Masters Degrees (Game Programming)

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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Designed to build on the computing knowledge gained in your undergraduate studies, this MSc will enable you to move into games programming and gain an in-depth knowledge of related specialised areas. The award covers a range of topics including: 3D graphics using DirectX, Artificial Intelligence, Physics, Low level PlayStation 3 programming, and software engineering for games.

Practical classes are taught using new high spec computers, mobile devices, and games consoles including the Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. By studying on this award, you will be at the heart of these exciting and innovative developments, and equipped for a future and promising career in this area. There is also the opportunity to complete a placement in the games industry.

Accreditation

BCS accredited: CITP Further Learning and CEng/CSci partial fulfilment.

Course content

Taught modules cover game engine programming and architecture, real-time graphics for games, low level techniques and optimisation, game artificial intelligence, concurrent and multiplayer game programming, professional games development, and research techniques. The main programming language is C++.

Throughout your course you will create games for a variety of computer and console platforms, mobile devices, and networked systems, both individually and in teams, building up a portfolio of work to show to potential employers. You will learn research methods and write a research proposal, and will then undertake a dissertation in an area of game programming which interests you.

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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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Computers are now ubiquitous with many devices and systems being controlled by software. Building robust and reliable software systems requires a deeper knowledge of software design principles and programming methodologies.

The MSc Computing is a full time, one year taught course with a focus on programming and programming related aspects. This is to enable our graduates to go on to a professional career in the computing industry in roles such as team leaders or skilled developers.

The course is designed for students who already possess a degree in IT or related discipline or have equivalent industrial experience, and want to deepen their knowledge in software systems. It covers a range of topics including advanced programming, software engineering and testing, privacy and security, advanced user-interface design and high performance computing.

Course aims
-Advanced Programming: You will gain a thorough grounding of advanced programming concepts using Java, concurrent and real-time programming principles.
-User-Interfaces: You will be introduced to introductory and advanced methods in how users interact with systems (Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)).
-Advanced Software Engineering: You will learn the principles of software engineering using UML, formal methods and software testing.

Learning Outcomes
When you graduate from this course, you will have an in-depth understanding of software systems and programming principles and be able to lead a team of developers in the IT industry. You will have a thorough understanding of:
-Advanced programming knowledge including Java and principles for high performance computing.
-Designing and specifying software components and systems using UML.
-In-depth knowledge of user interface design principles.
-Software testing, privacy and security aspect of software engineering and software management.

Project

The individual project is undertaken by students in Terms 3 and 4 (Summer term and Vacation term). The subject matter of projects varies widely; most projects are suggested by members of staff, some by external organisations, and some by students themselves, allowing students to undertake work relating to an area of personal interest that they wish to develop further.

All project proposals are rigorously vetted and must meet a number of requirements before these are made available to the students. The department uses an automated project allocation system for assigning projects to students that takes into account supervisor and student preferences.

Examples of previous project titles include:
-Autosuggestions using Ajax to improve tag based tactile image retrieval
-An Implementation of Mobile Application in Location-aware Service Domain
-Design and Implementation of a Tool Support for Time Bands Modelling
-Image Anomaly Detection and Object Recognition
-Image retrieval using region of interest detection
-Modelling and Simulation of Business Processes
-Reinforcement Learning for the StarCraft Real-Time Strategy Game
-Software for Autistic Children with Communication Difficulties
-The Design, Implementation, and Safety Analysis of a Mobile ePrescription System
-Using Procedural Content Generation to Provide a Set of Game Challenges During a Single Playthrough

Information for Students

The MSc in Computing course is for those with some background in computing, and so we make some assumptions about your existing knowledge and understanding.

You'll start the course with a focus on writing and developing Java programs. We assume that you are familiar with programming concepts and terminology, so we advise you to review basic programming concepts, such as:
-Variables and their types
-Control structures (e.g. if-statements, loops)
-Subprograms (e.g. procedures, functions)
-Compilation and debugging.

If you have never used Java, you will benefit greatly from doing some reading and trying out Java programming before you arrive. We will teach you from first principles, but the pace will be fast and you will find it easier to keep up if you've practiced with the basics beforehand. Tutorials and practical exercises are the best way for you to prepare, and the Deitel and Deitel book below is a good source of these.

