Game Design and Production
Abertay University
UCAS Code: G452 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Abertay University
UCAS Code: G452 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Entry into Year 2 with AAB to include two from Art, Computer Science, Maths, Music and Design Technology
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Entry into Year 2 with 34 Points to include 3 Higher subjects at grade 4 to include 2 subjects from Visual Art, Computer Science, Maths, Design Technology and Music
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Business Creative Media Production IT
Scottish Advanced Higher
Entry into Year 2 to include two from Graphic Communication, Art, Computer Science, Maths, Design & Manufacture and Music
Scottish HNC
Entry into Year 1 with an HNC in one of the following:- 3D Computer Animation - Graded Unit B Computer Arts & Design - Graded Unit B Computer Games Development - Graded Unit B Computing - Graded Unit B Next Gen Computing - Graded Unit M Cyber Security - Graded Unit B Creative Industries - Graded Unit B Digital Design & Development - Graded Unit B Digital Design & Development (Games/Games Development) - Graded Unit B Interactive Media - Graded Unit B
Scottish HND
Entry into Year 2 with an HND in one of the following:- 3D Computer Animation - Graded Unit B Computer Arts & Design - Graded Unit B Computer Games Development - Graded Unit B Digital Design & Development (Games) - Graded Unit B Entry into Year 1 with an HND in one of the following:- Computer Science - Graded Unit B Computing: Networking - Graded Unit B Computing: Software Development - Graded Unit B Computing: Technical Support - Graded Unit B Creative Industries - Graded Unit B Digital Design & Development - Graded Unit B Visual Communication Graphic Design - Graded Unit B
Scottish Higher
T Level
Digital Production, Design & Development (Pearson) Digital Business Services (NCFE) Digital Support Services (NCFE) Digital Production, Design & Development Digital Support Services Digital Business Services
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
**Study your Game Design and Production degree at one of the most prestigious game design schools in the world. Learn to push the boundaries of games making using your outstanding creative and technical skills.**
Developed for people who want to play a key part in the games industry, this degree delivers world-class teaching. You'll learn to communicate through prototypes, asset creation, documentation and presentations, covering topics such as:
- Game concept development.
- Level design.
- Testing and user experience.
- Communication and leadership skills.
**Play a key part in the games industry**
As a Game Design and Production student, you will:
- Work with artists and programmers in small teams to design and develop prototypes and games.
- Study the historical context and fundamentals of game design, interaction and narrative theory.
- Develop professional skills in areas like concept development and user experience.
- Learn how games are designed, developed and marketed.
**Work creatively as a game designer or producer**
You'll be encouraged to work creatively and professionally as a game designer or producer. You'll hone your communication and leadership skills through multidisciplinary/individual projects, and graduate fully prepared for an exciting career in the games industry.
Job prospects in this area have never been better. Games studios and international media groups all need talented individuals like you with expertise in team management, design and production control.
Abertay is the **top International School for video games design** (Princeton Review 2024). Which makes **Abertay the best video games school in Europe**.
Modules
Year 1 core modules (subject to change over time) - DES101 Developing Game Concepts; DES102 Game Art Production; DES105 Game Engines and Principles of Programming; DES103 Quality Assurance and User Experience; DES104 Game Studies and Criticism.
You will also be required to select one elective module. For detailed module information please check our website.
Assessment methods
You will spend around 15 hours per week in lectures, tutorials and practical activities, with the remainder of your time spent in self-directed learning. Lectures, tutorials and practical activities increase your understanding of the subject and allow you to develop competencies in technological, theoretical and collaborative work. A large proportion of the course revolves around making games and building a portfolio that demonstrates your skills and specific area of creative practice.
During first and second year, your work will mostly be assessed through practical coursework, presentations and reflective essays. In later years, taught module assessment is by a mixture of exams, critical essays and coursework. Project modules are assessed through the submission of conceptual work, design solutions, interactive media products and project reports. The final year dissertation and project allows you to focus on a specific topic within design and production and develop a specialist area of expertise.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Abertay Campus
Faculty of Design, Informatics and Business
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score 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
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 and animation
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£21k
£32k
£38k
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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This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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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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