Program Overview

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Games Design and Development - BSc (Hons)

Overview

The BSc Games Design and Development is a studio-based programme that provides students with specialist knowledge and experience in designing, developing, and programming gameplay experiences using industry-standard tools, software languages, and practices associated with making games.

Award

Bachelor of Science with Honours

Faculty

Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

School

School of Arts and Humanities

Campus

Derry~Londonderry campus

Start date

September 2025

Career Opportunities

With this degree, you could become:

• Game Producer
• Game Designer
• Gameplay Engineer
• Games Developer
• Games Programmer
• Level Designer
• VR Developer

Course Aims

The course aims to:

• Expose students to a professional set of tools, methods, processes, and knowledge related to computer games design and development in support of the development and enhancement of their own creative, academic, and game-making skills.
• Develop practical, professional, and transferable skills to contribute to their chosen profession or to pursue further study.
• Enable students to acquire a high degree of knowledge, understanding, and experience in game design and development disciplines and studio development.
• Simulate game studio experiences that enhance skills in teamwork, through a number of group projects.
• Enable students to pursue a high level of intellectual enquiry, independence, and critical awareness through academic conventions and creative practice of game design and development.
• Offer the opportunity to work on live projects, industry-generated initiatives, and competitions, in order to gain essential work-based learning experience and develop the transferable skills essential to succeed in the creative and cultural industries.
• Enable students to acquire experiences, technical skills, and knowledge appropriate to the professional contexts of game design and development disciplines.

Objectives

On completion of the programme, students will produce and present a body of work, or equivalent output, that:

• Evidence experiences and application of professional practices in games design and development.
• Demonstrates a familiarity with contemporary game-making studio processes and practices.
• Shows an understanding of the specific roles of professional Game designers and developers within game studio production.
• Evidence understanding and application of undergraduate research methods which will be implicit in the projects.
• Confirms critical and analytical skills in relation to historical and contemporary game design practice.
• Show that they have acquired skills in communication, presentation, and research.

Modules

Year one

• Fundamentals of Game Programming
• Game Design Theory and Practice
• Professional Game Development

Year two

• Game Graphics
• 2D Game Creation

Year three

• Advanced Game Programming
• Game Character Control and Behaviour
• Game Mechanics and Gameplay Design

Year four

• Game Audio & Visual Effects
• 3D Game Creation

Year five

• Games Research and Innovation
• Game Development - Business and Entrepreneurship

Year six

• Project: Game Design
• Project: Game Development

Standard entry conditions

We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course, you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.

A level

Grades BBC

Applied General Qualifications

QCF Pearson BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma / OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma (2012 Suite) Award profile of DDD

RQF Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma / OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma (2016 Suite) Award profile of DMM

Irish Leaving Certificate

112 UCAS tariff points to include a minimum of five subjects (four of which must be at higher level) to include English at H6 if studied at Higher level or O4 if studied at Ordinary Level.

International Baccalaureate

Overall profile is minimum 25 points (including 12 at higher level)

Access to Higher Education (HE)

Overall profile of 63% (120 credit Access Course) (NI Access Course)

Overall profile of 15 credits at Distinction and 30 credits at Merit (60 credit Access Course) (GB Access Course)

GCSE

For full-time study, you must satisfy the General Entrance Requirements for admission to a first-degree course and hold a GCSE pass at Grade C/4 or above in English Language.

Fees and funding

Module Pricing

The price of your overall programme will be determined by the number of credit points that you initiate in the relevant academic year.

For modules commenced in the academic year 2025/26, the following fees apply:

Fees Credit Points| NI/ROI Cost| GB Cost| International Cost* ---|---|---|--- 120| £4,860| £9.535.20| £17,010 60| £2,430| £4,767.20| £8,505 30| £1,215| £2,383.80| £4,252.50 20| £810| £1,589.20| £2,835

Scholarships, awards and prizes

• International Undergraduate Scholarship
• Other awards and prizes

Additional mandatory costs

Students purchase materials for their own coursework.

Field trips may incur additional costs.

It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.

Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.

There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits, and library fines.

Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.

See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up-to-date costs.

It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.

Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.

There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits, and library fines.

Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.

See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up-to-date costs.