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By studying this Masters, you’ll be well placed to join one of the most performance-driven applications of computer science – the multi-billion pound global games industry. As a graduate, you will work at the top-end of the games industry and will develop computer graphics on high-performance platforms, or write engines for the next generation of games.

Developed in collaboration with a prestigious steering group, this course will build on your computer science knowledge to specialise in computer graphics, where programmers must push computing resources to the limit, using deep understanding of architecture and high-performance programming to generate new levels of graphical realism and visual effects on cutting-edge hardware platforms.

You’ll gain proficiency in low-level programming, a thorough understanding of multi-core and many-core programming techniques, game engine and tool development techniques, and fundamental insight into graphics and the practical techniques used in games.

Designed to meet the needs of industry

You can be sure that what you learn will be the technical skills required by industry as this course has been developed in collaboration with a prestigious steering group from industry comprising:

• Barog Game Labs
• Double Eleven
• Epic Games
• NVIDIA
• Team 17
• Sumo Digital
• Weaseltron.

Members of our steering group will contribute to the delivery of the course ensuring that you learn the latest industry developments. You’ll also have the opportunity to engage directly with the games industry, through:

• co-curricula industry lectures
• visits to games development companies
• attending UK games events.

We are also a member of Game Republic, which is an industry-led professional games network that supports and promotes the Yorkshire and Northern England games sector. We hope that students of this course will take part in the Game Republic student showcase.

Specialist facilities

You will use workstations with high-end GPUs to act as DirectX12 and Vulkan games development platforms and have access to other specialist hardware including the latest Virtual Reality headsets for experimenting on. For learning games engine design and exploring new rendering techniques, students will be working with the source code of a leading game engine, Epic’s “Unreal Engine 4”.

Course content

Interested in graphics? Our course provides unparalleled opportunity to study graphics in depth, with more modules on advanced graphics and graphics programming than any other institution in the Russell Group.

A series of compulsory modules will develop your knowledge and skills in high-performance graphics and games engineering. By the end of this course, your technical skills – as demanded by the industry – will be second to none in the following areas:

• low-level programming (C++, Graphic and Compute shaders)
• multi-core and many core programming techniques
• computer graphics, from core principles to the practical techniques used in games, including: geometric models; animation and simulation; advanced methods for visual realism.
• game engine and tool development techniques.

Over the summer months you’ll also work on your research project. This gives you the chance to work as an integral part of one of our active research groups, focusing on a specialist topic in computer science and selecting the appropriate research methods.

Want to find out more about your modules?

Take a look at our High-Performance Graphics and Games Engineering module descriptions.

Course structure

Compulsory modules

• MSc Project 60 credits
• Parallel and Concurrent Programming 15 credits
• Foundations of Modelling and Rendering 15 credits
• Games Engines and Workflow 15 credits
• Geometric Processing 15 credits
• High-Performance Graphics 15 credits
• Animation and Simulation 15 credits

Optional modules

• Bio-Inspired Computing 15 credits
• Data Mining and Text Analytics 15 credits
• Cloud Computing 15 credits
• Semantic Technologies and Applications 15 credits
• Image Analysis 15 credits
• Scheduling 15 credits
• Scientific Computation 15 credits
• Graph Theory: Structure and Algorithms 15 credits

For more information on typical modules, read High Performance Graphics and Games Engineering MSc in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

We have an active research environment which feeds directly into our teaching. You’ll have regular contact with staff through lectures, seminars, tutorials, small group work and project meetings. Independent study is also important to the programme, as you develop your problem-solving and research skills as well as your subject knowledge.

Our close links with industry also mean that you have direct contact with industry and potential employers from an early stage in your course. Members of our steering group will contribute to the delivery of the course ensuring that you learn the latest industry developments. You’ll also have the opportunity to engage directly with the games industry through industry lectures, visits to games development companies and attending UK games events.

Assessment

You’ll be assessed using a range of techniques including case studies, technical reports, presentations, in-class tests, assignments and exams. Optional modules may also use alternative assessment methods.

