Computer Science with Games Technology BSc (Hons) • City, University of London

This course is for 2021/22 entry. 2022/23 entry is also available.

Key information

This degree will prepare you for a career in the dynamic computer game sector. You’ll learn how computer games are built and work, and discover how to solve programming problems related to game development. An optional placement year provides real-world experience in the sector.

Start date

September 2021

UCAS code

G490

Duration

3 years full-time
4 years with placement year

Institution

City, University of London

Location

Northampton Square

Entry requirements

Below is a list of countries with information on each about which qualifications we accept.

English language requirements

If your first language is not English, we will require evidence of English language proficiency. Minimum requirements are:

IELTS:

6.0 overall, to include 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in all other components

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, our partner, INTO City, University of London offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to this degree.

Apply now

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Course overview

On this BCS-accredited degree you will develop advanced knowledge of game engine architecture, computer graphics and game design.

You will develop a firm foundation in programming and development, before specialising with topics such as games technology and digital signal processing.

You will gain the skills needed for a career in the thriving computer games sector, applying your technical computing expertise in a creative and in-demand industry.

Learn a broad range of programming languages and cutting-edge games programming techniques
Get coding quickly in your first year with our two-week coding marathon
Boost your employability with an optional one-year work placement: past students have worked for Sony, PlayStation, Disney, Microsoft and Goldhawk Interactive
Develop commercially valuable knowledge for your future career, including industry-standard game engines that power game development
Study in City’s computing labs, which include the latest hardware and software, such as state-of-art NVidia GPUs
Gain three years of professional experience with our innovative Professional Pathway Scheme, combining paid employment and study
Get industry recognition for the quality of your degree with BSC and TIGA accreditation.

Accreditation

Accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered IT Professional and fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer.

This course is also accredited by TIGA, a non-profit UK trade association representing the UK’s games industry.

Structure

Course content

During your course you’ll work individually and in groups, developing creativity and problem-solving skills in response to real-world computing problems.

Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Placement

Year 1

Study our common first year for all our computer science students, learning six core topics including operating systems, web development and Java.

Year 2

Deepen your knowledge of computer science with core modules such as games technology and object-orientated analysis. Boost your professional skills with a team project.

Year 3

Study advanced games technology and choose from a wide range of elective modules – including computer graphics and introduction to AI – to tailor your course to your future career plans.

Individual Project (45 Credits)

Apply what you have learned in the other modules on a major piece of individual, computing-related work. This is an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge, skills and your capacity for self-directed learning.
Advanced Games Technology (15 Credits)

The module will cover advanced game engine design in a practical format. A fully featured game engine will be developed from first principles.
Language Processors (15 Credits)

This module will give you an understanding of programming language structure and implementation that will complement programming skills and aid the learning of new programming languages.
Advanced Databases (15 Credits)

This module will enable you to gain advanced knowledge on, and develop skills for, different ways of representing, managing, and manipulating data.
Computer Graphics (15 Credits)

In this module, you will learn the theory and practice of real-time 3D computer graphics based on the Open Graphics Library (OpenGL).
Theory of Computation (15 Credits)

Understand some of the standard abstract models of computation, how they may be shown to be equivalent, and what their limitations are.
Professional Experience (Placement) Placement Reports (30 Credits)

Focus your learning and development whilst on work placement; analyse and assess your learning at university and apply this in an appropriate and intelligent manner to your placement role.
Data Visualization (15 Credits)

This module is designed to equip you with the technical and design skills to create and use data visualization applications for the workplace and research environments.
Digital Signal Processing and Audio Programming (15 Credits)

This module ensures that you will be able to master tasks of developing and applying digital signal processing; including one-dimensional signals and some 2-dimensional signal processing for images.
Advanced Programming - Concurrency (15 Credits)

The module aims to provide you with the practical knowledge of the problems involved in programming and how to resolve these problems and the implementation mechanisms used for obtaining correct concurrent systems.
Functional Programming (15 Credits)

