Computer Science (Games Technology) BSc (Hons)
- Level(s) of Study: Undergraduate
- Typical Offer: 112 - 120 UCAS tariff points
- UCAS Code(s): 350W (full-time); G440 (sandwich)
- Start Date(s): September 2024
- Duration: Three years full-time, four years with placement
- Study Mode(s): Full-time / Sandwich
- Campus: Clifton Campus
Introduction:
The course builds on and shares many modules with our Computer Science degree. We then combine this with specialised games technology modules to produce a distinct and unique course – perfect if you are interested in creative applications of computer technology.
The combination of a solid foundation in traditional computer science and games technology knowledge allows you to keep your options open regarding jobs and career paths. Our graduates are just as likely to move into well-paid careers with Investment banks or Motorsports companies as they are to join the ranks of a AAA games Studio.
Join us, and you will acquire the advanced skills and knowledge needed to design and implement various computer systems. You’ll mainly be software engineering using C++. You will also learn to program using Python, Java and C#, providing you with a fantastic portfolio of development skills demanded by employers today. You will be introduced to the techniques behind the production of 3D game assets and develop your games using Unreal Engine 5, Unity and the Android SDK. You will take these skills to the next level by developing serious and educational games for real-world clients and creating immersive experiences for VR headsets like the Quest2, Pico3 and Vive Pro Eye.
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We focus on the Industrial and medical applications of game technologies; our student work can be groundbreaking and innovative and consistently attracts industry attention -
You will have access to superior facilities, equipment and software, including our Vicon Motion Capture Suite, our green screen and our VR-equipped Human Interaction Technology Lab. -
This course shares a common first year with BSc (Hons) Computer Science and BSc (Hons) Software Engineering, allowing you the flexibility to review your pathway once you've started studying. -
100% of our BSc (Hons) Computer Science (Games Technology) (SW) students were in work or further study 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020/21).
What you’ll study
You will build a foundation of core computer science and software engineering skills in your first year. We assume no prior knowledge of computer programming and accept students from a wide range of academic backgrounds. We will provide all the help and support you need to develop and succeed as a coder. Beginning with Python but moving rapidly to C++ will equip you with the technical skills required to engage with the specialised games tech modules which will follow in subsequent years.
During the second year, you will write code that integrates with networks and operating systems; you will complete modules focused on game programming and 3D asset creation and will be guided through advanced maths and graphical programming techniques. You will also work as part of a team to develop a major project, often by applying game technology to the design of solutions to real-world problems. Many students integrate these projects with competitions or networking events like Global Game Jam or the Microsoft Imagine cup.
In your final year, around one-third of your time will be spent working on your major project; this is a great opportunity to focus and specialise in a chosen area of interest with recent projects as diverse as advanced visual FX techniques, EEG mind control of games and games for rehabilitation and therapy. You can also study modules on virtual reality, Mobile app development, physics simulation, serious games and artificial intelligence, including the Microsoft Certified Azure AI fundamentals course available to all our students.
Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals course
If you take the Artificial Intelligence module in your final year, you will participate in the Microsoft-certified Azure AI Fundamentals program as part of your studies. The program is designed as a blended learning experience, combining instructor-led training with online materials accessed on the Microsoft Learn platform.
Microsoft will sponsor your cloud subscription, course materials and certification test fees for no cost. When you graduate, you will also get the Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals certificate – a valuable addition to your CV.
Foundations of Computer Technology and Programming
This module has several strands, including programming and technical aspects, that introduce you to the fundamentals of writing computer programs, numeracy, and website development.
Essential Skills
Develop the skills required to succeed in your computing degree. You’ll learn how to confidently deal with numerical aspects of your course and practice your web publishing skills by creating and formatting basic web documentation.
Computer Science Programming
Learn about programming languages relevant to software with industrial scale, reliability and performance characteristics.
Computer Technology and Mathematics
Understand how a computer works, look at issues arising from the hardware architecture and extend your mathematical knowledge and ability.
Systems Analysis and Design (SAD)
Introducing you to the fundamental principles of SAD, this module gives you a working knowledge of key systems development methodologies, techniques and tools.
Professional Development for Industry
This module will enable you to learn about the professional bodies and standards relating to the computing profession and enhance your employability potential by increasing your awareness of the technological, social and economic factors driving the IT industry.
