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University of Bolton

Bolton , England ,United Kingdom

BSc (Hons) Games Design with foundation year

The UK market for video games reached a record £7billion in 2020 (1). If you seek a career in a strong sector of the economy, then a career in games is an excellent choice. From PC, console and mobile games to serious games for education and training and the emerging virtual reality games market, software developers seek highly qualified games specialists.

The first year of our 4-year BSc (Hons) Games Design with foundation year degree offers an introductory study into games. The emphasis is on creativity, with specialisation on the route that you want to follow. Key topics include simple games production using industry recognised platforms and technologies. Our dedicated games team will work to help you develop your skills, preparing you for your degree. Our teaching aims to develop you to be able to work in the games industry.

The foundation year constitutes a “bridge” between further education and higher education. There is a greater emphasis on practical work, with dedicated support to help you to prepare for the more demanding academic tasks on the degree programme proper.

Once you've successfully completed the foundation year, you'll automatically progress onto the main degree programme where your studies will focus specifically on games design (though you'll have the chance to transfer streams to BA (Hons) Games Art or BSc (Hons) Games Programming on completion if you prefer^). Throughout the degree, you will undertake a broad study of games, emphasising the technical, design and innovation aspects rather than programming. Key topics include content production, games and level design, as well as platforms and technologies. Our dedicated games team will help you develop skills and knowledge in games analysis, usability and playability testing, games production and the business of computer games.

Team-based projects involving regular critique sessions are designed to help you develop the high level of teamwork and communication skills vital in the games industry. Our intensely practical, hands-on approach aims to encourage and support you to develop a high-quality portfolio of work ready to demonstrate your skills and creative air to potential employers.

Intakes

  • Sep

Application Processing Time in Days: 30

Minimum English Language Requirements

English Level Description IELTS (1.0 -9.0) TOEFL IBT (0-120) TOEFL CBT (0-300) PTE (10-90)
Expert 9 120 297-300 86-90
Very Good 8.5 115-119 280-293 83-86
Very Good 8 110-114 270-280 79-83
Good 7.5 102-109 253-267 73-79
Good 7 94-101 240-253 65-73
Competent 6.5 79-93 213-233 58-65
Competent 6 60-78 170-210 50-58
Modest 5.5 46-59 133-210 43-50
Modest 5 35-45 107-133 36-43
Limited 4 32-34 97-103 30-36
Extremely Limited < 4 < 31 < 93 < 30

Job Opportunity Potential

The Careers Service is here to help you!  We are here to listen.  We care about your future.  We want to help you to achieve your career goals.

At the University of Bolton, we offer you more than just careers advice.  We want you to achieve career success and we will help you every step of the way, providing you with employability experiences that will enhance your CV and boost your skills.

Whether you are studying on a full-time or part-time basis, or you are an undergraduate or postgraduate student, we offer a range of careers and employability support adapted for your individual needs. We can help you with exploring your career options, applying for job vacancies, writing a CV and covering letter, finding a work placement and developing those skills and attributes that employers look for.

PSW Opportunity

2 Years PSW

Admission Requirement / Eligibility Criteria

Foundation / Access
If you do not meet the entry requirements for Year 1 entry you may be considered for an access/foundation programme.

Undergraduate entry to year 1
60% or above at standard XII (all boards)
Successful completion of a 2 year diploma (state board or approved polytechnic)
We accept applications for entry to year 2 & 3; however these are assessed on a case by case basis.

English Language
If you do not have 60% or above in Standard XII you will be required to complete a recognised English Language qualification

Where Evidence of English Language proficiency is required, we currently accept the following qualifications for admission onto our courses at degree level or above:

GCSE/O-Level in English from a UK awarding body grade C
IELTS (Academic) 6.0 for Undergraduate (no less than 5.5 in any component)
IELTS (Academic) 6.0 for Postgraduate (no less than 5.5 in any component)
Irish Leaving Certificate Ordinary Level English grade C/C3 or above
Irish Leaving Certificate Higher Level English grade D/D2 or above
IGCSE English as a First Language grade C
IGCSE English as a Second Language grade C
Internet based TOEFL with an overall score of 72 for Undergraduate, 79 for Postgraduate including 17 in Listening, 20 in Writing, 18 in Reading and 18 in Speaking
International Baccalaureate (Standard Level grade 5/Higher Level grade 4 in English)
Cambridge Advanced English grade C (minimum of “weak” in all four components (listening, reading, speaking and writing)