Why choose the School of Computing, Engineering and Creative Industries
In the NSS 2025, our computer games and animation courses scored student satisfaction rates of 92% for academic support and 94% for freedom of expression.
This places them in the UK top 20 in their subject field for academic support (NSS, 2025).
Dedicated STEM building with games, animation and graphics studios; high-performance computing suites; and virtualised environments.
About the course
The creation and production of computer games has grown to become a huge, rapidly evolving industry with a growing need for talented technical and creative. This course’s hands-on approach to games development prepares you for the workplace, turning game ideas into playable demos right from the start. It also allows you to specialise in one of three areas in your second year: games programming; games design; or games graphics.
Facilities and specialist equipment
- Specialist animation and graphics labs with VR technology, high-spec computers, and motion-capture and green-screen studios.
- Cutting-edge software, from Autodesk 3ds Max and Maya to Unreal Engine and Blender, means you become familiar with the tools used in industry right from the start.
- Study alongside like-minded people in our vibrant, purpose-built STEM building with modern computing labs, group study hubs and bespoke teaching spaces.
Industry links
We are members of Ukie, which offers you benefits such as attending game conferences; applying for internships and mentorships; joining games-related events such as game jams; and receiving portfolio help and advice.
Your student experience
- Share teaching with students from our BSc (Hons) Computer Animation & Visual Effects course and benefit from the exchange of ideas and understanding.
- Learn to tackle complex problems through practical projects designed to meet the needs of players, industry and society.
- From your second year, select one of three areas in which to specialise:
- games programming - learn industry-standard programming techniques and languages including C# and C++ so you can turn designed gameplay into a playable form
- games design - design immersive player experiences and game environments, levels, mechanics and game systems
- games graphics - create artwork models and animations tailored for use in games using the latest graphics techniques in game engines.
- Benefit from regular practical sessions, studio sessions and, during your final year, supervisory meetings that support continuous learner-teacher interaction and help you reflect on your progress.
- Thrive under the guidance of our dedicated academic success tutors, there to support you through your studies.
- Our staff’s real-world expertise feeds directly into their teaching, keeping you up to date within this rapidly progressing industry.
with Professional Practice Year
This course has the option to be taken over four years which includes a year placement in industry. Undertaking a year in industry has many benefits. You gain practical experience and build your CV, as well as being a great opportunity to sample a profession and network with potential future employers.
There is no tuition fee for the placement year enabling you to gain an extra year of experience for free.
*Only available to UK/EU students.
with Foundation Year
A Degree with a Foundation Year gives you guaranteed entry to an Undergraduate course.
Whether you’re returning to learning and require additional help and support to up-skill, or if you didn’t quite meet the grades to pursue an Undergraduate course, our Degrees with Foundation Year provide a fantastic entry route for you to work towards a degree level qualification.
With our guidance and support you’ll get up to speed within one year, and will be ready to seamlessly progress on to undergraduate study at Bedfordshire.
The Foundation Year provides an opportunity to build up your academic writing skills and numeracy, and will also cover a range of subject specific content to fully prepare you for entry to an Undergraduate degree.
This is an integrated four-year degree, with the foundation year as a key part of the course. You will need to successfully complete the Foundation Year to progress on to the first year of your bachelor’s degree.
Why study a degree with a Foundation Year?
- Broad-based yet enough depth to give you credible vocational skills
- Coverage of a variety of areas typically delivered by an expert in this area
- Gain an understanding of a subject before choosing which route you wish to specialise in
- Great introduction to further study, and guaranteed progression on to one of our Undergraduate degrees
The degrees offering a Foundation Year provide excellent preparation for your future studies.
During your Foundation Year you will get the opportunity to talk to tutors about your degree study and future career aspirations, and receive guidance on the most appropriate Undergraduate course to help you achieve this; providing you meet the entry requirements and pass the Foundation Year.
Course Leader - Dr Marcia Gibson
Marcia began teaching in higher education in 2007 and joined the school of Computer Science and Technology full time in 2013. She has 15 years of experience in teaching and research within the areas of multimedia, computer games, HCI and security (with particular focus on usable security). Marcia currently works as part of the school’s creative technologies subject cluster, is course co-ordinator for BSc (Hons) Computer Games Development and is an academic member of Ukie (the UK Interactive Entertainment association).
Course Leader - Dr Marcia Gibson
Marcia began teaching in higher education in 2007 and joined the school of Computer Science and Technology full time in 2013. She has 15 years of experience in teaching and research within the areas of multimedia, computer games, HCI and security (with particular focus on usable security). Marcia currently works as part of the school’s creative technologies subject cluster, is course co-ordinator for BSc (Hons) Computer Games Development and is an academic member of Ukie (the UK Interactive Entertainment association).