Applied Mathematics and Graphics
This module provides you with a range of mathematical skills necessary for the implementation of computer systems which interact with or model the physical world.
Games Programming
Introduces you to specific game development technologies. It builds on object-oriented development skills and key programming concepts in current gaming technology.
Practical Project Management and Professional Development
Continued professional development and lifelong learning are important to your future career. Through this module, you’ll improve your time and project management skills, presentations and report writing. This module also includes detailed guidance about developing your CV and provides the experience of selection assessments for industrial placement / graduate employment positions.
Software Design and Implementation
Equips you with the knowledge and skills in software development techniques to support the development of robust, secure, maintainable and portable software systems.
Systems Software
Learn about operating systems theory, network solutions, design and implementation and how computer systems can be connected to form large, complex distributed systems.
Digital 3D
Design and develop 3D environments and characters for computer game systems.
Optional year-long work placement. If you are not taking a placement you will progress directly to your final year in year three.
Project
Investigate problems in computing, implement solutions, critically evaluate and reflect on your work, and develop your abilities to communicate, self-organise and manage.
Graphics for Games and Dynamic Modelling
Learn the fundamental principles of advanced 3D rendering and physical simulation and appreciate “fitness for purpose” and the full implications of hardware choices.
Virtual Reality
You will develop your knowledge of virtual reality technology and be presented with past and current research into fields such as VR training and simulation, architectural visualisation, disability access and 3D recording of ancient monuments and artefacts.
Mobile Platform Applications
Development Understand the requirements, capabilities and constraints of various mobile platform technologies and consider how they can be used to build systems outside the traditional desktop paradigm.
Choose one of the following modules:
Foundations of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Learn about the theoretical foundations of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the main methods and techniques and current areas of AI research and development.
Serious Games
Examine the use of computers for teaching, focusing mainly on virtual reality and multimedia systems in developing and applying games for learning.
Advanced Software Engineering
Develop techniques and strategies to analyse, choose, propose, design, implement, test and evaluate software elements.
Information Security
Apply the skills learnt in this module to conduct an appropriate risk analysis and generate information assurance plans for a given context.
Communicating Science and Technology
An opportunity for you to gain valuable transferable skills working as a ‘student-tutor’ with teachers in local schools or to work on a community-based project.
Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves
Video Gallery
How you’re taught
Scheduled contact time in lectures and seminars is around 12 hours per week, which will be held on Clifton Campus.
Who will teach me?
You will be taught by a team of experienced academic staff. Much of our research is internationally recognised, particularly in applying game technology to tackle problems of social exclusion and discrimination problems and promote accessibility. We have a longstanding research theme of developing rehabilitation games for people who had a stroke. We continue to work on projects bringing game technology to people with intellectual and physical disabilities.
James Lewis - Course Leader
James Lewis has over 20 years of experience in interactive 3D and virtual reality and has published over 30 papers on game-related research topics.
Dr Simon Schofield
Dr Schofield teaches computer graphics and game programming. Simon created the award-winning Piranesi Interactive Rendering system, which architects use worldwide. Then, while working at the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL, he won a Bafta Interactive for a music-based game.
Professor David Brown
Professor David Brown leads serious games. They are often tailored towards ongoing international research projects, integrating our undergraduates with his Interactive Systems Research Group staff to expose them to subjects at the forefront of the discipline.
Assessments
You will be assessed on a variety of components, including:
- coursework and practical (assignments, dissertation, group projects, oral presentations, reports)
- written (exams, written tests)
Contact hours
Year 1 - lectures/seminars/workshops (28%) and independent study (72%)
Year 2 - lectures/seminars/workshops (28%) and independent study (72%)
Year 3 - lectures/seminars/workshops (20%) and independent study (80%)
A placement year may be taken between year 2 and year 3 of study
How you’re assessed
Year 1 - coursework (70%), written (8%) and practical (12%)
Year 2 - coursework (80%), written (17%) and practical (3%)
Year 3 - coursework (92%), written (8%) and practical (0%)
A placement year may be taken between year 2 and year 3 of study
Careers and employability
Your career development
This course provides a thorough education in computing for industry, meaning you graduate with advanced software development skills and can design and manage complex information systems.