Career opportunities

There is a shortage of highly skilled graduates in this field, so once you’ve completed this course it’s highly likely that you will be in demand. You’ll be well placed to join the multi-billion pound global games industry, in positions such as a software developer, technology leader for graphics and rendering or a games development leader or a technical director. You’ll be expected to progress rapidly into leadership roles, becoming the ‘go to’ person for expertise in graphics technologies.

Outside the games industry, the programming skills you develop during this course would allow you to secure a position in other performance-driven industries, for example embedded systems. Your computer graphics expertise could lead to opportunities in the animation and visual production industries.

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Our groundbreaking MSc has been developed in response to a pressing need to offer a high quality postgraduate programme serving the industries of computer games and entertainment, with an emphasis on programming, maths and graphics, business, IP, entrepreneurship, team management, 3D animation, AI and physics in games- http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/msc-computer-games-entertainment/

The computer games and entertainment business is a fast growing multi-billion dollar worldwide business, with games platforms ranging from Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Wii U, mobile and handhelds including iPhone, iPad and Android phones, PC-based, and massively multiplayer online games (MMOG) involving tens of thousands of people.

With ongoing strong demand for graduate computer games programmers from the UK and abroad, this MSc will produce graduates who are well positioned to get a job in this exciting worldwide industry. Potential employers include EA, Ubisoft, Sony, Activision, Microsoft, Cinesite, Framestore, and many more.

The programme is delivered by a mix of professionals from the industry and from the research world. We work closely with industry leaders to offer internships at studios including Sega and Sony.

In a wider sense, the influence of computer games programming is spreading to other digital media industries outside games, including gamification and the medical sector, games based learning, new forms of social networking and the interactive visualisation of scientific and live financial business data. Computer games are starting to fundamentally change the way people interact with computerised systems.

Partnership: Sony‌‌

‌Our MSc in Computer Games & Entertainment is part of the PlayStation®First Academic Partnership Programme offered by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) uk.playstation.com. Our course provides students with unique access to PlayStation® professional development hardware (dev kits) and software (SDK) to equip students with industry relevant game development skills across PlayStation®3 and PlayStation® Vita. http://www.worldwidestudios.net/london

Placement: Supermassive Games

"Following two years of successful placements at Supermassive Games, which resulted in full time jobs, we are looking forward to inviting Goldsmiths students to take part in our internship assessment day again this year."
Jonathan Amor, Director of Technology, Supermassive Games
‌

Placement: Reflections - a Ubisoft studio

"We are delighted to announce that Reflections, a Ubisoft studio, will be taking on two Goldsmiths MSc Computer Games and Entertainment Programming students for Internship."
Dr Chris Jenner, Expert Programmer

Placement: Rebellion

"Having now placed four interns from Goldsmiths here at Rebellion, two of which have gone on to become permanent members of staff, we are very much looking forward to future applications from talented and creative Goldsmiths MSc Computer Games students”
Jason Kingsley OBE, CEO and Creative Director of Rebellion

Rebellion is one of Europe’s largest independent game developer-publishers, with their own state of the art cross-platform games engine and toolset. Rebellion’s latest number one hit was Sniper Elite 3, and they also publish the legendary 2000AD comic featuring Judge Dredd.

Placement: The Creative Assembly (SEGA)

Following two continuous years of The Creative Assembly (SEGA) successfully taking Goldsmiths MSc Games Programming Students on placements we are pleased to announce that we have reserved a minimum of three placements for Goldsmiths MSc students starting the course in September 2013, on site during the period May to September 2014. Subject to interview/ portfolio process”. Martin Servantes Director of Operations & Finance

Leading UK Developer Creative Assembly is the developer of the hit game series Total War. They are currently working on a new cross-platform title based on the Alien IP. Based in Horsham.

Placement: Jagex Games Studio

"Jagex Games Studio in Cambridge is looking forward to receiving applications from Goldsmiths’ talented MSc Games and Entertainment students for their summer internships in 2014”.
Sue Stather, Graduate Recruitment Specialist, Jagex Games Studio (RuneScape and Transformers Universe MMO Development Studio)

Placement: Roll 7

Roll7 is a New Cross-based indie video games developer and has been offering placements to Goldsmiths MSc Games students for three years. Roll7 is just about to release its first console title OlliOll, exclusively for PSVita, and we are looking for another 1 or 2 Goldsmiths programming interns for 2014 to work on a Sony backed PS4/Vita cross-play title.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact the Department of Computing.

