Masters Degrees (Game)

Program overview

The master of science degree in game design and development explores the entertainment technology landscape, along with other related areas of software development. The program has its technical roots in the computing and information science disciplines, while simultaneously covering the breadth of the game development field through course work in topics such as computer graphics, game engines, interactive narrative, and game design. The degree is specifically for students who aspire to careers within the professional gaming industry or a related field such as simulation, edutainment, or visualization.

This is a two-year, on-campus, cohort-based program in which students are admitted through a portfolio review process. During the second year, students form development teams that construct a working game engine and software title as the program capstone experience. This requirement includes both individual and group expectations. The capstone culminates in a defense before program faculty, as well as a public exhibition. Combined, these requirements provide a unique and comprehensive educational experience for individuals who aspire to a career in the game development industry.

Plan of study

The program's curriculum consists of required courses, a choice of five advanced electives, and a capstone experience.

Capstone experience

During the second year, students complete a team-based capstone experience where students present and defend their work. This presentation includes a faculty review, which constitutes the capstone defense, a public presentation, and a demonstration.

Curriculum

Game design and development, MS degree, typical course sequence:
First Year
-Game Development Processes
-Game Design
-Gameplay and Prototyping
-Colloquium in Game Design and Development
-Game Industry Themes and Perspectives
-Advanced Electives
Second Year
-Capstone Design
-Advanced Electives
-Game Industry Themes and Perspectives
-Capstone Development

See website for further details of available electives: https://www.rit.edu/programs/game-design-and-development-ms

Other admission requirements

-Submission of a portfolio and/or scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is required. If you choose to submit a portfolio it should include evidence of individual and group projects (clearly marked as such) relevant to the area you wish to study within the degree program.
-Complete a graduate application.
-International applicants whose native language is not English must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum score of 570 (paper-based) or 88 (Internet-based) is required. International applicants also are required to submit scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

Due to the cohort nature of the program, students are admitted in the fall semester only. Admission to the program is highly competitive. While GRE scores are not required for domestic students, students may submit scores to strengthen their application. Those applicants with a GPA below 3.25 are required to submit GRE scores.

Additional information

Prerequisites:
Students are expected to have at least one year of significant programming experience in a current object-oriented language—preferably C++ or Java—and a solid working knowledge of website development and interactive multimedia concepts. If students do not have these prerequisites, additional course work may be recommended to bridge any educational gaps.

Maximum time limit:
University policy requires that graduate programs be completed within seven years of the student's initial registration for courses in the program. Bridge courses are excluded.

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This course is one of the first of its kind in the UK and has a graduate employment rate of 97%. It prepares you for careers as software architects, project managers or software developers. You may also operate as a software consultant or do further research.

In collaboration with a number of high profile industrial leaders and computer game innovators, we have created an advanced course producing graduates with the potential to become future leaders in the global computer games industry.

The course is for honours graduates in computing science or a discipline with significant computing and/or mathematical content, such as computing, information systems, mathematics, engineering, systems engineering or physics.

You will benefit from:
-An industrial advisory board made up from high profile UK games companies
-Industrial placements at leading game studios
-Industry-sponsored prizes each year in categories such as Best Team, Best Project and Best Student
-A technical focus on game engineering

Newcastle has a first class record of research related to the development of computer game technologies and 97% of our graduates are in employment following graduation. Our graduates have gone on to work as programmers for a wide range of companies including:
-Ubisoft Reflections
-Fluid Pixel
-Nosebleed Interactive

The staff delivering this course have international reputations for their contributions to the fields of online gaming, graphics and simulation, artificial intelligence, programming and human computer interaction.

You will be encouraged to play a full part in the life of the School, participating in seminars delivered by distinguished external speakers. The experienced and helpful staff at Newcastle will be happy to offer support with all aspects of your course from admissions to graduation and developing your career beyond.

Delivery

The course is available over one year full time, leading to an MSc award. We will equip you with the skills and knowledge required to develop computer game software. We will also provide an international perspective on advancements in computer game development.

There are three phases in the course. Phase one (60 credits) consists of 20 hours per week of lectures. We will introduce core knowledge and skills through modules in:
-Programming
-Graphics
-Game technologies

You will also undertake a substantial amount of supervised and unsupervised practical work.

During phase two (30 credits), we emphasise the practice of computer game development through modules in:
-Research methods for gaming innovations
-Entrepreneurial skills for the game industry
-The development and assessment of an actual computer game (team exercise)

Phase three (90 credits) is the individual system development or research project.

