Masters Degrees (Brain Computer Interface)

This course will enable students with some experience of 3D computer graphics to develop and enhance their abilities in the skills required by the computer animation and visual effects industries. It is one of a suite of digital media courses that enable you to study professional digital media practice in a studio environment and work as part of an interdisciplinary team with students from across the full programme. Through a student-centred project-based curriculum, you work to develop specialist skills such as character animation, character rigging, effects animation, modelling, texturing and lighting.

Key features
-This course has been developed in consultation with our industry panel, which includes representatives from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, DreamWorks and Samsung Design Europe. We are also an active member of TIGA, the games industry's representative body, and the British Interactive Media Association (BIMA).
-The courses have a project-based curriculum where collaborative interdisciplinary teamwork is encouraged.
-The industry-focused learning experience enables you to hone your specialist skills in a professional context. Work placements, real projects, internships and an industry mentoring scheme will also prepare you for entry into the fast-growing and highly competitive digital media arena.

What will you study?

You will learn clean modelling techniques, principles of animation, lighting, shading, texturing, rendering and compositing. You will create computer animation assets, both alone and in teams, using industry-standard production techniques that stimulate a professional environment of collaboration to deliver a product on time. You will also work as part of a team comprising students from different media disciplines, undertaking projects that have previously included use of brain–computer interface systems, computer vision and optical stereoscopic 3D, and you will learn how to present yourself to potential employers through your professional presence and portfolio.

Assessment

Development of a portfolio of computer graphic work (including 3D assets, textures and animations), presentations, essays.

Work placement scheme

Kingston University has set up a scheme that allows postgraduate students in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing to include a work placement element in their course starting from September 2017. The placement scheme is available for both international and home/EU students.
-The work placement, up to 12 months; is optional.
-The work placement takes place after postgraduate students have successfully completed the taught portion of their degree.
-The responsibility for finding the placement is with the student. We cannot guarantee the placement, just the opportunity to undertake it.
-As the work placement is an assessed part of the course for international students, this is covered by a student's tier 4 visa.

Details on how to apply will be confirmed shortly.

Course structure

Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list. Those listed here may also be a mixture of core and optional modules.

Modules
-Creation and Animation
-Perfecting the Look
-Digital Studio Practice
-Media Specialist Practice
-Digital Media Final Project

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The Institute for Neuroscience has clinicians and scientists working together to understand the brain and behaviour. From the basic biology of neurons through to complex processes of perception and decision-making behaviour, we address how the mind, brain, and body work together and translate this knowledge into clinical applications for patient benefit.

We offer MPhil supervision in the following research areas:

Motor systems development, plasticity and function

We conduct clinical and preclinical studies of normal and abnormal development and plasticity of the motor system. We run functional studies and computer modelling of motor system activity throughout the neuraxis. We also research the development and assessment of novel therapies for motor disorders/lesions including stem cell and brain-machine interface.

Visual system development, plasticity and repair]]
We research the development and assessment of novel neuro-technological approaches to retinal dystrophy repair including brain-machine interface and stem cells. We use in vitro approaches to look at retinal development and visual system wiring.

[[Neural computation and network systems
We conduct experimental and theoretical (computational) studies aimed at understanding how neurones throughout the brain interact in localised networks to compute complex tasks. Our research looks at the role of network activity in a wide range of neurological, neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders.

Auditory neuroscience

We conduct clinical and preclinical studies aimed at understanding the brain mechanisms involved in detection, discrimination and perception of sound. We are interested in how these mechanisms are affected in individuals with brain disorders, including dementia, autism and stroke.

Pain

Our research focuses on:
-Understanding mechanisms underlying pain, analgesia, and anaesthesia
-The development of methods to assess pain and to alleviate pain in animals and humans

Psychobiology

We conduct studies in laboratory animals, healthy volunteers and patient populations investigating the mechanisms underlying mood, anxiety and addiction disorders and their treatment. Allied research looks at normal neuropsychology, and the physiology and pharmacology of neurotransmitter and endocrine systems implicated in psychiatric disorders.

Neurotoxicology

Our research focuses on delineating the effects and understanding the mechanisms of action of established and putative neurotoxins, including environmental and endogenous chemicals, and naturally occurring toxins.

