright and copyleft in IT, plagiarism, cyber security and privacy.
• Fundamentals of Programming (20 credits)
  To introduce fundamental principles of computer programming and software construction. To develop skills in problem solving applied to computer programming.
• Computer Architecture and Systems Software (20 credits)
  To gain a knowledge and understanding of the fundamental aspects of computer architecture and systems software with a focus on digital logic design, computer hardware systems and systems software.
• Software Design and Development (20 credits)
  To introduce object orientation (OO) in the context of software analysis and design and relate them to OO programming concepts. To further develop theoretical understanding and practical skills for developing software. To introduce basic software engineering principles of software project management.
• Internet Technologies (20 credits)
  To provide the background knowledge of computer and networked systems and the World Wide Web, and their modes of operation.

At the end of Year 1, students will be eligible to exit with the award of Certificate of Higher Education if they have successfully completed at least 120 credits and achieved the award learning outcomes.

Year 2

• Database Systems (20 credits)
  To provide a co-ordinated and consistent coverage of theory, design and development of database systems and their role in building software systems.
• Data Structures and Algorithms (20 credits)
  To introduce computational thinking for problem solving as core computer science knowledge that all computing practitioners are expected to know and use: to explore computational aspects of data representation and to develop familiarity with well- established and proven solutions to problems that occur frequently throughout computing and practical computing applications.
• Game Design, Programming and Development (20 credits)
  To introduce the technology of computer game construction and programming. To help you develop your game programming skills through the implementation of your own game ideas.
• Enterprise-Pro (20 credits)
  To provide theoretical understanding of and practical experience of a collaborative software development project.
• Computer Communications and Networks (20 credits)
  To introduce concepts of data communication with computer networks at different levels and applications. To develop skill in network design and performance evaluation skills. To reinforce the background knowledge with practical experience of computer networks.
• Computational Modelling and Artificial Intelligence (20 credits)
  To provide an introduction to the foundation of Symbolic and Declarative Computing.

At the end of Year 2, students will be eligible to exit with the award of Diploma of Higher Education if they have successfully completed at least 240 credits and achieved the award learning outcomes.

Final year

• Final Year Project (20 + 20 credits)
  To provide you with the opportunity to apply your knowledge assimilated and imparted during the previous years of your course, and advance your problem solving skills through the solution of a problem normally involving the practical development of a product or process.
• Numerical Methods and Computer Graphics (20 credits)
  To introduce, analyse and apply the basic principles, concepts, techniques and tools that are used to develop numerical algorithms for computer graphics, computer games and general real time applications.
• Mobile Applications (20 credits)
  To communicate knowledge of the technology necessary and available to deliver applications and web content to mobile devices.
• Neural Networks and Fuzzy Systems (20 credits)
  To understand neural networks and fuzzy logic theory; to gain knowledge of neural networks and fuzzy system development; to apply the techniques for solving real-life problems, such as signal processing, control, and pattern recognition.
• Elective* (20 credits)
• AI for Games (20 credits)
  To provide knowledge and experience of the creation of artificial opponents for a variety of games, using Artificial Intelligence techniques.
• Concurrent and Distributed Systems (20 credits)
  To introduce the nature and applications of concurrent programming with typical problems requiring synchronisation of, and communication between, concurrent processes; to introduce a variety of language primitives for inter-process communication and synchronisation, and to illustrate their applications.
• Motion Capture (20 credits)
  To attain a broad understanding of the processes of the motion capture sequence, from setting up cameras and capturing data through to editing and transferring capture data to industry standard animation packages.

*Choice for Elective is one 20-credit module at level 6 or 7 with no timetable clashes once in programme.
Students will be eligible for the exit award of Ordinary Degree of Bachelor if they have successfully completed at least 300 credits, and 240 credits before the final year.
THIS AWARD DOES NOT CONFER ELIGIBILITY TO REGISTER WITH BCS.

Students will be eligible for the award of Honours Degree of Bachelor if they have successfully completed at least 360 credits.
THIS AWARD CONFERS ELIGIBILITY TO REGISTER WITH BCS.