Accreditation

We have a policy of seeking British Computer Society (BCS) accreditation for all of our degrees, so you can be assured that you will graduate with a degree that meets the standards set out by the IT industry. Studying a BCS-accredited degree provides the foundation for professional membership of the BCS on graduation and is the first step to becoming a chartered IT professional.

Our Computer Game Engineering MSc has Creative Skillset Accreditation as well as being officially recognised as a NVidia CUDA Training Center.

The School of Computing Science at Newcastle University is an accredited and a recognised Partner in the Network of Teaching Excellence in Computer Science.

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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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Award: Master of Fine Art, University of Chichester

Video games are evolving rapidly both technically and creatively, and this is creating enormous opportunities for game audio professionals. Our master’s degree in Game Music and Audio has been developed in close consultation with the industry to ensure you are learning the skills the industry requires.

The MFA course is an advanced degree and prepares you for a career as both a video game composer and as a game sound designer, the kind of full-stack game audio professional that is increasingly in demand. Scoring video games is rewarding and challenging but highly competitive. Our real-world project based approach, tutored by working professional game composers and sound designers, is designed to help you compete at the highest level. Being able to provide a complete audio service makes you much more employable.

The course will help you develop as a video games composer, raising your music to a new level, helping you find a voice and distinctive style of your own. You’ll also be going further and learning the technology and creative skills required to work as a video games sound designer, creating immersive audio worlds.

You will work on a inspiring range of games, including commercial releases, provided as part of your course materials. You will learn not only how to create inspiring interactive music and sound, but also how to implement your audio inside the game using industry standard middleware like FMOD and WWise.

Degree courses in game audio are few and far between. This is currently the only master’s degree in game audio and composition available entirely online. Whether you want to learn to compose for video games or are looking for a video game sound design course, our MFA will bring you real-world professional tuition you need to lay the solid foundations of a career in video game music and audio.

Course Highlights

- Personal 1-to-1 tuition from top professional composers and sound designers.
- Work on over 30 real-world projects. The workload is challenging but it’s only through hard work that you will truly reach the next level.
- Detailed feedback from working professionals, online workshops and tutorial groups, forum discussions and exclusive webinars.
- Unique programme developing key, industry facing skill sets, to prepare you for a career as a composer and/or sound designer for video games.

Fees

All of our postgraduate courses have a flat fee, regardless of whether you are full or part time.

Course: £6,875 / $10,050 / €8,995 (per year for two years)

Fees can be paid as one upfront cost, or as instalments spread monthly across the duration of the course.

Students are required to buy, rent or access additional books, scores, recordings, films and other reference material.

Time Commitment

In the UK, an MFA involves 240 academic credits and each credit represents a notional 10 hours of work..

For Game Music and Audio students there are 34 projects including a longer Major Project at the end of the course.

Practice based creative degrees are notoriously difficult to quantify in terms of how long they take to complete. It depends to a large extent, on how fast you write music. Some students write 5 minutes of music a day while others write 5 minutes a week or less. If you work reasonably productively, i.e. 2-3 minutes a day, which is probably average in the professional working industry, you would complete the work in much less time.

A well organized person, working productively, might be able to complete the course in two or three days a week whereas another working slower, might take 5 days a week. Assume therefore that the full-time lies somewhere between 2 and 5 days a week depending on your work rate. Part time would be pro-rata so a three year schedule would be 1-2 days a week.

The Provisional Schedule

Both full-time and part-time students join the same course. Full time students will compete their taught modules by the end of the 20th month. The rest of the year is spent on their major project. Part time students will do their modules in roughly twice the time.

To encourage a sense of “togetherness”, most of the group activities are not locked into particular modules. Guest lecturers, webinars, workshops and solo live sessions will be scheduled regularly throughout the year and are free for all to attend. The individual module work is normally more focused on individual or small group tuition and so is more flexible in terms of timing.

Application

When you are sure you are ready to apply for the programme, go to the course page and click the “apply now” button. This will take you to our store where you can pay the non-returnable application fee of £50 / €70 / $90.

Once your payment has been processed, you will be able to login and complete the application pack.

We will need your personal details, details of your academic, musical and technical background. If you are offered a place, we will require copies of a number of documents including those confirming your academic history, identity and language ability where English is not your first language.

You will also be required to send us some music.

For full details on the application procedure, please visit our website below.

Visit the MFA Game Music and Audio page on the ThinkSpace Education website for more details!