Our recent graduates have secured roles at companies including:
- Orange
- Rockstar Games
- Outso Ltd
- Sharp Gaming
- Bank of America Merrill Lynch
- Jigsaw Systems
They have gone into a wide variety of job roles, including:
- Games Tester
- Apple Systems Engineer
- Systems Engineer
- Graduate Game Development and Programmer
- Technology Graduate Scheme
NTU Enterprise
You'll also have the opportunity to turn your ideas into a viable business with help from NTU Enterprise, NTU's purpose-built Centre for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise, a support centre to help students create, develop and grow their businesses.
Excellent placement opportunities
Placements
NTU is one of the most employment-focused universities. Increasingly, employers want to recruit graduates who have real-world work experience. That’s why all of our courses, across every subject area, offer you a work experience opportunity. Our experts help build and support your future with a range of career programmes and events.
On this course, after your second year, you will have the opportunity to take a year's work placement (sandwich placement). This will give you a chance to gain vital experience and put your knowledge into practice. You're also twice as likely to secure a graduate job within six months if you take a work placement.
We are passionate about the value added to your degree by taking a work placement, and we provide dedicated support to help you succeed in the application process. The placement year enables you to use the skills acquired on the course in a real-world working context and can be taken in the UK or overseas. Our students have been putting their knowledge into practice in recent years at exciting companies like Sumo Games, Disney, Mercedes AMG and Next.
You'll be supported and assessed throughout your placement year and will write a reflective report and diary at the end of your placement. When you complete your placement, you will be eligible to receive an additional award of a Diploma in Professional Practice.
Find out more about work placements.
Campus and facilities
The School of Science and Technology is a stimulating and creative environment which equips students with the knowledge and transferable skills to put them ahead of the graduate crowd.
We provide facilities that enhance the quality of our education and push the boundaries of our research. Students have access to specialist centres, including:
- Virtual Reality Lab equipped with VIVE Pro and Oculus Quest 2 headsets available for a home loan
- Networking and security laboratories
- Vicon Motion Capture studio
- Robotics lab
Students also enjoy working with the latest software/hardware, including:
- Unreal Engine 5
- Unity
- Adobe Creative Cloud (Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop)
- Autodesk 3DS MAX
- Home licences for the duration of your course for all Autodesk software (Max, Maya, Mudbox, MotionBuilder etc.)
Entry requirements
- Standard offer: 120 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications, including A-level equivalent in an IT, Maths or Science subject grade C
- Contextual offer: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications, including A-level equivalent in an IT, Maths or Science subject grade C
- GCSEs – English and Maths grade C/4.
To find out what qualifications have tariff points, please use our tariff calculator.
Contextual offers
A lower offer may be made based on a range of factors, including your background (such as where you live and the school or college you attended), your experiences and individual circumstances (you may have been in care, for example). This is called a contextual offer; we get data from UCAS to make these decisions. NTU offers a student experience like no other. This approach helps us find students who have the potential to succeed here but may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university. Find out how we assess your application.
Other qualifications and experience
We may also consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry or beyond the beginning of a course where applicable, for example, into year 2. Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.
- 120 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications, including A-level equivalent in an IT, Maths or Science subject grade C
- GCSEs – English and Maths grade C/4.
International qualifications
We accept qualifications from all over the world – check yours here:
Undergraduate preparation courses (Foundation)
If you don’t yet meet our entry requirements, we offer Foundation courses through our partner Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC), based on our City Campus:
English language entry requirements
You can meet our language requirements by completing our pre-sessional English course for an agreed length of time or by submitting the required grade in one of our accepted English language tests, such as IELTS:
Advanced standing (starting your undergraduate degree in year 2 or 3)
You may be able to start your undergraduate course in year 2 or 3 based on what you have studied before. This decision would be made following our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy.
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
- Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.
Fees and funding
Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there’s no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding pages will answer all your questions.
What's included in the course fees?
Your course fees cover all the facilities and support you need to succeed. This includes the following:
- You will have access to extensive computing facilities, some available 24 hours a day and including technician support.
- You will have dedicated online storage to support the backup of work.
- You will have access to Microsoft Academic Alliance membership, which gives you free copies of all Microsoft developer software, including operating systems, Visio and Project.
- As one of our students, you can join the Oracle Academic Initiative as an individual member and get free database software.
- Students can register for a free personal copy of 3D Studio Max.