This module will introduce you to functional programming, and the styles of programming and program structuring it makes possible.
Cloud Computing (15 Credits)

This module aims to introduce you to the fundamental concept of computing-on-demand leading to Cloud computing. It follows a practical approach to building and running a test-bed cloud.
Information Security Fundamentals (15 Credits)

This module presents the fundamentals for information security from a strategic perspective, giving you the appropriate knowledge and skills to discuss, communicate within organisations.
Computer Vision (15 Credits)

In this module, you will learn the theory and practice of computer vision, which enables computers to perceive, and reason, about the world using images.
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (15 Credits)

The main aim and focus of the module is to provide you with a broad introduction in theory and practice to the main areas of nature-inspired, adaptive Artificial Intelligence.
Programming and Mathematics for AI (15 Credits)

The main purpose of the module is for you to gain fundamental programming and mathematical skills for studying specialist Artificial Intelligence topics.
Agents and Multi Agents Systems (15 Credits)

This module allows you to learn agent architectures that perform differently according to the characteristics of the task environment
User Centred Systems (15 Credits)

Introduction to the importance of usability in interactive systems. You will learn techniques for the design and evaluation of interactive systems.

Placement

Students have the opportunity to follow two placement routes: a one year placement or the Professional Pathway scheme. The one year placement can be undertaken following successful completion of year 2.

Students can join the Professional Pathway scheme after successful completion of year 1 (early entry) or after successful completion of year 2 or a one year placement (late entry).

Download course specification:

BSc Computer Science with Games Technology

Teaching and assessment

As a student on City’s Computer Science with Games Technology BSc (Hons) degree course, you will learn through a combination of lectures, seminars/tutorials, laboratory sessions and case studies.

Taught modules are typically delivered through a 20-hour series of lectures and 10 hours of tutorials and laboratory sessions. Laboratory sessions aim to demonstrate the application of concepts and techniques through the use of state-of-the-art software development tools and environments.

In addition to contact hours, you are expected to undertake independent study amounting to around 120 hours per module, including coursework assignments.

Project and group work aim to develop creativity and problem solving and play a major part in the course. This activity is carried out under the supervision of academic staff, offered through a series of supervision sessions.

Learning is also supported by Moodle – City’s online e-learning system.

Assessment methods

Assessment is by examination and coursework although some components, such as the team project, are assessed by coursework alone.

Coursework takes many forms, including programming, essays, theoretical work and modelling.

Written examinations contain theoretical questions (including mathematical aspects), short essays on the applications of computational techniques, and writing and analysing small amounts of code.

Feedback will be provided in line with our Assessment and Feedback Policy. In particular, you will normally be provided with feedback within three weeks of the submission deadline or assessment date.

For end-of-module examinations or an equivalent significant task (e.g. an end-of-module project), feedback will normally be provided within four weeks. The timescale for feedback on final-year projects may be longer.

Percentage of the course assessed by coursework

The balance of assessment by examination, practical examination and assessment by coursework will to some extent depend on the optional modules you choose.

The approximate percentage of the course assessment, based on 2019/20 entry is as follows:

Assessment

Year 1

Written examination: 41%

Coursework: 59%

Year 2

Written examination: 35%

Coursework: 65%

Year 3

Written examination: 9%

Coursework: 91%

Overall workload

Contact hours will take the form of taught modules delivered through a series of 20 lectures and 10 hours of tutorials/laboratory sessions. Each lecture and tutorial/laboratory session lasts 1 or 2 hours.

The programme is delivered and assessed via a coordinated combination of: lectures (including programmed student activity); supervised tutorials; supervised laboratory work; independent coursework; group project work; and individual project work and dissertation.

Approximate study time based on 2019/20 entry is as follows:

Workload

Year 1

Scheduled learning: 20%

Independent learning: 80%

Year 2

Scheduled learning: 18%

Independent learning: 82%

Year 3

Scheduled learning: 14%

Independent learning: 86%

Fees and funding

Fees for year 2021/22

£9,250

Overseas/EU

£17,850

The fees indicated are for undergraduate entry in the 2021/ 22 academic year only. Fees for future years may be subject to an inflationary increase, which is normally 2%.