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Course Duration

Full-time (Sep): 12 months

Course Summary

MSc Video Game Enterprise and Production is a year-long Masters-level course for the next generation of games industry entrepreneurs and producers. We give people who want to work in games an in-depth experience of the full game development process combined with all the hard-edged business skills they need to run a small games business or manage a studio production. Employers of our graduates include Rockstar North, Traveller’s Tales, Creative Assembly and Exient.

You'll get specialist skills training, mentoring and support from leading game developers, artists, producers and business owners, with experience at such big-name developers as Eurocom, Electronic Arts and Freestyle Games, while Programme Director Zuby Ahmed founded his own company, SmashMouth Games. The course is delivered in a series of ‘boot camps’ followed by one-to-one support, studio based game development and project delivery.

Employment Oppportunity

Successful students will be prepared for roles in production and design; more specifically as project managers, scrum masters and assistant producers within the games industry. They will also be able to work in product development, as product owners, as designers/scripters or in game and business analytics, and will also be confident and able to set up their own video games business.

Previous graduates now work in roles including mission scripter at Rockstar North, associate producer at Rockstar London, assistant producer at Exient and assistant producer at Traveller’s Tales.

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Develop the skills and strong relationships with leaders in the UK digital games industry that will help you pursue a successful career in games- http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/mphil-phd-intelligent-games/

As part of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training Intelligent Games and Game Intelligence (IGGI) – a collaboration between Goldsmiths, the University of York, and the University of Essex – we are training the next generation of researchers, designers, developers and entrepreneurs in digital games.

It's a unique opportunity for you to undertake research in collaboration with our 60 industrial games partners and world-leading academics.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Dr Jeremy Gow.

Structure

The programme combines practical skills training with advanced teaching in cutting-edge research topics and the chance to contribute original research to a growing academic area.

There are 12 weeks of taught modules in the first year, covering:

Game design
Game development
Research skills

You'll also undertake two industrial placements during the programme. This will give you first-hand industrial experience that will influence your research projects.

You could decide to carry out leading-edge research in emerging areas that could include:

Embodied interaction
Intelligent games/Believable characters
Gamification
AI for game design

The MPhil programme offers the opportunity for the student to continue their research to a PhD.

Department

Computing at Goldsmiths is ranked 17th in the UK for the quality of our research**

**Research Excellence Framework 2014, Times Higher Education research intensity subject rankings

The Department of Computing offers a creative, contemporary and pioneering approach to the discipline.

From developing computers that can compose music and paint pictures, to defining and implementing new social media tools and applications, we aim to invigorate computing and the world around it.

Learn by doing

We place a great emphasis on creativity, independence and ‘learning by doing’. Students undertake practical work in real-world situations, carrying out projects in ways that mirror industry practice.

Interdisciplinary approach

We also promote an interdisciplinary approach to the subject: from computational arts to games and entertainment, and from data science to digital journalism.

Industry experts

You’ll be taught by industry experts – our academics are deeply engaged in current research, with many applying their knowledge and skills to developing cutting-edge technology. And we have close links with industry, too, regularly inviting leading professionals to deliver lectures and talks.

Skills & Careers

Develop the skills and strong relationships with leaders in the UK digital games industry that will help you pursue a successful career in games.

You'll be able to lead and define the state of the art in gaming, and will have the skills needed to shape the industry into one that is both technologically advanced and research aware.

You'll also benefit from the relationships you developed with the UK digital games industry, which could form the basis of a network of professional contacts that is likely to be very useful in the future.

Funding

Please visit http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/fees-funding/ for details.

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About the course

The video game industry is a vastly growing sector in both the UK and worldwide and the need for highly skilled and educated individuals is in high demand across the globe. With Brunel’s Digital Games Theory and Design MA programme, individuals will engage in, and experiment with, practical game design focussing on the process of devising the gameplay experience itself, including (but not limited to) the creation of rules, gameplay mechanics, narrative, world design and user experience, among many other aspects that make up the art of game design.

Coupled with a theoretical underpinning that focuses on the formal characteristics of games and analysis as well as the social and cultural contexts that shape the development of games, players, and society, this exciting programme offers students the opportunity to develop a range of skills that are required for success in today’s competitive job market.

Our programme is staffed with seasoned games designers and internationally published scholars who bring with them an extensive understanding of the nature of the video game industry, the importance of networks and the need for scholarly engagement in order to create innovative games for the future.

Aims

You will gain a comprehensive and sophisticated understanding of the advanced academic study of digital games and the techniques and principles used in their design.

