Games Technology, MSci, with industry placement

Course summary

Coventry University’s Games Technology degree is a highly-focused software engineering course with a long history of training specialist programmers and developers for the video games industry world-wide.The course doesn’t only teach you how to use game engines – it teaches you the programming and scientific skills necessary to extend commercial engines and develop your own from scratch. These are the skills industry looks for in game programmers.

• Master advanced techniques to leverage and extend industry-standard engines in the creation of immersive, interactive experiences.

• Understand the engineering and technology which underpins digital artwork and real-time rendered animations.

• Develop your own game engine systems, from graphics renderers to physics libraries, using high-performance programming techniques.

• The technology, practices and challenges involved in game development are continually evolving, therefore the course content reacts dynamically to reflect the complexities of this modern and increasingly interconnected sector.

• The course aims to empower you with the fundamental capabilities needed to pursue independent game development, as well as giving you the opportunity to gain professional tools and wider contextual understanding of game engineering upon successful completion, to succeed in larger studios.

• Develop your own games and game technologies in our dedicated Game Development Laboratories*

• Explore emerging technologies with virtual and augmented reality hardware

• Gain experience with console and cross-platform development

Year One In the first year, you’ll be introduced to the fundamentals of game development. You’ll learn to program in two languages, explore the mathematical principles which underpin good programming, and become familiar with two popular commercial engines. In addition, you’ll explore game design and computer system architecture, to give you a solid grounding in all areas of games programming. Modules Introduction to Games Programming Mathematical Skills for Computing Professionals Computer Systems Object-Oriented Programming for Game Development Working with Data Responsible Game Design Year Two In your second year you’ll learn about computer graphics, real-time physics, and artificial intelligence. In addition, you’ll become familiar with the fundamentals of professional software engineering and the creation and optimisation of game assets. Modules On-Screen! Graphics Programming for Game Development Digital Reality: Emerging Technologies in Game Development Playing TAG: Technical Art for Games #Defining Gravity: High-Performance Physics Simulation Game Dev Tycoon: Professional Game Development Smoke and Mirrors: AI for Game Development Placement Year There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement* can often be beneficial. Work placements usually occur between your second and final year of study. They’re a great way to help you explore your potential career path and gain valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future. If you choose to do a work placement year, you will pay a reduced tuition fee* of £1,250. For more information, please go to the fees and funding section. During this time you will receive guidance from your employer or partner institution, along with your assigned academic mentor who will ensure you have the support you need to complete your placement. Final Year At this stage in your studies, you understand the fundamentals of game engineering and the technology which goes into game engines. Much of the academic focus this year is on advanced applications – be that addressing security vulnerabilities in an online game or improving a team’s performance by developing useful software tools which improve productivity. Success in this year ensures you graduate as a well-rounded, highly skilled game developer suited to a majority of technical and programming roles. Additional Year The additional fourth year master's option deepen your knowledge and expertise. We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated. Before accepting any offers, please check the website for the most up to date course content. For full module details please check the course page on the Coventry University website. *For further information please check the course page on the Coventry University website