Want to turn your passion for games into a career? Our Games Design graduates have a proven track record of success. Our experienced games tutors are ready to support and guide you on your mission to develop the technical knowledge and creative skills demanded by this ever-growing industry.

Key information

Award:

BSc (Hons)

Mode of Study:

Full-time

Duration:

3 years

Location:

The University of Bolton

UCAS points:

104

UCAS code:

G613

Start date:

20/09/2021

Course Details

The market value of the UK games industry was approximately £5.7 billion in 2018, with over 37 million people playing games in the UK*. If you are seeking a career in a strong sector of the economy, then games is an excellent choice. From PC, console and mobile games, through serious games for education and training, to the emerging virtual reality games market, software developers are seeking highly qualified games specialists.

Our Games Design course offers a broad study of games, with an emphasis on the technical, design and innovation aspects, rather than programming. Key topics include content production, games and level design as well as platforms and technologies. Our dedicated games team will work to help you develop skills in games analysis, usability and playability testing and understand the concepts underpinning games production and the business of computer games (for instance sales and marketing).

Team-based projects involving regular critique sessions with your peers and members of our games team are designed to help you develop the high-level of team working and communication skills that are vital in the games industry. Our intensely practical, hands-on approach aims to encourage and support you to develop a high-quality portfolio of work ready to demonstrate your skills and creative flair to potential employers.

*Ukie, UK Games Consumer Market - http://ukie.org.uk/research/ accessed on 22 August 2019

Highlights

We share your passion for games. As well as extensive experience playing games (just like you!), our dedicated games tutors offer a vast range of industry experience, a wide network of contacts in the games industry, and knowledge of the latest games research and developments.
Industry experts from the leading games studios in the UK, along with Bolton graduates now successful in the sector, are regularly invited to give guest lectures on aspects of games development.
Team working and collaboration are essential for games industry success, so we encourage you to work with students from our Games Art and Games Programming courses forming interdisciplinary teams to complete games projects.
Our Game Jams are great opportunities to build your social network and practice your communication, project management and problem solving skills.
We work with games development companies on games usability and software testing, giving you the opportunity to test games before they go to market. In the past, some of our students have even got their names mentioned in the credits.

Key Features

University of Bolton games graduates have been enjoying careers in the games industry for longer than most – we were one of the first UK universities to offer games courses.
The course covers both 2D and 3D game environments, concepts and mechanics for traditional gaming (PC and console), mobile gaming (cloud, social and casual), and virtual reality gaming, along with game play analysis and testing.
We offer opportunities for you to go on studio visits and field trips, undertake work experience with relevant studios, and network with professionals.
The assignments and projects set on the course are based on industry pipelines and standards to give you a real feel for a career in the games sector.
Our well-equipped, dedicated games labs feature high-specification PC hardware, HTC Vive VR systems and industry-standard software, along with modern and vintage consoles.

Professional recognition

104 UCAS points. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points.
Your Level 3 subjects must include a technology-based subject; for instance, A-level Computing or BTEC Extended Diploma in Computing or Engineering.
You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent) including English and Mathematics.
You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
If English isn’t your first language you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.

Want some reassurance or advice? Speak to one of our advisors. Email us at admissions@bolton.ac.uk or call us on +44 (0)1204 903 394.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

As a Games Design graduate you will have the ability to work independently, develop games, understand commercial markets, develop your teamwork and communication skills, develop concepts and respond to briefs, and also advance your project management and problem solving abilities. You will also develop a portfolio of work using industry-standard tools. This portfolio will allow you to demonstrate your skills, creative flair and passion for games development.

Moreover, elements of games design are emerging in fields such as business, education and healthcare. These areas offer enormous potential for the ambitious games graduate who can communicate with non-gamers.

What can I do with this qualification?

Within games design there is a great deal of specialisation varying from broader design principles to more specific tasks such as level design and game balance. As a result, there are a number of career options available for graduates including roles within games design, graphic design, 3D modelling, animation, game programming, script writing, production management, level design and in quality assurance and testing.

Alternative career options

Not all graduates enter the gaming industry as game designers, since the skills that they gain are transferrable to other creative roles in the film, music and media industry. Another option is a multimedia artist or digital animator which will still allow you to work in computer game creation, but you won't be responsible for the overall design. If you are more interested in the technological side of game production, consider pursuing a career in software engineering. This career will allow you to turn a design team's ideas into a gamer's reality through coding and programming.