You will be provided with the relevant expertise, teaching and learning environment to support your critical and creative engagement with issues at the cutting edge of analysing and designing digital games. You will contribute to the process of defining ‘game studies’ as a new academic discipline.

You will develop skills and knowledge to gain employment in the digital games industry and make contributions to the development of innovative games that go beyond current markets.

You will acquire the skills necessary to undertake doctoral level research.

Course Content

The MA consists of compulsory modules, a typical selection can be found below. Modules can vary from year to year, but these offer a good idea of what we teach.

Each module will have a range of assessments; some practical, others written.

Game Design 1 (term 1, 30 credits) - practical group design projects (small); written evaluative case study 2000 words; assessed presentation

Critical Approaches (term 1, 30 credits) - 2 x 3000 word essays

Game Design 2 (term 2, 30 credits) - 1 x practical design project tailored to a specific platform (large); written evaluative case study 3000 words; assessed presentation

Socio-Cultural Contexts (term 2, 30 credits) (1 x 6000 word essays)

Dissertation in Digital Games Design: Theory and Design - either 12,000-18,000 words or 8,000 words with practical component - delivered in either digital format or as a design document (term 3, 60 credits)

Students are expected to use the MA forum for discussions and are encouraged to participate in extra-curricular support activities such as game jams, local game related and networking events in order to practice the creative and technical skills developed throughout the programme and foster conversation and connections that are an invaluable part of the post-graduate experience.

Special Features

Students will engage in, and experiment with, practical games creation, with workshops led by designers working in the industry, as well as explore a range of theories and concepts with which to analyse the values of games, play and pleasure.

This programme offers a unique focus on practical games design, informed by theory that is not offered by any other university. It is not a software or graphics training programme.

We have a team of experienced games researchers teaching on the programme, some of whom have played a pioneering role in making game studies a new academic discipline.

Assessment

Assessment is via a combination of practical games-making work, presentations and essays of varying length.

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Game and Media Technology

This Master's programme concentrates on the technological aspects of gaming and multimedia in the context of computer science, with a unique thematic focus for research-minded students.

Gaming and multimedia have assumed an important place in our society, giving rise to a booming industry with turnovers exceeding the entertainment movie industry and leaps in computer software and hardware development. Advances show no sign of slackening with new types of games and hardware reaching the market regularly. Moreover, the value of games as an educational tool is increasingly being recognised and the integration of multimedia tools into everyday life is still continuing, creating fertile grounds for those with a high-level degree in the area of Game and Media Technology.

The research field deals with modelling virtual worlds, creating characters and behaviour, generating effective scenarios, building multi-sensory interfaces and redesigning didactic concepts. Simulating the physics, biology and psychology of the real world and bringing it to life in multi-sensory simulations are major challenges on their own. In this context, media technology plays an important part as it deals with the effective transfer of information using audio, speech, sound, and music, video, 3D objects, interactive virtual environments.

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On City's MSc in Computer Games Technology you can develop specialist technical skills for a career in the Computer Games Industry.

Who is it for?

This course is aimed at students with a passion for computer games and a strong interest in programming. It is designed for students with an undergraduate degree in a numerate subject with substantial computing content, or those who wish to update their skills after a time in industry as a computing professional.

Objectives

The course is designed for you to develop:
-Strong technical skills suitable for professional programming roles in the game industry.
-Specialist knowledge in computer graphics, AI, physics and audio.
-The ability to design and build game engines from scratch in industry standard languages, including C++.
-Knowledge of the games development process, including the pitch, design, and use of a game engine to build a demo.
-Experience of the planning, management and execution of a major games technology project.

Academic facilities

With over 1,300 workstations, the on-campus computer rooms provide a valuable learning resource and give an opportunity for individuals to do coursework and projects. Computers have games development software including:
-Unity3D
-Unreal
-Microsoft Visual Studio
-Microsoft XNA Game Studio
-MonoDevelop
-MonoGame
-NShader
-FMOD Studio
-FMOD Studio API
-OGRE SDK
-WildMagic Geometric Tools
-Blender
-Adobe Photoshop.

City has recently invested in a new computer lab equipped with high specification NVidia GPUs.

Through City's Interaction Lab and the Department of Computing, there is hardware that can be used for student projects, including:
-Oculus Rift VR Headset
-Emotiv Epoc EEG Headset
-Neurosky Mindwave EEG Headset
-X-Box One Kinect Sensor
-X-Box 360 Kinect Sensor
-Leap Motion (Gestural input device)
-Affectiva Q Band Galvanic Skin Response sensor
-Tobii X-60 Eye Tracker

Placements

As a postgraduate student on a Computing and Information Systems course, you will have the opportunity to complete up to six months of professional experience as part of your degree.

