Program Overview

Game Engineering MSc

Overview

UCA's MSc Game Engineering course aims to give you the necessary knowledge and skills to undertake advanced games development. You'll build on your previous technical studies, whether these are within a technical games subject or in another relevant technical discipline, to develop complex game outputs.

Key Information

• Campus: Farnham
• Start date(s): September 2025, May 2026
• Duration: 1 year full-time

What You'll Study

Term One

• Launch: Your launch week is the chance get to know your peers and start working collaboratively.
• Game Engine Programming and Development: You will develop a theoretical proposal of the game you plan to develop throughout the unit, demonstrating objectives, schedule, budget, choice of game engine, team members, assets to use and other relevant details.
• Games Research and Professional Contexts 1: In this hybrid unit, you will get the analytical tools to not only interrogate and interpret existing games and gameplay experiences in written and verbal form, but to apply what you learn to their practice in a reflective report.

Term Two

• Opportunity: Opportunity week gives you the chance to work collaboratively to produce and replicate industry practice.
• Game Artificial Intelligence: You will learn about artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning in the broader sense together with fundamental concepts to game AI such as game states, character intelligence, and agent and environment related topics.
• Games Research and Professional Contexts 2: Building on the methodological and analytical skills developed in Games Research and Professional Practice 1, you will be introduced to range of key concepts, theories and debates providing a conceptual lens through which to critically deconstruct game form and content.

Term Three

• Game Engineering Major Project: As the culmination of the course, this unit requires you to undertake a specialist and challenging project of your interest and choosing in the area of game engineering, and will demonstrate a professional level of accomplishment.

Fees and Funding

• Tuition fees: £10,500 (2025/26)
• UCA scholarships and fee discounts: Available to assist you with the cost of your studies.
• Financial support: Additional financial support is available to help you fund your studies.

Facilities and Equipment

• PC & VR Studio: 20 dual-screen PC workstations, virtual reality play test area with two dedicated PCs.
• CGA Incubator Studio: 6 high-spec PC workstations with dual monitor screens.
• Prototype Lab: 3 Ultimaker 3D printers, 1 Ultimaker 3D print washing machine, laptop rental machine storing 12 high-spec gaming laptops.
• Creative Lab: 26 PC workstations, full AV with 3 large screen TVs and full sound.
• PC & Cintiq Studio: 22 PC workstations all equipped with Wacom video drawing tablets, full AV with 3 large screen TVs and full sound.
• Large Sound Recording Studio: Large Esmono sound booth, Rode microphones, Foley props, Scarlett 20i18 interface, iMac, Pro Tools Studio.
• VR and Motion Capture Studio: Virtual Production and Mixed Reality Studio, powered by White Light SmartStage technology.
• UCA Farnham: This is our largest library space, which includes 55 iMac workstations, 41 PC workstations, 4 study pods with electrical connections and monitor, 2 study pods without monitor, 5 DSA Loanable laptops, large collection of LGBTQ+, Fashion, Feminist, Photography, Mental Health and Illustration Zines, Archives.

Career Opportunities

• Infrastructure Engineer
• Audio Programmer
• Engineering Technical Lead
• Game Developer
• AI Engineer
• Gameplay Engineer

Entry Requirements

• Standard requirements: A good honours degree or equivalent qualification in a related discipline, relevant work experience, demonstrating your ability to study at postgraduate level.
• Postgraduate requirements: A recognised bachelor degree or 3 year diploma with a strong portfolio in a relevant subject.
• English Language Requirements: IELTS 6.5 overall with no less than 5.5 in any section.

How to Apply

• Apply now: Use the application link to apply for the course.
• Submit an enquiry: If you have any questions or need more information, submit an enquiry.