- Extensive equipment is available to loan for coursework and project work. For example, you can borrow cameras and phones.
- We offer extensive free training software, including tutorials on 3D Studio Max, Flash, Photoshop, TCP/IP Packet analysis, Java, Javascript, HTML5, and Oracle.
- Most major software is available across the campus machines, including Adobe Master Collection Suite.
Additional Costs
Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team, and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses.
Library books
Most study modules recommend one or more core textbooks, which most students purchase. Book costs vary, and further information is available in the University’s bookshop. Our libraries provide a good supply of essential textbooks, journals and materials (many of which you can access online) – meaning you may not need to purchase as many books as you think! There may also be a supply of second-hand books available for buy from previous year students.
Field trips
All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may be the opportunity to participate in optional field trips, which incur additional costs.
Placements
If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students earn a salary whilst on placement, which can help cover these living costs.
Print and copy costs
The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance, please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.
Students will also be required to pay additional costs for printing, poster preparation and final dissertation copies in their final year - estimated costs of approximately £20 - £50.
Getting in touch
For more advice and guidance, contact our Student Financial Support Service by telephone at +44 (0)115 848 2494.
Tuition fees
Tuition fees are payable for each year that you are at the University. The tuition fees for the second and subsequent years of your undergraduate course may increase in line with inflation and as specified by the UK government. See our fees.
Scholarships
We offer scholarships of up to 50% of your tuition fee. You can apply for your scholarship when you have the offer to study at NTU.
Living costs
Get advice on the cost of living as an international student in Nottingham and how to budget:
Paying fees
Find out about advanced payments, instalment plan options and how to make payments securely to the University:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
- Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.
What's included in the course fees?
Your course fees cover all the facilities and support you need to succeed. This includes the following:
- You will have access to extensive computing facilities, some available 24 hours a day and including technician support.
- You will have dedicated online storage to support the backup of work.
- You will have access to Microsoft Academic Alliance membership, which gives you free copies of all Microsoft developer software, including operating systems, Visio and Project.
- As one of our students, you can join the Oracle Academic Initiative as an individual member and get free database software.
- Students can register for a free personal copy of 3D Studio Max.
- Extensive equipment is available to loan for coursework and project work. For example, you can borrow cameras and phones.
- We offer extensive free training software, including tutorials on 3D Studio Max, Flash, Photoshop, TCP/IP Packet analysis, Java, Javascript, HTML5, and Oracle.
- Most major software is available across the campus machines, including Adobe Master Collection Suite.
Additional Costs
Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team, and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses.
Library books
Most study modules recommend one or more core textbooks, which most students purchase. Book costs vary, and further information is available in the University’s bookshop. Our libraries provide a good supply of essential textbooks, journals and materials (many of which you can access online) – meaning you may not need to purchase as many books as you think! There may also be a supply of second-hand books available to buy from previous year students.
Field trips
All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may be the opportunity to participate in optional field trips, which incur additional costs.
Placements
If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students do earn a salary whilst on placement, which can help to cover these living costs.
Print and copy costs
The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance, please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.
Students will also be required to pay additional costs for printing, poster preparation and final dissertation copies in their final year - estimated costs of approximately £20 - £50.
How to apply
Ready to join us? Then apply as soon as you can. Just click the Apply button at the top of the page and follow the application instructions. Make sure you check the entry requirements above carefully before you do.
Writing your application and personal statement
Be honest, thorough and persuasive in your application. Remember, we can only decide based on what you tell us. So include your qualifications and grades, including resits or predicted grades.
Your personal statement is a really important part of your application. It’s your chance to convince us why we should offer you a place! You’ve got 4,000 characters to impress us. Make sure you use them to show how your skills and qualities are relevant to the course(s) you’re applying for. For more hints and tips, look at our page on how to write a good personal statement.
Keeping up-to-date
After applying, we’ll send you important emails throughout the application process, so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
You can get more information and advice about applying to NTU on our Your Application page. Good luck with your application!
You can apply for this course through UCAS. If you are not applying to any other UK universities, you can apply directly to us on our NTU applicant portal.
Application advice
Apply early so you have enough time to prepare – processing times for Student visas can vary, for example. After applying, we'll send you important emails throughout the application process, so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
Writing your personal statement
Be honest, thorough, and persuasive – we can only decide on your application based on what you tell us:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
- Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.
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