Games Computing with Science Foundation Year
Games computing sits at the intersection of computer science and creative design, demanding both technical programming expertise and an understanding of how interactive experiences engage and challenge players. The discipline covers game engine architecture, graphics programming, artificial intelligence, physics simulation, and the software engineering practices that allow complex games to be developed and maintained. Alongside these technical foundations, games computing students also engage with the principles of game design, considering how mechanics, narrative, and interaction design combine to produce experiences worth playing.
This part-time programme at the University of Lincoln includes a science foundation year, which provides the mathematical and computational foundations you need before the main degree begins. The foundation year is particularly valuable for students who have a strong interest in computing and games but who need additional preparation in the underlying sciences. Once in the degree proper, you will develop programming skills in languages commonly used in games development, study the algorithms and data structures that underlie games systems, and build practical experience creating and testing game software.
The programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and work placement activity, giving you substantial professional and international experience before you complete the degree.
Games computing graduates work across the games industry in roles including games programmer, graphics programmer, tools developer, AI programmer, and technical designer. The technical skills the degree develops also transfer well into adjacent fields such as interactive media, virtual and augmented reality, simulation, visualisation, and software engineering more broadly. The sandwich year and placement experience are particularly valuable in an industry where a demonstrable portfolio of work matters alongside academic qualifications.
Postgraduate study in computer science, games technology, or related fields is an option for those who wish to specialise further or pursue research.