Games Software Engineering
UCAS Code: I610
Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
102 - 118 tariff points with any combination of Distinction, Merit, Pass grades.
Accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied by 2 A-levels or equivalent
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE English Language or English Literature and Mathematics grade C (or grade 4 in the reformed GCSE grading) or equivalent qualifications.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma
Distinction*, Distinction (104 UCAS tariff points)
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
Distinction, Merit, Merit (112 UCAS tariff points)
Accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied by an A-Level or equivalent.
We accept this qualification, but it must be accompanied by an A-level sized qualification to meet the overall UCAS tariff.
We accept this qualification, but it must be accompanied by an A-level sized qualification to meet the overall UCAS tariff.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Distinction*, Distinction (104 UCAS tariff points).
We accept this qualification as part of the overall tariff.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Distinction, Merit, Merit (112 UCAS tariff points).
We accept this qualification as part of the overall tariff.
104 - 120 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of two Scottish Advanced Highers.
104 - 120 tariff points from Scottish Highers
UCAS Tariff
The entry requirements for this course are 104-120 tariff points including a minimum of 2 A-levels or equivalent qualifications.
We accept this qualification, but it must be accompanied by an A-level sized qualification to meet the overall UCAS tariff.
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
Taught by professional practitioners, expert academics and interesting guest lecturers, in dedicated facilities with cutting-edge equipment, this degree will provide you with a clear understanding of how to apply programming techniques to modern games creation, whilst developing your knowledge of artificial intelligence, physics, game engines and graphics programming.
You’ll have the opportunity to take a 30-week work placement in the industry, allowing you to put the specialist knowledge and skills you learn on the course into a real work context, so you leave with a degree and that all-important work experience. You can also build a network of professional contacts before you enter the job market.
We have regular contact with games developers across the UK and overseas, including Jagex, Lionhead, Marmalade, Goodgame Studios and Climax Studios. Students in the Department of Creative Technology are on placement in Luxembourg, Holland, Denmark, Bulgaria and Italy.
Graduates can expect to move into industries including multimedia, technology, digital and entertainment to name a few.
90% of our students who study computer games and animation courses say staff are good at explaining things (NSS, 2018).
Modules
Taught modules on the course include an Introduction to Programming, Games Design Principles, Digital Technologies, Mathematics for Computer Graphics, Object Oriented Games Programming, 3D Graphics Programming, Physics for Games, AI Game Programming, Graphics & Computational Programming, Innovation, Enterprise & Business Development, Game Engine Programming. You will also have the opportunity to take an optional work placement.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Bournemouth University
Department of Creative Technonlogy

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See your living costsWhat students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Computer games and animation
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Computer games and animation
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What do graduate employment figures really tell you?This is a relatively new subject area for this kind of data, so we don’t currently have very much information to display or analyse yet. Gaming is a growing industry, and if it continues to grow we should see the rather high unemployment rate coming down over the next few years. Much the most common jobs for graduates who do get work after six months are in programming roles - but as things stand, be aware that jobs in the field are very competitive and personal contacts - either through family, friends or via specialist employment agencies - are a crucial way into the industry so be prepared to talk as well as code!
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Computer games programming
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£27k
£31k
£34k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
We calculate a mean rating of all responses to indicate whether this is high, medium or low compared to the same subject area at other universities.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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