Forensic psychiatry and clinical psychology

Our research covers:
-The assessment, treatment and management of sex offender risk
-Development and assessment of cognitive models
-Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) treatment for bipolar disorder, psychosis, anxiety and developmental disorders
-Developmental disorders of perception and cognition

Systems and computational neuroscience

We conduct theoretical (computational) and experimental studies aimed at understanding the neuroanatomy, neuropharmacology of vision, visual attention and episodic memory.

Behaviour and evolution

Many research groups take an evolutionary and comparative approach to the study of brain and/or behaviour, comparing brain function and behaviour among such disparate groups as insects, birds and mammals, and studying the ecological and evolutionary functions of behaviour. Much of our work is at the forefront of the fields of neuroethology, behavioural ecology and comparative cognition, and has important implications for the study and practice of animal welfare.

Visual perception and human cognition

We research:
-Colour and depth perception - perception of natural scenes
-Psychophysics and attention - memory
-Word learning in children
-Body image dysfunction
-Visual social cognition and face processing
-Advertising and consumer behaviour

Pharmacy

Our new School of Pharmacy has scientists and clinicians working together on all aspects of pharmaceutical sciences and clinical pharmacy.

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*Subject to validation

• APPLICATIONS OPEN. Contact course leader, Dan Mayers, on [email protected] if you have any questions.
• Gain industry specific experience by using real world workflow methodologies, deadlines and constraints.
• Work on projects with a range of industry partners including Ubisoft, Dreadnaught Studios, Miracle Tea Studios, Ipswich Games Hub.
• Unique partnership with Iron Crown Enterprises, publishers of the Rolemaster, Spacemaster, HARP and HARP-SF role play systems.
• Widen your career opportunities with links and project briefs from companies including Derivco, Coderus, Conga and Orbital Media.
• Open to graduates from a variety of backgrounds.

Introduction

The Msc Games Development course provides students with a higher-level understanding and direct professional experience through a multidisciplinary approach across commercial game projects. 

This course is ideal for graduates who have completed our BA (Hons) Computer Games Design or BSc (Hons) Computer Games Programming undergraduates degree, as well as those who have graduated from other related technical and creative subject areas who are wanting to enter the video games industry.

We have collaborative partnerships in place with community organisations and employers including commercial and third sector organisations. 

Students will be exposed to work on commercial games, providing them with an understanding of business and enterprise as well as preparing students for working within a commercial studio setting. 

One of our modules allows students to link up with the Ipswich Waterfront Innovation Centre (IWIC), providing them with access to more facilities and covering a range of business-related topics in connection with games development.

Course modules

Development Management (mandatory)

This module provides students with industry standard management methodologies and tools used to run team game developments. 

Visual Scripting (mandatory)

In this module. students learn how to develop games using visual scripting tools at high and low levels, depending on their discipline and background.

Group Project 1 - Multiple Rapid Prototyping (mandatory)

For this group project, students concept and rapidly develop game ideas, learning how to work efficiently as a team.

Group Project 2 (mandatory)

In this module, students will work on a longer 12-week development project. 

Business Development (mandatory)

This moduled covers a range of core business skills relevant to both the independent and large scale development studios. This will be delivered by the Ipswich Waterfront Innovation Centre (IWIC) where students will have access to the Entrepreneurial Programme as well as unlimited access to the IWIC facilities. 

Final Project (mandatory)

The Final Project involves independent learning as an extended dissertation covering a detailed exploration of an element of the games industry. 

Research Methods (mandatory)

In this module, students will learn rigorous academic and commercial research skills.

Career opportunities

Work-based practice is embedded throughout the duration of the course. All modules will relate to work-based learning, relating to commercial management processes or understanding production within a working environment. This will enhance employability and give graduates a greater understanding of games development within the work place. 

Graudates can progress in to a range of careers including: Game Programmer, Games Designer, Games Artist, Quality Assurance, Serious Games Developer and Gamification Developer to name a few.

Facilities and Resources

The MSc Game Development course will have access to the Eclipse Suite where students can access the facilities on specific days for independent working and group projects.

Students can benefit from a dedicated lab, access to two other game development labs and a range of game development hardware including, Oculus Rift, Emotive EPOC+ Brain interface, Leap motion, Myo, Phidget components for building custom game controllers, a range of mobile phones and tablets to test your games on.

Students will also have access to a common room area for MSc students and a custom games cabinet in which to run student games.

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