BSc (Hons) Games Development with Foundation Year

On our practical BSc (Hons) Games Development degree, you'll gain technical skills and theoretical knowledge to help you become a confident and competent Games Developer.Thanks to our close involvement with the sector, you can be sure you'll gain the skills employers are looking for. From programming to developing and character animation, this course will cover the industry latest’s to help you stay up-to-date, ensuring you’re ready for the working world upon graduation.**Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?**Our degree will help you gain a strong knowledge and competence in software development, focusing in particular on your development of software for computer games.The course provides a balance of theory and practice in software engineering, systems, computing and Games Development, preparing you for employment in this exciting field.While the course focuses on the teaching of software development within the context of games, the skills and knowledge you acquire are equally applicable to the production of software for sectors such as banking, manufacturing and retail.The technical element is underpinned by a number of professional certification programmes provided by Microsoft, HP and Cisco that you can choose to take on an optional basis throughout your degree. These can help complement your degree and provide you with a strong advantage when you enter the job market.The relevance of the degree is also underpinned by the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) Curriculum Framework (2008). The framework has been developed in collaboration with leading games companies and provides an indicative content of the game’s degree courses.We are a member of the PlayStation® Vita Academic Development Programme run by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), which provides access to professional console development hardware and software tools.We are an NVIDIA CUDA Teaching Centre. This is in recognition of the adoption of the CUDA parallel programming technology within the BSc Games Development curriculum.We are also a member of TIGA, the trade association representing the UK's games industry.**What will I study?**During the first year you'll develop your programming skills (C#) and apply them to the development of 2D mobile and console games and 3D levels within a commercial game engine.Additional modules will provide a taste of other disciplines within the games industry, including an introduction to games design and 3D modelling. Further modules provide a theoretical and practical understanding of the hardware on which games are deployed.Second year you'll continue to develop your programming skills (C++) and apply them to the development of realistic AI and graphical applications using a graphics library.In the third year, you'll develop a physics engine and integrate it into a games engine. You'll also extend your understanding of the more complex AI techniques used within games and gain an insight into how games companies operate.A major component of the final year is the project, which provides you with an opportunity to draw on the knowledge and skills gained in the previous years, to develop a game or related software application.**How will I be taught and assessed?**This course is offered as a four-year programme, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate degree.We have a strong computing department at the University, with a dedicated team of academics and professionals delivering industry-relevant courses in a suite of well-equipped computer labs.You’ll benefit from small class sizes that give you a chance to de