Multimedia artist
Digital animator
Software engineer

Course fees

Home EU Fees	Year of study				Total
Entry year	2020/21	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24
2020	£9,250	£9,250	£9,250	-	£27,750
2021	-	£9,250	£9,250	£9,250	£27,750

International	Year of study				Total
Entry year	2020/21	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24
2020	£12,450	£12,450	£12,450	-	£37,350
2021	-	£12,450	£12,450	£12,450	£37,350

The fees for a student’s course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

The university is currently awaiting government guidelines as to EU fee charges for students commencing study in 2021-2022.

For 2021-2022 entry, the maximum government approved undergraduate tuition fee for UK students is £9,250 per year. The University is able to charge this fee subject to an approved Access and Participation Plan for 2021-2022 and its current rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton undergraduate students.

For details of how to apply for this course, please choose your status from the options below:

September start

Please apply through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) for September entry.

The online application form and guidance notes are available on the UCAS website.

You can apply for up to 5 courses through UCAS (at the same or different institutions) for a fee of £24. Alternatively, if you only wish to apply for a single course at a single institution then a reduced applicant's fee of £13 is applicable.

You will need the following information to complete your UCAS application form:

Institution Code Name: BOLTN
Institution Code Number: B44

UCAS - Universities and Colleges Admissions Service

Tel: 0870 1122211
Web: www.ucas.com

The University welcomes applications from international students from all over the world. We try to make the application process as simple and as fast as possible for our international applicants.

How you apply is determined by your current location and what you are choosing to study:

Apply direct to the University. Links for the next available intakes of this course are shown below. Please click the link which will direct you to the online application form. Please read the user guidance before completing this.
Apply via one of our approved in-country referral partners. A list of our partners may be found on the International pages of this website.
Apply via UCAS for courses starting in September only – visit www.ucas.com.

Should you have any queries please contact the International Team on +44 (0) 1204 903110 or email international@bolton.ac.uk

Apply online: University of Bolton BSc(Hons) Games Design - 20 September 2021

University of Bolton Group Partners

Bolton College
University Technical College
University of Bolton

The University welcomes applications from our group partners and progressing students so we try to make our application process as simple and as fast as possible. By selecting the link for your chosen course from the list shown below you will be taken directly to our online application form. Please read the user guidance before completing this and ensure you upload all supporting documents such as certificates and your personal statement when you apply.

Please ensure when you are asked to add a contact email address you add your college/university email account address as well as your personal address. If you do not add your college address as your contact address we will be unable to identify you as a partner and you will be referred to apply via UCAS, which incurs a cost.

Apply online: University of Bolton BSc(Hons) Games Design - 20 September 2021

We look forward to receiving your application and you continuing your academic journey with us!

Overall, the course is very practical in nature, with group work and team-based projects that encourage you to work alongside our more technical and artistic students (from the Games Programming and Games Art courses) forming an important part of your training. These experiences are designed to help you learn the industry pipelines and terminology used by these specialisms along with the team working, project management, problem solving, organisation and communication skills that are essential in the games and interactive entertainment industry.

You can also expect lectures, demonstrations, practical lab sessions, critique sessions (peer and assessed), reflective learning through journals and logs for various activities, as well as online sessions and support. Guided independent study and self-directed learning are equally essential to your success; for instance, library research and background reading, preparing for practical activities and working on projects.

We also encourage and support you to create your portfolio. This provides evidence of your creativity and skills in games design ready to show potential employers, and is considered vital for securing your first job in the industry.

In terms of formal assessment, you can expect written reports, assignments, projects, case study analyses, in-class tests, demonstrations, presentations, and others. These contribute to your final module mark and allow you to demonstrate that you have met the learning outcomes. We also use other forms of assessment to help you learn, especially critique sessions. These provide you with feedback and inform your development, though these do not count towards your final module mark.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

Fundamentals of 3D
Level Design
Introduction to Games Design
Scripting
Intermediate Scripting
Narratives
Intermediate Level Design
Technical Art
Advanced Games Scripting
Advanced Level Design
Group Portfolio Project
Major Project

Assessment methods

Level	Assesment method
Level one	Coursework 93%, Practical exams 7%
Level two	Coursework 100%
Level three	Coursework 100%

Learning activities

Level	Learning activity
Level one	Guided independent study 67%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 33%
Level two	Guided independent study 63%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 37%
Level three	Guided independent study 74%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 26%

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.