Course Leader - Dr Marcia Gibson
Marcia began teaching in higher education in 2007 and joined the school of Computer Science and Technology full time in 2013. She has 15 years of experience in teaching and research within the areas of multimedia, computer games, HCI and security (with particular focus on usable security). Marcia currently works as part of the school’s creative technologies subject cluster, is course co-ordinator for BSc (Hons) Computer Games Development and is an academic member of Ukie (the UK Interactive Entertainment association).
Course Leader - Dr Marcia Gibson
Marcia began teaching in higher education in 2007 and joined the school of Computer Science and Technology full time in 2013. She has 15 years of experience in teaching and research within the areas of multimedia, computer games, HCI and security (with particular focus on usable security). Marcia currently works as part of the school’s creative technologies subject cluster, is course co-ordinator for BSc (Hons) Computer Games Development and is an academic member of Ukie (the UK Interactive Entertainment association).
Studying our Computer Games Development BSc (Hons) course will equip you with the knowledge and skills around computing, digital asset creation, and animation, and will allow you to specialise in design, programming, or graphics, equipping you for a career in games. In your first year of study, you will develop the skills for digital creative technologies and learn to apply them to areas of computer games development. Fundamentals of Creative Technologies will introduce you to the foundations and techniques for asset creation, editing artwork, animation, and 3D modelling. You will also explore a range of careers in games and the creative technologies sector and gain the skills for working in a professional environment. In our Games and Digital Asset Design unit, you will be introduced to game design skills and learn to develop basic game assets, including digital audio content for different platforms and audiences, and bring them together inside a game engine. You will further develop your design skills and learn visual scripting techniques for games in our Prototyping and Visual Programming unit. Furthermore, you will also have the opportunity to delve further into these topics by selecting an optional unit from 2D Graphics and Digital Art, where you will learn the fundamentals of drawing and painting for games and animation; or Principles of Games Programming, where you can explore programming techniques and concepts used to make computer games.
The focus in your second year of study is to begin developing a professional work portfolio and to develop specialist skills in your chosen area of games development. Core units at this level are the Professional Industry Portfolio, where you will learn more about your chosen career path and internships while working with support to develop a personalised action plan and professional portfolio to contain existing pieces you have made, as well as a substantial new portfolio piece in line with your career goals. You will also have the chance to develop important skills such as interview techniques and CV creation for the creative technologies sector. Aside from this, you will have the opportunity to work together in a team to develop a game in our Studio Development Project unit. Here, you will learn to project manage a game development lifecycle, from inception through to release, and put into practice techniques to enable you to work more effectively within a professional team environment designed to emulate workplace roles within a typical studio. The course also offers a range of optional units for you to diversify your knowledge and skills in the field. If you opt to study graphics for games specialism, you will take the 3D Graphics and Animation Technologies unit, where you will explore state-of-the-art computer animation packages and modern animation software. If you were interested in a games programming specialism, then you will take our Applied Games Programming unit, that will teach you to code game mechanics and gameplay systems while using industry-recognised design patterns for software engineering of games.
Alternatively, if you choose to undertake the design specialism, our unit in Applied Games Design will expose you to a number of game design theories, concepts, and techniques, and how these can be applied in practice. You will also learn to iteratively improve your game designs with professional playtesting. Other optional units in your second year that you can elect depending on your area of personal interest include Compositing for Visual Effects, where you will study theory around optics, physics, and algorithms used for visual effects, as well as 2D and 3D compositing techniques. Alternatively, you may want to learn to use technologies involved in the design, development and implementation of web-based applications in our Web Technologies and Platforms unit, or for mobile devices and applications in our Mobile Application Development unit. You may also choose to learn how to develop desktop applications in our Desktop Applications Development and Software Engineering unit, or develop the skills to model, design, and evaluate excellent user experiences in our User Experience Design unit.
In your final year, you will be introduced to cutting-edge technologies and research trends in our Disruptive Technologies unit. Topics change based on industry and technology trends, but examples may include virtual reality, network gaming, and emergent graphics software and paradigms. You will also be able to take an optional unit in line with your specialism. In Advanced Games Design, you will consider psychological and business aspects of game design while working on a development project to produce a piece of game design. In Advanced Games Programming, you will learn to implement a number of advanced programming techniques for games. Example areas may include machine learning for games, network coding, pathfinding, and behaviour trees. Our Advanced Graphics for Games unit will allow you to practice using advanced tools for computer games graphics platforms. Example topics may include visual effects for games, advanced animation, and face-rigging techniques. You will also be able to complete an Undergraduate Project on a topic of interest to you, and you will work to identify and create a proposal and conduct initial research and design around this in our Research Methodologies and Emerging Technologies unit.
Students are assessed in a variety of ways. The majority of units are assessed through coursework group and individual projects portfolios essays presentations or exams. Presentations are usually given and assessed in the context of a group seminar. You will also produce software artefacts in the area of your specialism. Constant feedback and advice from a supervisory or unit team will be provided to support you in your work. At level 4 you are assessed on your understanding of the fundamental concepts of computing and digital technologies and their application.