Structure

Final Project & Dissertation
During this final project, you will undertake a project towards your dissertation, typically over the Spring-Summer period (May to September). We offer three options to our students:

Individual research project:

This is based on a research theme selected by you and agreed upon by the lecturing team. Recent examples include:
Building a cheap kinect-like gesture tracking system
AI (rule-based) platform for game level design
Software development for our mobile technology projects (iPhone based)
Assessment
Mainly based on coursework (involving programming), essays, final project and dissertation; some lecturers may also conduct exams/quizzes.

Attendance

The taught programme is organised into three terms (full-time). The Autumn term runs from early October to mid-December, the Winter/Spring term from mid-January to the end of March, and the Summer term runs, typically, from late April to mid-September. Taught modules are given during the Autumn and Winter/Spring terms, while the Final Project takes place during a Summer term (in the second year for part-time students).

This programme is focused on providing you with the skills and experience needed to secure a job in the computer games industry.

Skills

You'll develop excellent games programming skills. These skills are highly transferrable, as games programming is viewed by other industries as being very demanding and requiring a high level of technical ability.

Careers

The global computer games industry is valued at 60 billion USD and is predicted to continuously grow in years to come. It's a mature industry with companies such as EA, Ubisoft, and Blizzard Activision giving long-term career prospects, shares, and benefits. There is a big skills shortage in this growing sector.

Placements provided by our industry partners

Asylum Entertainment
Climax Studios
The Creative Assembly
Geomerics
IdeaWorks Game Studio (Now Marmalade Game Studio)
Playmob
Rebellion
Reflections - a Ubisoft studio
Roll7
SEGA Sports Interactive
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe

Alumni

See what some of our graduates have gone on to do on our alumni news page.

100% employment

All of the graduates from the 2012/13 MSc in Computer Games & Entertainment course have secured placements at UK computer games companies.

Funding

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

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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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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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-Explore the most advanced studio techniques, technologies and processes at the forefront of current music production
-Unleash your creative potential and cultivate your own individual style to produce original arrangements, mixes, re-mixes and mastering work
-Deliver comprehensive solutions and support for live sound in a variety of performance settings
-On this postgraduate degree you will create your own A/V interfaces, plug-ins, and programming codes

Why choose this course?

Music specialising in Audio Programming is designed to provide industry-relevant postgraduate education aimed at forming creative professional for the audio, production, and post-production industry, who wish to pursue careers as creative Audio Engineers or Producers within recording, production or as software developers, consultants or audio-media specialists. Students take hands-on sessions in the University's state-of-the-art facilities, including a top-class SSL studio, guided by dedicated tutors with significant industry experience. The postgraduate curriculum covers all the most relevant and current skills of the field, and sessions and assessment are designed to reproduce, as far as possible and appropriate, the realities of the commercial environment.

We are one of the largest music department in the UK, offering a rich portfolio of forward-looking music programmes uniquely designed to develop the most relevant skills in the current industry. The environment is friendly and supportive, and students benefit from being part of a large community of creatives in all fields: from film, to new media, performance, and fine arts.

Our top-class facilities include:
-2 labs, each with 36 workstations dual monitor Apple Intel
-Large recording studio with latest SSL AWS 900+ SE
-Studio with Yamaha 02R/96
-3 monitoring spaces for surround sound
-Dubbing suite for audio-to-video work
-Foley studio for sound design work
-Sony Game studio
-Multimedia studios
-Anechoic chamber
-TV studio
-460-seat state-of-the-art performance venue with A/V recording facilities

Careers

When you graduate from these awards you will be ideally positioned to act as an interface between various music technologies and composers/producers. You may also consider a range of related positions such as lecturer, technical editor for music technology publications and other similar professions in the music industry or consider further study at doctoral level.

Teaching methods

Lecture, seminars and tutorials are typically scheduled over two consecutive days a week, plus some extra sessions for particular workshops, performance and recording. In addition to scheduled sessions, students are expected to engage in self-directed study and studio practice.