Our longstanding internship scheme gives you the chance to apply the knowledge and skills gained from your taught modules within a real business environment. An internship also provides you with professional development opportunities that enhance your technical skills and business knowledge.

Internships delivered by City, University of London offer an exceptional opportunity to help you stand out in the competitive IT industry job market. The structure of the course extends the period for dissertation submission to January, allowing you to work full-time for up to six months. You will be supported by our outstanding Professional Liaison Unit (PLU) should you wish to consider undertaking this route.

Teaching and learning

The teaching and learning methods we use mean that your specialist knowledge and autonomy increase as you progress through each module. Active researchers guide your progress in the areas of Games Development, Computer Graphics, Artificial Intelligence and Audio, which culminates with an individual project. This is an original piece of research conducted with academic supervision, but largely independently and, where appropriate, in collaboration with industrial partners.

Taught modules are delivered through a series of 20 hours of lectures and 10 hours of tutorials/laboratory sessions. Lectures are normally used to:

present and exemplify the concepts underpinning a particular subject;
highlight the most significant aspects of the syllabus;
indicate additional topics and resources for private study.
Tutorials help you develop the skills to apply the concepts we have covered in the lectures. We normally achieve this through practical problem solving contexts.

Laboratory sessions give you the opportunity to apply concepts and techniques using state-of-the-art software, environments and development tools. In addition, City’s online learning environment Moodle contains resources for each of the modules from lecture notes and lab materials, to coursework feedback, model answers, and an interactive discussion forum.

We expect you to study independently and complete coursework for each module. This should amount to approximately 120 hours per module if you are studying full time. Modules are assessed through written examination and coursework, where you will need to answer theoretical and practical questions to demonstrate that you can analyse and apply computer games technology methods.

The individual project is a substantial task. It is your opportunity to develop an autonomous research-related topic under the supervision of an academic member of staff. This is the moment when you can apply your learning to solve a real-world problem, designing and implementing a solution and evaluating the result. At the end of the project you submit a substantial MSc project report, which becomes the mode of assessment for this part of the programme.

Modules

The programme is composed of eight taught modules and a final project.

The eight modules provide you with a firm grounding in computer games technology, including mathematics, programming, and game engines and architecture along with specialist topics in computer graphics, physics, AI, and audio.

The project component gives you an opportunity to carry out an extended piece of work under the supervision of one of our specialist academic and research staff, at the cutting edge of games technology, in an industrial or academic context.

Core Modules - there are eight Core Modules.
-Games development process
-Computer game architectures
-Computer graphics
-Game Physics and Artificial Intelligence
-Digital Signal Processing and Audio Programming
-Programming in C++
-Systems Specification
-Research, Methods and Professional Issues

Career prospects

Graduates are equipped with advanced knowledge and skills in a range of topics in games technology in preparation for a career in computer games development.

Alumni of the course are working in companies including Rockstar, Sony Computer Entertainment, Electronic Arts, and Codemasters, as well as start-ups and independent studios.

City has a dedicated incubation space, called the Hangout, located in the heart of Tech City that is specially designed for student entrepreneurs from City, University of London who want to get their idea off the ground.

Professional roles include:
-3D Graphics Programmer
-Audio Programmer
-Physics Programmer
-Artificial Intelligence Programmer
-Simulation and Game Engine Programmer
-User Interface Programmer
-Tools and Utility Programmer
-Scripting Languages Programmer
-Networking Specialist
-Porting Programmer

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This course, one of a suite of digital media courses, enables you to study professional digital media practice in a microstudio environment with a focus on the design skills necessary for the field of games development. Through a student-centred project-based curriculum, you work as a games designer to develop your specialist skills while working as part of an interdisciplinary team with students from across the full programme.

-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).
-This course has been designed to utilise the best digital media expertise and resources from across the University, and will prepare you for employment in the digital media industry, where teams of specialists work together to develop and author innovative digital media projects.

What will you study?

Students on both courses will design and create computer games, alone and in teams, using industry-standard production management tools and techniques that stimulate a professional environment of collaboration to deliver a product on time. You will also develop vertical-slice prototypes using new technologies, such as computer vision and stereoscopy, and will learn how to present yourself to potential employers through your professional presence and portfolio.

