BSc (Hons) Games Design

BSc (Hons) Games Design

Award

BSc (Hons)

Start Date

27/01/2025

Duration

3 years

Mode

Full-time

Location

University of Bolton

UCAS Points

104

UCAS Code

G613

Want to turn your passion for games into a career? Our BSc (Hons) Games Design graduates have a proven track record of success. Our experienced games tutors are ready to support and guide you on your mission to develop the technical knowledge and creative skills demanded by this ever-growing industry.

Apply Now Download Prospectus Programme Specification

Course Overview

The UK market for video games reached a record £7.16billion in 2021 (1). If you seek a career in a strong economic sector, then a career in games is an excellent choice. From PC, console and mobile games to serious games for education and training and the emerging virtual reality games market, software developers seek highly qualified games specialists.

Our BSc (Hons) Games Design course offers a broad study of games, emphasising the technical, design and innovation aspects rather than programming. Key topics include content production, games and level design, as well as platforms and technologies. Our dedicated games team will help you develop skills in games analysis, usability and playability testing and understand the concepts underpinning games production and the business of computer games (for instance, sales and marketing).

Team-based projects involving regular critique sessions are designed to help you develop the high level of teamwork and communication skills vital in the games industry. Our intensely practical, hands-on approach aims to encourage and support you to develop a high-quality portfolio of work ready to demonstrate your skills and creative air to potential employers.

(1) Ukie - https://ukie.org.uk/consumer-games-market-valuation-2021 accessed on 13 July 2022

Highlights

Key Features

Entry Requirements

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

Career Opportunities

As a BSc (Hons) Games Design graduate, you'll have the ability to work independently, develop games, develop concepts, respond to briefs, and understand commercial markets. You'll possess skills in teamwork, communication, project management and problem-solving. You'll also have a portfolio of work that you created using industry-standard tools. This portfolio will allow you to demonstrate your skills, creative flair and passion for games development.

Moreover, elements of games design are emerging in fields such as business, education and healthcare. These areas offer enormous potential for ambitious games graduates who can communicate with non-gamers.

What can I do with this qualification?

There is a great deal of specialisation within games design, varying from broader design principles to more specific roles such as level design and game balance. As a result, graduates have several career options, including roles within games design, technical design, level design, narratives, game scripting, production management, and quality assurance and testing.

Alternative career options

Not all graduates enter the gaming industry as game designers since their skills are transferrable to other creative roles in the film, music, and media industries. Another option is a multimedia artist or digital animator, working in computer game creation, but you won't be responsible for the overall design. If you are more interested in the technological side of game production, consider pursuing a career in software engineering. This career will allow you to turn a design team's ideas into a gamer's reality through coding and programming. Please note that you may need postgraduate study and/or work experience to enter these alternative careers.

  • Multimedia artist
  • Digital animator
  • Software engineer
Fees & Funding

Home/EU Fees

Year of study Total
Entry Year 2024/25 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28
2024-25 £9,250 £9,250 £9,250 - £27,750
2025-26 -

International Fees

Year of study Total
Entry Year 2024/25 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28
2024-25 £15,950 £15,950 £15,950 - £47,850
2025-26 -

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton students.

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2024-25 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

How to apply

Home Applicants

If you wish to apply for multiple institutions or multiple courses at Bolton for September entry, then apply through UCAS

You can apply for up to 5 courses through UCAS (at the same or different institutions) for a fee of £27. Alternatively, if you only wish to apply for a single course at a single institution then a reduced applicant's fee of £22.50 is applicable.

The online application form and guidance notes are available on the UCAS website.

You will need the following information to complete your UCAS application form:

  • Institution Code Name: BOLTN

  • Institution Code Number: B44

UCAS - Universities and Colleges Admissions Service

Tel: 0870 1122211
Web: www.ucas.com

If you wish to apply for a single course offered by the University of Bolton for any intake, you can apply directly

If you have carefully considered your course and institution choices and decided that this course is the best option for you, you may apply directly to the University using our online application form shown below.

A direct application to Bolton provides the following features:

  • Free of charge to apply

  • Secure, simple and streamlined

  • Contact us directly for any admissions queries

  • Regular updates on your application directly from the University

  • Invites to offer holder events and taster sessions where you can meet your future tutors and get a flavour of university life

NOTE: You cannot apply both through UCAS and directly to Bolton. Submitting an application to any university through UCAS during the same academic year will void any direct application you make to Bolton.

