Course details

Study options

Full-time: 3 years

UK fee

£9,250 per year (2023/24)

International fee

£14,900 per year (2023/24)

UCAS points

112-120 (September 2023 entry)

UCAS code

I610

Course level

Undergraduate

Qualification

BSc (Hons)

Start date

September

Location

Derby Campus

If you do not achieve the typical entry points required, you may want to consider studying this course with foundation year.

View with foundation year optionView with foundation year option

Course description

Whether you are interested in developing games for entertainment or for serious applications, our BSc (Hons) Computer Games Programming will take you to the next level with your career plans.

Top 10in the UK for student satisfaction with teaching**The Guardian University Guide 2023 - Animation and Game Design subject area
Top 20in Animation and Game Design**The Guardian University Guide 2023 - Animation and Game Design subject area
Portrait of Kriss Barton, a Computer Games Programming graduate

I’ve learned more interpersonal skills that are required for working with people in teams. I’ve learned how to communicate better and communicate my ideas to other people. These skills have hugely benefited me since gaining employment as a Junior Programmer.

Kriss Barton
Computer Games Programming graduate

This dynamic course equips you with both the theoretical grounding and the practical skills you need to develop compelling computer games.

An impressive portfolio of skills

Our BSc (Hons) degree delivers an in-depth understanding of computer science, the theoretical field that underpins all software development. This knowledge prepares you for long-term employability and success as a computer programmer of any kind, but applies in particular to the breadth and complexity of computer games development.

You will study computer science with a strong emphasis on the practical programming skills needed for games development. Your studies will be carefully structured:

In Year One, you will discover the foundations of computer science and software development, learning about computer programming and vital mathematics.

In Year Two, you will explore the core topics of computer science that are particularly relevant to games development such as software engineering practices and principles; databases and large-scale data management; algorithms and data structures; and computer graphics. You will also develop employability skills, especially useful if you need to find a work placement after your second year.

In Year Three, you can take an optional work placement which gives you valuable real-world experience and will help to inform your final year of study.

In the Final Year, you can concentrate on advanced topics including systems level programming, code optimisation and low-level development; modern AI techniques and implementations; applying physics to games and simulations; and integrating art and artists into the development process.

You'll also get to work with students on the BA (Hons) Computer Games Modelling and Animation degree to create a game. The games are then exhibited as part of our Games Expo. You can see the level of work created by our Computer Games students on our Degree Show 2021 page.

Facilities

You’ll get to use cutting-edge software development tools in our industry-standard laboratories. Facilities include:

A student using a VR head set in the XR lab
Students working the Computer Networks Lab
Computing code reflected on students faces

Well placed for success

We encourage and support you to take the optional industrial placement year. This is your opportunity to work alongside other software professionals and to see at first-hand how the knowledge and skills you have learned on the course are put into practice.

Our students have enjoyed placements at companies such as Kuju, Frontier Developments and Sumo Digital.

Pursue your personal interests

Through the Independent Studies module, we give you the chance to tailor your studies to match your professional interests and career ambitions. You will develop a large-scale project or conduct a research study into an area of your choice.

Previous topics explored by our students include point based rendering, procedural generation of realistic game levels, multi-level AI for elastic difficulty scaling, and many more!

Strong employer links

Our distinctive approach has won widespread praise from employers and leading industry figures:

"The new Computer Games Programming degree at Derby is harnessing leading-edge technologies such as DirectX and .Net to teach students the fundamentals, coupled with tried and tested games development techniques and languages used in industry. We believe students graduating will have a solid background in games programming and general software development and will be very successful in their future careers."

Mark Johnston, Microsoft UK

A students hands working on a computer

Kriss lands dream job with local games company

After completing his degree in Computer Games Programming, Kriss secured a job as a Junior Programmer at local games company Bulkhead Interactive.

Read storyRead story
Top 10in the UK for student satisfaction with the course**The Guardian University Guide 2023 - Animation and Game Design subject area

What you will study

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

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How you will learn

You will study three modules per semester, each delivered through a mixture of lectures, tutorials and laboratory work.

We also provide a considerable amount of e-learning support material. Class contact time varies from 10 to 15 hours per week, depending on the level you are studying at. You can choose to spend the third year on an optional supervised work placement.

How you will be assessed

In the first and second year, assessment is largely by coursework exercises and the formal examined component increases in the final year. You will undertake a mixture of group and individual assignments and 25% of the final year is assessed through a personal project.

Personal academic tutoring

Your personal academic tutor will work with you to help you get the most out of your time at university. Having someone to talk to about your academic progress, your university experience and your professional aspirations is hugely valuable. We want you to feel challenged in your studies, stretched but confident to achieve your academic and professional goals.

Find out more about personal academic tutoring

Entry requirements

2023 entry

These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2023 entry.

RequirementWhat we're looking for
UCAS points112-120
A LevelBBB-BBC
T LevelMerit
BTECDDM-DMM
GCSEGCSE Maths and English Grade 4/Grade C (or above) or equivalent qualification
Access to HEPass Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits: 45 at Level 3 with a minimum of Distinction: 15, Merit: 24, Pass: 6

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.0 (with at least 5.5 in each skills area)

2024 entry

These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2024 entry.

RequirementWhat we're looking for
UCAS points112-120
A LevelBBB-BBC
T LevelMerit
BTECDMM
GCSEGCSE Maths and English Grade 4/Grade C (or above) or equivalent qualification
Access to HEPass Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits: 45 at Level 3 with a minimum of Distinction: 15, Merit: 24, Pass: 6

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.0 (with at least 5.5 in each skills area)

Fees and funding

2023/24

 Full-timePart-time
UK

£9,250 per year

N/A

International

£14,900 per year

N/A

Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to.

Additional costs and optional extras

How to apply

Please look at our application deadlines before you apply.


UK students

Full-time students should apply for this course through UCAS.

Apply through UCAS
International students

Full-time students should apply for this course through UCAS.

Apply through UCASApply directly to the University

Careers

Skilled games programmers will discover a wide variety of career opportunities everywhere from small start-up companies to major multinational organisations. This course represents the ideal preparation for roles such as gameplay programmer, tools developer and AI programmer. You might even want to start your own company after graduating.

Because the BSc (Hons) Computer Games Programming has such a solid computing and software engineering focus, it also opens up excellent prospects for our graduates across all software development roles in the computing industry.

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Contact us

EnquiryEmailPhone
Chris Windmill c.windmill@derby.ac.uk +44 (0)1332 592962

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.

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† Additional information about your studies

4 years with a placement year

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Additional costs and optional extras

We’re committed to providing you with an outstanding learning experience. Our expert teaching, excellent facilities and great employability prepare you for your future career. As part of our commitment to you we aim to keep any additional study costs to a minimum. However, there are occasions where students may incur some additional costs.

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

Included in your fees
Mandatory costs not included in your fees
Optional costs not included in your fees

Please note: Our courses are refreshed and updated on a regular basis. If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.

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