Assessment

Vertical slices, prototypes, demos, videos, presentations, design documents, 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.

PlayStation First

Kingston University is an educational partner of Sony through PlayStation First.

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
-Digital Studio Practice
-Media Specialist Practice
-Game Design
-User Experience Design (Content)
-Digital Media Final Project

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This course, one of a suite of digital media courses, enables you to study professional digital media practice in a microstudio environment with a focus on the programming skills necessary for the field of games development. Through a student-centred project-based curriculum, you work as a games programmer to develop your specialist skills while working as part of an interdisciplinary team with students from across the full programme.

-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).
-This course has been designed to utilise the best digital media expertise and resources from across the University, and will prepare you for employment in the digital media industry, where teams of specialists work together to develop and author innovative digital media projects.

What will you study?

You will design and create computer games, alone and in teams, using industry-standard production management tools and techniques that stimulate a professional environment of collaboration to deliver a product on time. You will also develop vertical-slice prototypes using new technologies, such as computer vision and stereoscopy, and will learn how to present yourself to potential employers through your professional presence and portfolio.

Assessment

Vertical slices, prototypes, demos, videos, presentations, design documents, 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.

PlayStation First

Kingston University is an educational partner of Sony through PlayStation First.

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
-Digital Studio Practice
-Media Specialist Practice
-Real-time Programming
-3D Game Programming
-Digital Media Final Project

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Award: Master of Arts, University of Chichester

If you have a strong interest in video games and a background in music or audio, then this master’s degree course will give you the skills you need to work as a sound designer in video games. As a career it’s both creatively fulfilling and technically challenging. Creating audio worlds, storytelling with sound, finding innovate technical solutions to creative problems is what this postgraduate degree course is all about.

The course has been developed in close consultation with the industry so we know we are teaching you the skills your future employers want you to have. It’s a strongly project focused course and you will develop an effective workflow, remote working and collaboration and a clear understanding of what’s expected of a professional member of the game audio team.

You need to be technically literate and learn software easily. This course does not require you to learn to code but you will be developing a powerful combination of creative and technical abilities that are market-focused. Working in games is all about finding new ways of doing things and creative problem solving. This postgraduate course accurately reflects the working life of a games composer working as part of remote working team.
All your tutors are working professional video game sound designers.

You will work on a inspiring range of games, including commercial releases, provided as part of your course materials. You will learn not only how to create inspiring interactive music and sound but also how to implement your audio inside the game using industry standard middleware like FMOD and WWise.

Game audio courses and sound design schools are relatively few and far between. This is currently the only online master’s degree in game audio available. Whether you are a composer looking to increase your chances of employment or an audio professional with a passion a for sound design, our MA will bring you real-world professional tuition you need to lay the solid foundations of a career in video game sound design and audio.

Course Highlights

- Personal 1-to-1 tuition from top professional sound designers.
- Work on over 30 real-world projects. The workload is challenging but it’s only through hard work that you will truly reach the next level.
- Detailed feedback from working professionals, online workshops and tutorial groups, forum discussions and exclusive webinars.
- Unique programme developing key, industry facing skill sets, to prepare you for a career as a video game sound designer.

Fees

All of our postgraduate courses have a flat fee, regardless of whether you are full or part time.

Course: £8,850 / $12,950 / €11,600

Fees can be paid as one upfront cost, or as instalments spread monthly across the duration of the course.

Students are required to buy, rent or access additional books, scores, recordings, films and other reference material.

Time Commitment

In the UK, an MA involves 180 academic credits and each credit represents a notional 10 hours of work..

For Sound Design for Video Games students there are 24 projects including a longer Major Project at the end of the course.

Practice based creative degrees are notoriously difficult to quantify in terms of how long they take to complete. It depends to a large extent, on how fast you write music. Some students write 5 minutes of music a day while others write 5 minutes a week or less. If you work reasonably productively, i.e. 2-3 minutes a day, which is probably average in the professional working industry, you would complete the work in much less time.

A well organized person, working productively, might be able to complete the course in two or three days a week whereas another working slower, might take 5 days a week. Assume therefore that the full-time lies somewhere between 2 and 5 days a week depending on your work rate. Part time would be pro-rata so a three year schedule would be 1-2 days a week.

The Provisional Schedule

Both full-time and part-time students join the same course. Full time students will compete their taught modules by the end of the 9th month. The rest of the year is spent on their major project. Part time students will do their modules in roughly twice the time.

