This course equips you with the necessary technical skills to develop games both independently and within a multidisciplinary environment, backed by industry standard practices. You will have the opportunity to develop games for platforms such as PC, mobile and console. With a focus on programming, you will become adept in games programming using industry relevant languages (e.g. C#, C++) and mathematical concepts through popular game engines such as Unity, and the Unreal Engine. You will work with other students to develop games as part of a games studio environment, simulated in our specialised games lab.
Course structure
Teaching methods include lectures, tutorials, seminars and laboratory sessions. We also use the University’s virtual learning environment for group activities, discussions, assignments and links to resources. We encourage you to develop independent study skills as well as to work with other students on the course.
As well as assessments that count towards your degree, there are also on-going assessments for feedback and consolidating your learning. Assessment methods include coursework and exams.
Employment
This course has a strong emphasis on real-world learning that boosts employability and equips you to make a bigger contribution in the workplace. You will acquire a high level of software related transferable skills that will make you attractive to local, regional, national and international companies.
Graduate success
Sunderland has a good reputation with employers. 93.4% of our graduates are in employment, further study or training within six months of graduating, according to DLHE 2016/17 (based on full-time, first degree, home leavers). The top type of job gained by our graduates is ‘information and communication technology professional’.
In your final year of the course, you will undertake a major individual project with research-active staff. This adds to your hands-on experience and, in some cases, leads to a job offer that can be taken up as soon as the course ends.
Career options
Our graduates have gone on to become web programmers, IT managers, information analysts and software developers. Employers that have taken on our graduates include Sage, British Airways and the NHS. Other graduates have started their own businesses or become software contractors earning over £50,000 a year.