Structure

Core Modules
-Creative Economies
-Creative Music Production (Discourse / Reflection)
-Major Study:Music Projects
-Practice 1: Studio Technology, Practices and Processes
-Practice 2: Audio Programming
-Research and Enquiry

Optional
-Creative Economies (Online)
-Research and Enquiry (Online)

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Overview

Games development is the fastest growing entertainment industry in the world. Our MSc gives you the highly specialised set of skills needed to stay at the forefront of this demanding and constantly evolving field. Created with involvement from industry professionals, the course programme focuses on the technical aspects of game development and the underlying fundamentals of computer science. We cover a range of core concepts, including C++ programming, physics simulation, concurrency, advanced graphics, artificial intelligence, and game engine architecture. You will have use of our dedicated games development lab, equipped with the latest console development kits and top-spec PCs, plus access to the HIVE — our multi-million pound virtual environment lab, which provides access to emerging and new technologies for computer interaction, data collection and visualisation.

The course begins in September each year and lasts twelve months. There are two trimesters of taught modules, followed by an individual dissertation project during the third trimester. There is an option to take an extra trimester – either immediately before or after the dissertation – gaining industrial experience through a module based in SEED, our software development unit working with commercial clients. This is unique to Hull.

The Department of Computer Science creates an excellent experience for students, with a supportive student community. We have an international reputation for our research activities, with a strong record of industrial and public grant funding. We are also affiliated with Microsoft’s DreamSpark programme, which allows you to access the latest Microsoft operating systems and development software for home use. Once registered with the department, you can download the software free of charge.

Industrial Experience

There is the option to take an Industrial Experience variant, with the opportunity to extend the period of study by a trimester, to gain experience of working alongside commercial software developers within a commercial software development facility on site (SEED), promoting real-world applications of the advanced concepts met in the course.

Study

The MSC is designed to support students with various levels of computing and programming practice experience. However, this programme is particularly suited to those with significant experience of writing code.
The modules in the first trimester include a range of materials designed to allow a smooth transition to postgraduate study, regardless of your background. As a route into research, the programme supports the development of postgraduate technical skills, alongside critical research, analysis and planning activities. In lectures you’ll benefit from a range of techniques, from interpreting complex ideas through interactive discussions, to live programming or other problem-solving demonstrations.

Core modules

• C++ Programming and Design
• Real Time Graphics
• Game Development Architecture
• Simulation and Concurrency
• Advanced Rendering and Artificial Intelligence for Games
• Development Project
Optional modules
• Computer Science Software Development Practice – pass/fail module
• Dissertation (There is the option of taking this module either in trimester 3 or trimester 4, depending on whether you take the Industrial Experience module.)
• The Industrial Experience optional 60-credit single trimester module allows students to gain significant commercial experience.

Teaching and learning

We place a strong emphasis on practical laboratory sessions. This will significantly develop your core computer science skills, and enhance your employability through exposure to commercial projects.
As teamwork plays a key role in commercial software development and has great value as an employable skill, group work is used in a number of modules.

Assessment

Practical coursework is the main form of assessment, and you will design, build and test software solutions to a variety of problems. This is complemented by written coursework.
The largest assessment is the dissertation of up to 20,000 words, which is based on the work done in the third trimester.

Careers

The MSc programme supports career development in a number of ways. These include a mix of modules focused on professional skills and a project involving group work, CV development and personal reflection. We have strong links with many of the UK's top game studios, including Electronics Arts, Sony and Microsoft, many of which recruit straight from our labs.
We also have a range of inspirational extra-curricular activities including the Three Thing Game, Imagine Cup Worldwide Software Development Challenge, Really Useful Seminars and Global Game Jam. They are designed to boost your CV and employability, and taking part costs very little.

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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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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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This MSc programme focuses on the development of sophisticated computer graphics applications and on the development of tools commonly used in the creation of content for these applications. It provides students with opportunity to develop important skills necessary for employment in this sector. They will use their expertise to, for example, develop interactive graphical scenes and deploy up to date techniques to implement real-time and offline visual effects.

Course Overview

This programme will equip students with skills at a high academic level and also crucially enable them to practically implement their knowledge because of the ‘hands-on’ emphasis of the programme.