To encourage a sense of “togetherness”, most of the group activities are not locked into particular modules. Guest lecturers, webinars, workshops and solo live sessions will be scheduled regularly throughout the year and are free for all to attend. The individual module work is normally more focused on individual or small group tuition and so is more flexible in terms of timing.

Application

When you are sure you are ready to apply for the programme, go to the course page and click the “apply now” button. This will take you to our store where you can pay the non-returnable application fee of £50 / €70 / $90.

Once your payment has been processed, you will be able to login and complete the application pack.

We will need your personal details, details of your academic, musical and technical background. If you are offered a place, we will require copies of a number of documents including those confirming your academic history, identity and language ability where English is not your first language.

You will also be required to send us some music.

For full details on the application procedure, please visit our website below.

Visit the MA Sound Design for Video Games page on the ThinkSpace Education website for more details!

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Computer games are expected to reach a global revenue of $111bn in 2015; yet over half of the UK’s video games employers reported a lack of suitably-skilled graduates in 2011. Both for entertainment and for more serious purposes such as virtual reality training, computer games, gamification and games intelligences are increasingly important in today’s world. This is your opportunity to turn your passion into a career.

At Essex we specialise in virtual worlds, machine learning, artificial intelligence and high-level games design and development. On our course, you develop both theoretical and practical knowledge of computer games. Our flexible approach allows you to fill gaps in your knowledge and brush up on a variety of languages, making sure you’re ready to bring your designs to life.

You explore topics including:
-Game design
-Game AI
-3D games development
-Mobile app programming
-Physics-based games

Our School is a community of scholars leading the way in technological research and development. Today’s computer scientists are creative people who are focused and committed, yet restless and experimental. We are home to many of the world’s top scientists, and our work is driven by creativity and imagination as well as technical excellence.

We are ranked Top 10 in the UK in the 2015 Academic Ranking of World Universities, with more than two-thirds of our research rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent (REF 2014).

Professional accreditation

This degree is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).This accreditation is increasingly sought by employers, and provides the first stage towards eventual professional registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).

Our expert staff

The University of Essex was the birthplace of the ‘virtual world’. Multi-User Dungeons (MUD) – multi-player, real-time virtual worlds – were created by our students, including Richard Bartle, who still teaches Computer Games here today. Richard was also included in Geek.com’s list of the most influential game developers of all time.

Our research staff also include Professor Victor Callaghan, who researches immersive reality, creative science and education technology; Dr Michael Gardner, who researches virtual reality systems and mixed-reality environments; and Dr Adrian Clark, who works on computer graphics and augmented reality.

More broadly, our research covers a range of topics, from materials science and semiconductor device physics, to the theory of computation and the philosophy of computer science, with most of our research groups based around laboratories offering world-class facilities.

Our impressive external research funding stands at over £4 million and we participate in a number of EU initiatives and undertake projects under contract to many outside bodies, including government and industrial organisations.

Specialist facilities

We are one of the largest and best resourced computer science and electronic engineering schools in the UK. Our work is supported by extensive networked computer facilities and software aids, together with a wide range of test and instrumentation equipment.
-Essex is one of three co-founding universities of the new Centre for Doctoral Training in Intelligent Games and Game Intelligence
-We have six laboratories that are exclusively for computer science and electronic engineering students. Three are open 24/7, and you have free access to the labs except when there is a scheduled practical class in progress
-All computers run either Windows 7 or are dual boot with Linux
-Software includes Java, C++, Perl, MySQL, Matlab, Microsoft Office, Visual Studio, and Project
-Students have access to CAD tools and simulators for chip design (Xilinx) and computer networks (OPNET)
-We also have specialist facilities for research into areas including non-invasive brain-computer interfaces, intelligent environments, robotics, optoelectronics, video, RF and MW, printed circuit milling, and semiconductors

Your future

Graduates of our School go on to work for giants in the field such as Intel and Panasonic, but the corporate route isn’t for everyone. Some of the most exciting and innovative work in the field is being developed by small start-up companies. Our optional business module focuses on developing your entrepreneurial spirit, teaching you how to apply your technical and creative skills to your own venture.

Our recent graduates have progressed to a variety of senior positions in industry and academia.

We also work with the university’s Employability and Careers Centre to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.

