Games Design and Development

Throughout this course, students studying Games Design and Development will have a choice of elective modules in each Semester (except Semester 2 in Honours Year). This will provide students with the opportunity to create a unique pathway through the course, reinforcing skills and allowing students a chance to diversify their experience, and appreciate the wider context for which the related subject of computing operates.

Year 1

Your first year on the course offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary introduction to computing, emphasizing your chosen course. You’ll explore diverse modules from the School of Computing, Engineering and Technology – gaining a broader perspective on computing's context and be presented with the opportunity to begin tailoring your pathway experience through elective modules. You will develop crucial technical skills, first with intensive study that introduces important programming fundamentals, and then onwards with problem solving and core design skills. Additionally, you will engage in hands-on investigative tasks, fostering personal and professional growth through both individual and group work.

Year 2

Stage 2 of Games Design and Development continues to offer a choice of electives this year and encourages you to begin mastering experimental game mechanics and gain a fuller understanding and appreciation for diverse development pipelines, offering a chance to showcase your proficiency in prototyping and problem-solving within an appropriate game engine setting. You will explore projects in real world scenarios to reinforce professional skills and make considerations for important legal, ethical, professional, social and copyright/licensing issues. You will explore research fundamentals within a relevant area in your subject and begin a deep dive into game design and gameplay, understanding the importance of quality assurance within games but also, concerning the wider context of computing.

Year 3

Stage 3 (Degree Year) again, continues to provide a choice of electives throughout the year and the chance to explore further group working opportunities on an interdisciplinary level, where you will take a lead role in the planning and sprint-based development of a client driven product. Your professional skills will further extend into entrepreneurial thinking and relevant business model development, whilst you also begin exploring concepts of non-game scenarios and the subject of gamification practices. You will explore the subject of 3D modelling and extend skills into the reaches of immersive technology, providing more advanced techniques in VR development and game engine utilisation. Experiential development will challenge you to think more about user centred design, and how users engage with technology and wider experiences within games and the wider scope.

Year 4

Stage 4 (Honours Year) offers a unique structure on the course, where you will first explore topics of human computer interaction, considering factors such as user experience, and how these relate to games and the wider context of computing. You will then delve into games development, where you implement learned skills up to this point in the course and understand how design and development practices factor into more specialist project settings. There will be the opportunity to expand your skill set further in AI for games, and then select your final elective choice to complete the first Semester. You will then embark on a Capstone Project in the second Semester, where you will capitalise on learned skills in an expansive final project surrounding a chosen topic, and supported by a Project Supervisor. This project will see you expertly manage resource constraints, consider client/project needs and industry standards to then craft a specialist solution that promotes innovative/creative thinking and practice.

Learning Methods

This course is designed with an emphasis on the exploration, integration and application of theory, example and diverse practice. It enables the student to acquire and develop the subject knowledge and understanding necessary for successful professional employment and supplies methodologies for the adoption of a disciplined approach to games design and development, alongside important development tasks such as problem analysis, specification generation, critical design, implementation, and quality assurance.

Lectures share theory, whilst labs and tutorials explore practical skills and techniques. Class sizes of around 40 students are commonplace within the course, with teaching lasting roughly two to three hours, with intervals for discussion, practical activity, breaks and further instruction/clarification or recap.

Activity Summary

Year 4

• Lectures - 40 students per group, 4 hours per week
• Project Supervision - 1 - 6 students per group, 2 hour per week (semester 2)
• Practical class or workshop - 40 students per group, 8 hours per week

How long is a BSc (Hons)  Games Design and Development course?

A BSc (Hons)  Games Design and Development degree can be successfully completed in 4 years (5 years if the optional year-long placement or study abroad options are selected), in which the opportunity to receive the necessary skills are obtained.

Independent Study

Independent study allows you to engage fully with the wider context of the subject being taught in supervised classes. Spending time developing and enhancing both your knowledge and practice is important in this course. One 15 credit module represents around 150 hours of study during a Semester. This consists of roughly one third contact study (class times including lectures, labs etc.) and two thirds non-contact study, which involves your own self-directed study i.e., practicing your skills, project work, furthering knowledge and so on. Independent study is vitally important in this course and will strengthen your overall skills and learning experience.

Staff Delivering on This Course

You will be taught by passionate, highly experienced academics with industry and/or research experience within computing and creative design, games design and development, and the wider field of computing.

Staff members on the course are frequently recognised by the student body through the annual STAR (Support and Teaching Staff with Appreciation and Recognition) Awards – voted for by students and organised by RGU:Union. In recent years, staff members on the course have been recipients of several nominations and awards, including Lecturer of the Year awards, Supervisor of the Year, Personal Tutor of the Year, and multiple awards for Continued Excellence.

