Game Development BSc (Hons)

Dive into the world of gameplay programming with engines such as Unity and Unreal Engine 4. Develop games for PC, mobile and PlayStation from day one. Work in a simulated game studio environment by collaborating with talented games artists and acquire the skills to join the next generation of game developers.

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Overview

This course equips you with the necessary technical skills to develop games both independently and within a multidisciplinary environment, backed by industry standard practices. You will have the opportunity to develop games for platforms such as PC, mobile and console. With a focus on programming, you will become adept in games programming using industry relevant languages (e.g. C#, C++) and mathematical concepts through popular game engines such as Unity, and the Unreal Engine. You'll work with other students to develop games as part of a games studio environment, simulated in our specialised games lab.

Why us?

Accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT for the purposes of fully meeting the further learning academic requirement for registration as a Chartered IT Professional
Learn in the state-of-the-art games lab with gaming rigs comprised of i7 processors and RTX 3060 Ti graphics cards. The lab has a playtesting zone and offers access to official console controllers, an arcade machine, and VR headsets

Sunderland was named Smart City of the Year 2020 (Digital Leaders UK). Boasting the second-fastest growth in digital turnover outside of London, Sunderland is the ideal city to study computing and set up a business

Our partners, accreditations and networks

Course structure

Teaching methods include lectures, tutorials, seminars and laboratory sessions. You will be encouraged to develop independent study skills as well as work with other students on group projects.

As well as assessments that count towards your degree, there are also ongoing opportunities for feedback and consolidating your learning.

Year 1 (national level 4):

Software Engineering (20 credits)
Computer Systems, Architectures and Networks (20 credits)
Introduction to Programming (20 credits)
Full Stack Development (20 credits)
Specialist Project (20 credits)
Game Development (20 credits)

Some modules have prerequisites. Read more about what this means in our Help and Advice article.

Year 2 (national level 5):

Rapid Game Prototyping (20 credits)
Agile Development and DevOps (20 credits)
Advanced Programming (20 credits)
Enterprise Project (20 credits)
Immersive Application Development (20 credits)
C++ Programming (20 credits)

Optional placement:

Industrial Placement (120 credits)

Final year (national level 6):

Computing Project (40 credits)
Artificial Intelligence (20 credits)
UX Design (20 credits)
Collaborative VR Applications (20 credits)
Game Showpiece (20 credits)

Facilities

This course is based at the David Goldman Technology Centre, a high-tech computing environment with strong links to software companies and a constant exchange of ideas and people.

Entry requirements

Our typical offer is:

Qualification	Minimum grade
High School Diploma along with one of the following at the required grade - SAT I and SAT II, ACT or Advanced Placement	GPA 3.0 or above and: Sat score of 1250/1600 from SATs AP (Grades 3+ in at least 3 subjects) ACT (score of 30+)

If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, you can take one of the foundation pathways at our partners ONCAMPUS Sunderland. Find out more information and whether your course is eligible on our ONCAMPUS page.

If your qualification is not listed above, please contact the Student Administration team at studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk for further advice.

If English is not your first language, please see our English language requirements.

Is your qualification not displaying here? For international qualifications, search our full list of international entry requirements for this course.

Fees and finance

The annual fee for this course is:

£9,250 if you are from the UK/*Europe
£14,000 if you are an international student

*European Union (EU), EEA (European Economic Area), and Swiss nationals who do not qualify for the EU Settlement Scheme are classed as international, however, for 23/24 admission you will receive a European student fee scholarship and will pay the home tuition fee rate for the duration of your studies. The discounted fee will be reflected in your offer letter. Learn more in our Help and Advice article.

Take a look at the Your Finances section to find out about the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.

This information was correct at the time of publication.

Career ready

This course has a strong emphasis on real-world learning that boosts employability and equips you to make a bigger contribution in the workplace. You will acquire a high level of software related transferable skills that will make you attractive to local, regional, national and international companies.

Graduate success

In your final year of the course, you will undertake a major individual project with research-active staff. This adds to your hands-on experience and, in some cases, leads to a job offer that can be taken up as soon as the course ends.

Career options

Our graduates have gone on to become web programmers, IT managers, information analysts and software developers. Employers that have taken on our graduates include Sage, British Airways and the NHS. Other graduates have started their own businesses or become software contractors earning over £50,000 a year.

Meet the students

I came here to change my hobby and passion into my job and successfully achieved that goal.

Emanuel Gheorghe

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Contact

Contact the Student Helpline for further information about studying at the University of Sunderland:

0191 515 3000

student.helpline@sunderland.ac.uk

View Programme Specifications for the Faculty of Technology.

Page last updated: 28 November 2022

We aim to provide clear, accurate and timely information to prospective and current students. We continuously review and enhance course content in consultation with our students and the information provided on our website is the latest available. If you have received an offer from us to start a course, we will communicate any important changes to you in writing. We will always seek to ensure that our prospective students are fully aware of the basis on which they are accepting an offer.

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