Key information
- UCAS code
- G4GD
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Delivery type
- Full Time
- Degree qualification
- BSc (Hons)
- Mode of delivery
- On-Campus
- Duration
- 4 years
- Location
- Edinburgh
- Start date
- September
Introducing our ground-breaking new undergraduate programme at Heriot-Watt University, BSc (Hons) Games Development and Production, exclusively launching in the vibrant city of Edinburgh.
Led by acclaimed industry expert Dr. Thomas Methven, a Bafta award-winning indie developer, you'll acquire sought-after skills in game design, 3D graphics, UI/UX, and more. Our expert teaching team will guide you through gaining real-world experience in designing, building, and releasing your own games.
In recent years, Edinburgh has firmly established itself as a global hub for the gaming industry, surpassing major sectors such as AI, Data Science, and Cyber Security. This undergraduate programme seeks to bridge the gap within Edinburgh's thriving gaming ecosystem, driven by industry giants like Rockstar North, Epic Games, and Unity Technologies.
Our Games Studio
This programme has exclusive use of our purpose-built Games Studio inside our £19m innovation and entrepreneurship GRID building. This studio comes equipped with the latest development hardware, allowing the development of modern console or VR experiences. As there are only a handful of universities worldwide capable of offering such design-led programmes, this studio provides a unique mixture of practical supervised studio learning experience, technical know-how, and an interdisciplinary entrepreneurship approach to Games production.
Example of Gaming careers you could work in:
- Game Developer: Develops the code and software components of video games.
- Game Designer: Develops the core game functions, creating the rules, gameplay, and flow throughout the game.
- Game User Experience (UI/UX) Designer: Enhances the overall user experience and designs how users interface with the game.
- Game System/Engine/Graphics Developer: Develops the low-level components of a modern game, which supports the gameplay.
- Game Producer: Manages the development process, ensuring games are completed on time and within budget.
- Game Writer/Narrative Designer: Crafts the story and narrative elements of video games.
- Game AI Programmer: Develops artificial intelligence systems to control non-player characters and game behaviours.
Your student experience
- Led by Scottish BAFTA Winning Games Developer Thomas Methven: indie developer of SOLAS 128
- Graduate showcase event: Every year we organize a graduate showcase, providing our students with an opportunity to demonstrate the games they've created to the industry and Scottish gaming community.
- Built on industrial engagement: This degree was designed around the requirements of industry ensuring you are ready to take your next step into industry or indie development.
- A leading university: Heriot-Watt University was one of the first universities in the UK to offer a Computer Science undergraduate meaning we boast a distinguished history of over five decades dedicated to research and teaching in this field.
- State-of-the-art labs: To facilitate hands-on learning, we have created state-of-the-art labs based in the GRID; including the Games Studio and the university’s first VR labs.
Go Global
There are currently no Go Global opportunities for this particular programme. However, other Go Global opportunities may be available. Please contact studywithus@hw.ac.uk for more information.
Course content
September Intake - Edinburgh
Mandatory September
- Software Development 1
- Introduction to Interaction Design
- Introduction to Games
- Logic and Proof
Mandatory January
- Software Development 2
- Discrete Mathematics
- Introduction to Computer Systems
- Web Design and Databases
Fees and funding
| Status | Fee |
|---|---|
| Scotland | Paid by SAAS |
| England / Wales / N Ireland / Rep of Ireland | £9,535 |
| International | £25,008 |
- Status: Your residency status is usually defined as the country where you have been ordinarily resident for the three years before the start of your course.
- International: 'International' includes applicants from European Union countries who do not hold Pre-Settled or Settled status in UK. (This does not include students from the Republic of Ireland - see above).
Scholarships and bursaries
Bursaries for students from England, Northern Ireland or Wales
In addition to government loans and grants towards the costs of fees and living costs, we are offering generous financial support to attract and support eligible undergraduate students from England, Northern Ireland or Wales:
- Heriot-Watt University Bursary (up to £3,100 per year)
Entry requirements
We have standard entry requirements for all of our courses that you will have to meet.
Standard entry requirements
- Highers ABBB (including Mathematics)
- A-Levels BBC (Including Maths at B)
- Int. Baccalaureate 28 points (with Mathematics at Higher Level 5)
- BTEC DDM (including sufficient Mathematics)
- HNC B in graded unit (including sufficient Mathematics)
Minimum entry requirements*
- Highers BBBC (including Mathematics at B)
- A-Levels BCC (including Mathematics at B)
* Minimum: under our Fair Access Policy, we will relax our standard entry requirements for some Scottish students depending on their circumstances. Our minimum requirements will apply if you:
- live in an area within the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation lowest 20% (SIMD20), or
- are care experienced.
We can also make exceptions for some Scottish students with grades above minimum but below standard. Read more about our Minimum and standard entry requirements
Why Heriot-Watt
We're the top university in Scotland for graduate outcomes which means that more of our graduates are employed or in postgraduate education than any other institution in the country and we ranked 5th in the UK.
We're also rated number one in the UK for CEO or MD roles, meaning more of our graduates go on to become CEOs or MDs than any other university in the whole of the UK. On top of that, we have beautiful campuses, across the globe, so you'll get a truly international education. Our Edinburgh Campus is home to Oriam, Scotland's National Sports Performance Centre combined with plenty of wellbeing resources, prioritising fitness and mental health for all students. Our Global Research Institutes look at solving real world issues such as climate change and saving our oceans as well as working on the next medical technological breakthrough and the future of AI and robots.
Student life
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