Example structure

-Game Design
-Game Artificial Intelligence
-Physics-Based Games
-Mobile & Social Application Programming
-MSc Project and Dissertation
-Professional Practice and Research Methodology
-Group Project (Incorporating a Game Jam)
-Programming in Python (optional)
-Intelligent Systems and Robotics (optional)
-Machine Learning and Data Mining (optional)
-Text Analytics (optional)
-Virtual Worlds (optional)
-High-Level Games Development (optional)
-Natural Language Engineering (optional)
-Creating and Growing a New Business Venture (optional)

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A degree for information technology and computer science graduates and recognised I.T. professionals who seek to further their knowledge and skills in advanced computing, programming, Interactive Technologies and Games Design.

Get the edge

The games industry is one of the fastest evolving and fastest growing industries in Australia.
Advancing your skills and knowledge in this specialist area with our Master of Information Technology (Interactive Technologies and Games Design) program will give you the edge on other graduates embarking on a career in this exciting field.

Who is this course for?

This course is designed for Information Technology graduates, Computer Science graduates and recognised IT professionals who wish to further their knowledge and skills in this field.

Course l earning outcomes

JCU graduates are committed to lifelong learning, intellectual development, and to the display of exemplary personal, professional and ethical standards. They have a sense of their place in the tropics and are charged with professional, community, and environmental responsibility. JCU graduates appreciate the need to embrace and be acquainted with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of Australia. They are committed to reconciliation, diversity and sustainability. They exhibit a willingness to lead and to contribute to the intellectual, environmental, cultural, economic and social challenges of regional, national, and international communities of the tropics.
In the context of a JCU graduate on successful completion of the Master of Information Technology graduates will be able to:
*Critically analyse to select appropriate tools and technologies to meet project requirements
*Evaluate industry standard contexts for project management approaches
*Apply lateral and original thinking to conceptualise and evaluate a range of solutions to relevant problems
*Demonstrate the ability to conduct their research in an ethical manner
*Advance knowledge of technologies and networking methods at both area networks and Internet level
*Critically evaluate legal and ethical issues including scope of liability and digital rights management
*Apply lateral and original thinking to conceptualise and evaluate a range of solutions to relevant problems
*Communicate technical information clearly through presentations, demonstrations and documentation
*Apply appropriate tools and technologies to meet project managements
*Use independent judgment to synthesise information to make intellectual and/or creative advances
*Critically reflect on progress to tailor self-learning goals to advance professional development.

Award title

MASTER OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (MInfTech)

Entry requirements (Additional)

English band level 1 - the minimum English Language test scores you need are:
*Academic IELTS – 6.0 (no component lower than 5.5), OR
*TOEFL – 550 (plus minimum Test of Written English score of 4.0), OR
*TOEFL (internet based) – 79 (minimum writing score of 19), OR
*Pearson (PTE Academic) - 57

If you meet the academic requirements for a course, but not the minimum English requirements, you will be given the opportunity to take an English program to improve your skills in addition to an offer to study a degree at JCU. The JCU degree offer will be conditional upon the student gaining a certain grade in their English program. This combination of courses is called a packaged offer.
JCU’s English language provider is Union Institute of Languages (UIL). UIL have teaching centres on both the Townsville and Cairns campuses.

Minimum English language proficiency requirements

Applicants of non-English speaking backgrounds must meet the English language proficiency requirements of Band 1 – Schedule II of the JCU Admissions Policy.

Why JCU?

James Cook University’s professional programs are internationally recognised and teaching staff are often research leaders in their fields.

Application deadlines

*1st February for commencement in semester one (February)
*1st July for commencement in semester two (mid-year/July)

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This course is aimed at creative graduates who want to develop the skills to work in the exciting area of games design. On this course you develop specialist skills to produce real-time game art with the latest 3D software used by industry. Areas include 3D modelling, asset design for props, environments and characters. The course is designed to allow you to specialise in the area of games design that is the most interest to you.

You focus on art and design fundamentals to underpin your 3D game designs as well as engaging with theory to develop your awareness of game mechanics and what makes games fun. These skills can be applied through game development projects undertaken in small teams with ‘Games Software Development’ students. You work in an ‘industry simulation’ style environment to produce game prototypes which could be released through our commercial studio ‘Steel Minions’. This gives you the opportunity to experience commercial team development practices in preparation for entering the industry.

Course structure

Modules

• 3D fundamentals
• Asset creation
• Game development practice

Also • games design futures project • creative media research and development proposal • creative media professional practice project • creative media masters project

Assessment

• coursework

Employability

Creative and skilled games artists and designers are in demand to meet the need for new and exciting products, as the industry relies on them to develop the next generation of games. Areas of work include • 2D and 3D art • animation • concept design • mobile, console and PC based platforms.

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