Computer Games Development

Computer games development is the discipline of designing and building the software systems, interactive mechanics, visual and audio elements and game worlds that make up playable video games. It is a field that demands an unusual combination of technical rigour, creative ambition and collaborative skill, requiring programmers, artists, designers and audio specialists to work together towards a shared vision. The games industry is one of the largest and most rapidly growing sectors in the global entertainment economy, and the demand for skilled developers is consistently strong.

At the University of the West of Scotland this four-year programme develops your programming ability, game engine knowledge, graphics programming and software engineering skills alongside the design thinking and creative problem-solving that game development requires. You will work with industry-standard tools and engines, building projects that develop your practical capability and your collaborative experience in team-based production. A sandwich year provides a substantial period of professional experience in the games or technology industry, and work placements and a year abroad are also built into the programme.

These opportunities develop both your technical skills and your professional network in an industry where who you know and what you have shipped both matter.

Graduates work as games programmers, tools developers, gameplay designers, engine engineers, technical artists and project managers across the games industry, from major studios and publishers to independent developers and mobile games companies. The programming skills developed in games are also highly transferable to the wider technology industry, including simulation, defence, virtual and augmented reality and interactive media. Some graduates go on to postgraduate study in game development, computer science or related technical disciplines, while others move directly into professional roles using the work they produced during the degree as their primary calling card to employers.