Funding options

Explore up-to-date information about funding options, available financial support and typical living costs.

Fee waivers are available for this course.
Means tested support is available for 2021/22 entry.

Future finance loans

Future Finance offers students loans of between £2,500 and £40,000 to help cover tuition fees and living expenses. All students and courses are considered. All loans are subject to credit checks and approval for further details please visit our finance pages.

Career

You will develop expert knowledge for a career in games development. You’ll be able to design and develop software, and work with others to create quality products.

As a technical specialist in the gaming industry, you may work with a large multinational gaming company or an independent producer.

You could be:

creating or reviewing code using languages such as C++
quality testing and debugging programmes to improve gameplay
working collaboratively with team members to solve problems.

Your broad knowledge of computer science and sophisticated programming skills mean you will also be attractive to employers in other industries.

Game Design & Development Placements

In recent years students from our computer science courses have been able to obtain placements at leading companies within their chosen field such as Goldhawk Interactive, Sony, PlayStation, Disney and Microsoft.

The School has its own dedicated placements team that provides on-hand placement and internship support and guidance for students throughout their studies. You can undertake one of the following placement schemes:

One-year placement - these are taken after you have successfully completed your second or third year of studies; students work between nine and fifteen months on placement before returning to City to complete their final year;
Summer internships - these can be taken every summer on completion of the academic year.

Our dedicated team of placement specialists, the Professional Liaison Unit, has extensive experience in helping students to secure placement employment across a range of industries. The team also has longstanding relationships with an impressive and diverse range of companies spanning both large and small organisations including start-ups in Tech City.

Placements are highly encouraged at City; students that complete a placement year benefit from gaining professional experience working on real-life projects and are also more likely to; achieve higher grades, secure a graduate-level job and earn a higher salary.

How to apply

Applications for degree courses must be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

Apply now

If you would like to apply for this course with an integrated foundation year option please use the following link:

BSc (Hons) in Computer Science with Games Technology (with Integrated Foundation Year)

You can apply through your school or college using the Apply system, which enables you to submit your application directly to the UCAS website.

www.ucas.com

You can apply to up to five universities or institutions on the form. The UCAS code for City, University of London is C60.

Please take care to enter the correct course code when applying, particularly for subjects with a Foundation year or with BEng (Hons) and MEng (Hons) or BSc (Hons) and MSci (Hons) options.

UCAS has implemented an 'invisibility of choices' policy so that, on the initial application and while you are receiving decisions, each institution can see only their entry and not those of other institutions you have chosen. This ensures that your application for a course at City is considered solely on your academic and personal qualities.

You should submit your completed application form to UCAS with a £23 application fee. If you want to apply to City, University of London only, you can make a single choice application at a reduced rate of £12.

For enquiries about the admissions process at City, please contact our Admissions Office

Complete the Admissions enquiry form

Call: +44 (0)20 7040 8716.

Telephone lines are currently open between 10am - 3pm.

When to apply

Your application for entry in September 2021 should arrive at UCAS between September 2020 and 29^th January 2021. Applications that arrive after 29^th January 2021 will be considered only at City's discretion.

Contacting UCAS

Website: www.ucas.com

Address: Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), Rosehill, New Barn Lane, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL52 3LZ

Telephone:

from inside the UK 0871 468 0468
from outside the UK +44 (0)871 468 0468

For callers with hearing difficulties:

from inside the UK use the Text Relay service on 18001 0871 468 0468
from outside the UK dial +44 151 494 1260 (text phone) and then ask the operator to dial 0871 468 0468.

Our students

City's first-year Computer Science students are introduced to coding during a two-week long coding marathon. 4 minutes

Academics

Dr Jacob Howe

Senior Lecturer

Department of Computer Science

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