You are required to comprehend the basic range of intellectual concepts which form the foundations of the subject and application area and will be assessed on your ability to articulate such concepts in a coherent manner in a variety of project-based briefs. For example you will learn about digital design and content creation for animation as well as introductory programming and interactive development. At level 5 you will be specialising in your chosen option subject and are assessed on your ability to apply the basic concepts of the disciplines introduced in level 4 through further study and development on industry-standard computer games development tools. You should also be able to demonstrate the inter-relationships between technical development and design. At level 6 you will be required to demonstrate independent thinking and initiative.
This may be in the form of analysing and criticising current practice and theory in the fields of computer games development. In all cases you will be expected to show an awareness of the major theories and practices of the discipline. You will progress from well-defined briefs to more open-ended and challenging assessments which culminate in your major project - the undergraduate project unit where you will individually develop a project with supervision from an appointed mentor usually a lecturer from the Subject cluster team. The Initial Assessment is in the unit Fundamentals of Creative Technologies following which several units allow students to use work and feedback from the first assessment to perform best in the second. All units benefit from weekly practical sessions or supervisor meetings that provide a constant learner-teacher interaction process which also serves to reflect on learning styles.
Careers
Successful graduates may gain employment within the games development industry as well as entertainment and media technology, e-sports or extended reality (XR) applications (VR AR MR).
Employment options related to each respective specialism may include: games programmer or game-engine software engineer; games designer or user-experience designer for games and applications; 2D or 3D graphics specialist; animator or technical artist for the games industry.
You may also like to continue your studies with an MSc by Research or PhD in games and interactive media-related technologies.
Entry Requirements
Entry Requirements
Entry Requirements
Entry Requirements
Fees for this course
UK
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £9,535 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees. You can also apply for a maintenance loan from the Government to help cover your living costs. See www.gov.uk/student-finance
Excellence Scholarships
Worth £2,500 per year of study over three years when you score a defined number of UCAS tariff points from specified qualifications*
» If you don’t qualify for an Excellence Scholarship but have 120 UCAS tariff points, you have enough points for one of our Achievement Scholarships offering £500 per year of study**
» Other scholarships, bursaries and financial support packages are available
* Points requirements vary depending on type of qualification.
** Threshold is 120 UCAS tariff points across all awarding bodies and qualifications.
International
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the academic year 2025/26 is £16,900 per year.
There are range of Scholarships available to help support you through your studies with us.
A full list of scholarships can be found here.
Fees for this course
UK
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £9,535 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees. You can also apply for a maintenance loan from the Government to help cover your living costs. See www.gov.uk/student-finance
Excellence Scholarships
Worth £2,500 per year of study over three years when you score a defined number of UCAS tariff points from specified qualifications*
» If you don’t qualify for an Excellence Scholarship but have 120 UCAS tariff points, you have enough points for one of our Achievement Scholarships offering £500 per year of study**
» Other scholarships, bursaries and financial support packages are available
* Points requirements vary depending on type of qualification.
** Threshold is 120 UCAS tariff points across all awarding bodies and qualifications.
International
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the academic year 2025/26 is £16,900 per year.
There are range of Scholarships available to help support you through your studies with us.
A full list of scholarships can be found here.
Fees for this course
UK
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £9,535 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees. You can also apply for a maintenance loan from the Government to help cover your living costs. See www.gov.uk/student-finance
Excellence Scholarships
Worth £2,500 per year of study over three years when you score a defined number of UCAS tariff points from specified qualifications*
» If you don’t qualify for an Excellence Scholarship but have 120 UCAS tariff points, you have enough points for one of our Achievement Scholarships offering £500 per year of study**
» Other scholarships, bursaries and financial support packages are available
* Points requirements vary depending on type of qualification.
** Threshold is 120 UCAS tariff points across all awarding bodies and qualifications.
International
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the academic year 2025/26 is £16,900 per year.
There are range of Scholarships available to help support you through your studies with us.
A full list of scholarships can be found here.
Fees for this course
UK
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £9,535 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees. You can also apply for a maintenance loan from the Government to help cover your living costs. See www.gov.uk/student-finance
Excellence Scholarships
Worth £2,500 per year of study over three years when you score a defined number of UCAS tariff points from specified qualifications*
» If you don’t qualify for an Excellence Scholarship but have 120 UCAS tariff points, you have enough points for one of our Achievement Scholarships offering £500 per year of study**
» Other scholarships, bursaries and financial support packages are available
* Points requirements vary depending on type of qualification.
** Threshold is 120 UCAS tariff points across all awarding bodies and qualifications.
International
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the academic year 2025/26 is £16,900 per year.
There are range of Scholarships available to help support you through your studies with us.
A full list of scholarships can be found here.
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