Many of our academic staff are Fellows or Senior Fellows of the Higher Education Academy or are working towards this accolade. This is a professional recognition of practice, impact and leadership of teaching and learning.

As well as academic members of staff, some teaching may be undertaken by industry experts, postgraduate research students, library staff, study skills and careers service staff.

Assessment

Students will experience a variation of assessment styles throughout the course consisting of portfolios, practical skills assessments, project outputs, group critiques, oral presentations and written assignments. These will ultimately culminate in Stage 4 (Honours Year) where students embark upon a final Capstone Project in Semester 2, where a project dissertation is compiled surrounding a chosen topic.

Year 1

• 3 Portfolios
• 4 Practical skills assessment
• 1 Group critique

Year 2

• 1 Written assignment, including essay
• 3 Portfolios
• 2 Practical Skills Assessment
• 1 Project output
• 1 Oral assessment and/or presentation
• 1 Group critique

Year 3

• 2 Portfolios
• 4 Practical skills assessment
• 1 Oral assessment and/or presentation
• 2 Group critiques

Year 4 

• 1 Written Assignment, including essay
• 1 Dissertation
• 2 Practical Skills Assessment
• 1 Project outputs

Feedback

We aim to provide you with feedback within 20 working days of hand-in for all written exams, coursework and practical exams.

Placements

Optional, paid short (3-months, Summer) or long (12-months, Year-long) placements can be undertaken in this course.

You will be supported by a dedicated Placement Coordinator within the school who oversees the placement modules. You will also be assigned a Placement Supervisor who will carry out regular visits to your placement provider and meet with you and your employer.

The confidence and experience you could acquire during a placement will make you more employable and put you one step ahead of the competition when you graduate.

Please note, placements are not guaranteed.

Study Abroad

You will have the opportunity to undertake an optional 12 month period of Study Abroad at one of our partner universities across the world. This is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in a different culture, whilst gaining a valuable and tailored educational experience, building upon the expertise gained within the first few years at RGU.

Job Prospects

Our collaboration with industry and the industrial placement scheme will provide you with the opportunity to be engaged in emergent trends and developments within a diverse and fast-paced creative industry. In addition, as your skill set extends into entrepreneurial thinking, you could consider starting your own company within the subject area and furthermore, invest in your own project ideas as you develop yourselves within the programme of study.

Is Game Design a good career choice?

This course aims to provide you with a range of design and practical development tools, alongside more advanced technical and professional skills in order to prepare you for a range of careers within a diverse creative industry. These may include but are not limited to:

• Game Designer
• Level Designer
• UX Designer
• Game Developer
• Gameplay Programmer
• AI Programmer
• Generalist Programmer
• 3D Modeller/Animator
• Environment Artist
• Technical Artist
• Technical Animator
• UI Artist
• 2D Games Artist
• 3D Generalist
• 2D Generalist
• 2D Animator
• VFX Artist
• Marketing Artist/Illustrator
• QA Tester

What is needed for a BSc (Hons)  Games Design and Development course?

Standard Entry Requirements

Year 1 entry

• QS/SQA Higher: BBCC and two further passes to include English and Maths at National 5 grade C or above if not held at Higher.
• GCE A Level Year 1 entry: CCC and two further passes to include English and Maths at GCSE grade 5 if not held at A Level.
• Irish Leaving Certificate Higher: H3H3H3H3 and two further passes to include English and Maths at grade O3 or above if not held at Higher.
• IB Diploma Year 1 entry: 26 to include a pass in Standard Level English and Maths at grade 4 or above if not held at Higher Level.

Year 2 entry

• QS/SQA Advanced Higher: CC at Advanced Higher plus CC at Higher (4 subjects), one of which must be Computing or another numerate subject. English and Maths at National 5 grade C or above if not held at Higher.
• GCE A Level: BBC to include Computing or another numerate subject at Higher. GCSE English at grade 5 or above is required if not held at A Level.

Minimum Entry Requirements

Year 1 entry

The minimum entry requirements for widening access applicants are:

• QS/SQA Higher: CCCC and two further passes to include English and Maths at National 5 grade C or above if not held at Higher.

Alternative Qualifications

We welcome applications from those with equivalent qualifications to those stated, including SVQs/NVQs, access programmes and overseas qualifications. Applications from students with non-standard qualifications or work experience will be considered on an individual basis.

Partner Colleges or Advanced Entry

Applicants who are interested in applying for advanced entry will be considered on an individual basis.

Students who are interested in applying for this course as part of the Degree Link programme from one of our partner colleges will be contacted separately by the ACCESS RGU team.

English Language Requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English should have an IELTS of 6.0 overall, with no component lower than 5.5, or an equivalent.

We accept a variety of in-country and secure English language tests, find out more:

Please note, some courses may require a higher standard of English than stated in this page. Contact admissions@rgu.ac.uk for further information.