For courses starting in September, please be aware that we are required to share your information with UCAS if we accept you on this course. We will create a simplified UCAS acceptance record on your behalf and return this to UCAS. By submitting your application directly to the University of Bolton, you agree to these terms.

If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.

Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.

If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.

Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:

  • Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates

  • Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies

  • Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role

  • Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately

  • Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference

Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.

Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.

If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk

International Applicants

Thank you for your interest

In order to determine your suitability for this course as an international student and also to confirm you meet any initial eligibility criteria, we need you to answer a few short questions.

Continue

Partner Organisation Applicants

University of Bolton Group Partners

Bolton College
University Collegiate School
Alliance Learning
University of Bolton

For valued members of the University of Bolton Group and progressing students, we try to make our application process as simple and as fast as possible.

If you have carefully considered your course and institution choices and decided that this course is the best option for you, you may apply free of charge to the University. By selecting the appropriate link from the list shown below, you will be taken directly to our online application form. Please read the user guidance before completing this, and ensure you upload all supporting documents such as certificates and your personal statement when you apply.

When you are asked to add a contact email address, please ensure you add your college/university email account address as well as your personal address. If you do not add your college address as your contact address, we will be unable to identify you as a partner and offer you the benefits of being part of our group.

NOTE: You cannot apply both through UCAS and directly to Bolton. Submitting an application to any university through UCAS during the same academic year will void any direct application you make to Bolton.

For courses starting in September, please be aware that we are required to share your information with UCAS if we accept you on this course. We will create a simplified UCAS acceptance record on your behalf and return this to UCAS. By submitting your application directly to the University of Bolton, you agree to these terms.

If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.

Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.

If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.

Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:

  • Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates

  • Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies

  • Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role

  • Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately

  • Details including email addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference

Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.

Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.

If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk

We look forward to receiving your application and you continuing your academic journey with us!

Teaching & Assessment

Overall, the course is very practical in nature, with group work and team-based projects that encourage you to work alongside our more technical and artistic students (from the Games Programming and Games Art courses), forming an important part of your training. These experiences are designed to help you learn the industry pipelines and terminology used by these specialisms and the team working, project management, problem-solving, organisation, and communication skills essential in the games and interactive entertainment industry.

You can also expect lectures, demonstrations, practical lab sessions, critique sessions (peer and assessed), reflective learning through journals and logs for various activities, as well as online sessions and support. Guided independent study and self-directed learning are equally essential to your success; for instance, library research and background reading, preparing for practical activities and working on projects.

We also encourage and support you to create your portfolio. This provides evidence of your creativity and skills in games design ready to show potential employers and is considered vital for securing your first job in the industry.

In terms of formal assessment, you can expect written reports, assignments, projects, case study analyses, in-class tests, demonstrations, presentations, and others. These contribute to your final module mark and allow you to demonstrate that you have met the learning outcomes. We also use other forms of assessment to help you learn, especially critique sessions. These provide feedback and inform your development, though these do not count towards your final module mark.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

  • Fundamentals of 3D
  • Level Design
  • Introduction to Games Design
  • Scripting
  • Intermediate Scripting
  • Narratives
  • Intermediate Level Design
  • UI/UX Design
  • Advanced Games Scripting
  • Advanced Level Design
  • Group Portfolio Project
  • Major Project

Assessment methods

Level Assessment method
Level 1 Coursework 93%
Practical exams 7%
Level 2 Coursework 100%
Level 3 Coursework 100%

Learning Activities

Level Activity
Level 1 Guided independent study 67%
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 33%
Level 2 Guided independent study 63%
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 37%
Level 3 Guided independent study 74%
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 26%

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.

Postgraduate Options

Programme Contacts

Help Centre

We have the answers to your questions, find all the advice and support in one place.

Part of the University of Bolton Group

Bolton college
Alliance learning
Anderton centre2
QQA Scheme Participant

Help Centre

We have the answers to your questions, find all the advice and support in one place.

Part of the University of Bolton Group

Bolton college
Alliance learning
Anderton centre2
QQA Scheme Participant