BSc (Hons) Games Design Part-time

Bachelor's degree

In Bolton

Price on request

Description

  • Type

    Bachelor's degree

  • Location

    Bolton

  • Duration

    54 Months

The market value of the UK games industry was approximately £5.7 billion in 2018, with over 37 million people playing games in the UK*. If you are seeking a career in a strong sector of the economy, then games is an excellent choice. From PC, console and mobile games, through serious games for education and training, to the emerging virtual reality games market, software developers are seeking highly qualified games specialists.

Our Games Design course offers a broad study of games, with an emphasis on the technical, design and innovation aspects, rather than programming. Key topics include content production, games and level design as well as platforms and technologies. Our dedicated games team will work to help you develop skills in games analysis, usability and playability testing and understand the concepts underpinning games production and the business of computer games (for instance sales and marketing).

Team-based projects involving regular critique sessions with your peers and members of our games team are designed to help you develop the high-level of team working and communication skills that are vital in the games industry. Our intensely practical, hands-on approach aims to encourage and support you to develop a high-quality portfolio of work ready to demonstrate your skills and creative flair to potential employers.

Facilities

Location

Start date

Bolton (Greater Manchester)
See map
Deane Road, BL3 5AB

Start date

On request

About this course

As a Games Design graduate you will have the ability to work independently, develop games, understand commercial markets, develop your teamwork and communication skills, develop concepts and respond to briefs, and also advance your project management and problem solving abilities. You will also develop a portfolio of work using industry-standard tools. This portfolio will allow you to demonstrate your skills, creative flair and passion for games development.

Moreover, elements of games design are emerging in fields such as business, education and healthcare. These areas offer enormous potential for the ambitious games graduate who can communicate with non-gamers.

What Can I Do With This Qualification?
Within games design there is a great deal of specialisation varying from broader design principles to more specific tasks such as level design and game balance. As a result, there are a number of career options available for graduates including roles within games design, graphic design, 3D modelling, animation, game programming, script writing, production management, level design and in quality assurance and testing.

Alternative Career Options
Multimedia artist
Digital animator
Software engineer

Your Level 3 subjects must include a technology-based subject; for instance, A-level Computing or BTEC Extended Diploma in Computing or Engineering.

You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent) including English and Mathematics.

You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.

University of Bolton games graduates have been enjoying careers in the games industry for longer than most – we were one of the first UK universities to offer games courses.
The course covers both 2D and 3D game environments, concepts and mechanics for traditional gaming (PC and console), mobile gaming (cloud, social and casual), and virtual reality gaming, along with game play analysis and testing.
We offer opportunities for you to go on studio visits and field trips, undertake work experience with relevant studios, and network with professionals.
The assignments and projects set on the course are based on industry pipelines and standards to give you a real feel for a career in the games sector.
Our well-equipped, dedicated games labs feature high-specification PC hardware, HTC Vive VR systems and industry-standard software, along with modern and vintage consoles.

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Subjects

  • Team Training
  • Production
  • Staff
  • Programming
  • Sales
  • Sales and marketing
  • Sales Training
  • Marketing
  • Sales Marketing
  • Usability training
  • Testing
  • Art
  • 3d training
  • 3D
  • Project
  • Animation
  • Lighting
  • IT
  • Design
  • Skills and Training

Course programme

Modules

Modules listed below are a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules as part of the course.
  • Fundamentals of 3D
  • Level Design
  • Introduction to Games Design
  • Scripting
  • Intermediate Scripting
  • Narratives
  • Intermediate Level Design
  • Technical Art
  • Advanced Games Scripting
  • Advanced Level Design
  • Group Portfolio Project
  • Major Project
Teaching, Learning And Assessment

Overall, the course is very practical in nature, with group work and team-based projects that encourage you to work alongside our more technical and artistic students (from the Games Programming and Games Art courses) forming an important part of your training. These experiences are designed to help you learn the industry pipelines and terminology used by these specialisms along with the team working, project management, problem solving, organisation and communication skills that are essential in the games and interactive entertainment industry.

You can also expect lectures, demonstrations, practical lab sessions, critique sessions (peer and assessed), reflective learning through journals and logs for various activities, as well as online sessions and support. Guided independent study and self-directed learning are equally essential to your success; for instance, library research and background reading, preparing for practical activities and working on projects.

We also encourage and support you to create your portfolio. This provides evidence of your creativity and skills in games design ready to show potential employers, and is considered vital for securing your first job in the industry.

In terms of formal assessment, you can expect written reports, assignments, projects, case study analyses, in-class tests, demonstrations, presentations, and others. These contribute to your final module mark and allow you to demonstrate that you have met the learning outcomes. We also use other forms of assessment to help you learn, especially critique sessions. These provide you with feedback and inform your development, though these do not count towards your final module mark.

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up to date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.

BSc (Hons) Games Design Part-time

Price on request