The main themes of the programme are:
-Current and emerging algorithms and techniques used in film visual effects and games programming
-Approaches used to generate off-line visual effects
-Approaches used to generate real-time interactive games

The first theme develops in the student the necessary skills required to implement algorithms and techniques used to generate realistic scenes. These concepts will be explored in detail.

The second theme addresses the need for students to identify, evaluate and implement suitable methods to solve specific problems related to creating off-line visual effects.

The third theme recognises the need to solve these problems using approaches optimised for real-time computer games development and develops in the student the requisite skills.

Modules

-Animation Systems Development (20 credits)
-Artificial Intelligence for Games & VFX (20 credits)
-GPU Shader Development (20 credits)
-Leadership and Management (20 credits)
-Research Methods and Data Analysis (20 credits)
-Visual Simulation (20 credits)
-Major Project (60 credits)

Key Features

Applicants for this programme will have an interest in computer graphics and Computer Generated Imagery (CGI). The main themes of the programme are current and emerging algorithms and techniques used in film visual effects and games programming, approaches used to generate off-line visual effects and approaches used to generate real-time interactive games. This also includes the development/enhancement of tools used in the CGI and animation industry. Graduates will be concerned with the discipline of developing software and applications using high level programming languages. They will also be experienced in creating custom animated scenes using the powerful scripting languages of industry standard applications such as Maya and Houdini software. Graduates will have an advanced understanding of computer graphics, GPU shader development, and visual simulation methods making use of modern artificial intelligence and simulation techniques. Graduated are likely to find employment either within the film VFX industry, computer games or traditional software engineering sectors.

Assessment

An Honours Degree (2.2 or above) or advanced qualification in Computer Science or cognate discipline from a UK University or recognised overseas institution, or industrial experience in Computer Networking and an Honours Degree.

Where English is not your first language, we ask that you hold an Academic IELTS test with a score of at least 6.0 (no element less than 5.5) or TOEFL with a minimum score of 550 (213 for computer based test).

Career Opportunities

It is expected that graduates would seek positions such as:
-Software Engineers
-Senior Software Engineers
-App Developers
-CGI Special Effects Programmers
-Games Programmers
-Lead Programmers
-Render Manager
-VFX Programmer
-VFX Technical Directors

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The Applied Studies Program (ASI) is a 12 month practicum that provides you, as a graduate of a technical program, with the opportunity to enhance your skills by participating in an experiential workplace paid internship program at the Army Learning Support Centre (ALSC) at 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown.

The multi-disciplinary platform will focus on the continuation of your technical studies and is designed to give you experience in your field of study with the opportunity to develop your leadership potential.

It's the next step in your career, one that can open doors needed for you to achieve your dreams by helping you gain experience, enhance your skills and the opportunity to network.

Internships are offered in the following fields of study:
-3D Modeling, Animation and Production
-Administration Support
-Flash Programming
-Game Programming
-Graphic Design
-IT Support
-Photography
-Video/Film Production
-Web Development

The Work Environment

The Army Learning Support Centre (ALSC) integrates industry standard technologies to develop advanced training for the military. The ALSC designs and develops distance learning, 3D models, gaming applications, animations, graphic print media, videos and photography to help modernize army training.

The facilities are among the best in the country to include state-of-the-art technology and equipment; 3D print capability, Oculus technology, motion chairs and motion capture systems.

You will work daily in a production environment that uses the same software, processes and techniques that industry studios employ. You will work in a team environment as a contributing member to the success of ALSC projects and the opportunity to learn new skills while in the program.

What to Expect with the Academic Component

To enhance the technical training you already possess, you’ll focus on the following areas of study. These soft skills are important in your day to day activities and will give you added skills to succeed in industry. You will learn through a combination of online and in-class sessions at NBCC Fredericton.
-Health and Safety
-Human Relations
-Organizational Management
-Personal Development
-Project Management
-Quality Management
-Verbal Communication
-Written Communication Techniques

Mission Complete

Upon successful completion of the prescribed curriculum, you will receive a post-graduate diploma in Applied Studies Internship and one year experience as a member of the ALSC within the Department of National Defence.

You will also have the option to apply for the Mentorship program, which will give you another year in the program. The mentorship program focuses on mentoring/coaching and gives you the opportunity to learn these skills while applying them in a work environment. These skills are sought after in industry and will further enhance your leadership capability.

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