BSc(Hons) Games Technology
This course is open for applications
Introduction
Use engines like Unity and Unreal Engine to develop games for various platforms and gain first-hand industry experience on live projects through our in-house studio, PlayWest.
Accreditations and partnerships:
Why study games technology?
As well as providing entertainment, games offer creative ways to engage with content.
The need to facilitate this - along with the evolution of the internet, multimedia and mobile devices - has led to significant growth in the games industry.
With new and exciting game applications in public services, education, business and healthcare, there is growing demand for professionals who can apply games concepts across a range of industries.
Why UWE Bristol?
BSc(Hons) Games Technology gives you a foundation in problem solving, programming (using C++) and software design for the entertainment industry.
Explore artificial intelligence, 3D environments, virtual reality (VR) and effective software design for games.
Gain an understanding of the history and theories around play, games and user engagement. As UWE Bristol is a member of The PlayStation® First Academic Programme, students can gain experience of developing for Sony PlayStation using their official development kits.
Learn through practical projects, creating playable scenarios that consolidate new concepts and applications.
Attend talks from visiting industry professionals and apply learning through individual and group programming projects.
Gain valuable real-world experience and a professional portfolio through placements that prepare you for a career in the gaming industry.
UWE Bristol won Best Education Initiative at the 2024 TIGA Games Industry Awards for excellence in game development, business and education.
You may also have the chance to apply for a BAFTA Scholarship, which can offer you financial support towards your living expenses at university.
Where can it take me?
Our graduates work across AAA developers, including Rockstar North, Frontier Developments and Naughty Dog, and local developers such as Opposable Games and Mobile Pie.
Outside of the games industry, you'll find career opportunities in software engineering, simulations, digital media, mobile device applications, web development and IT.
Read how one of our former students won 'Outstanding Graduate of the Year: Computer Games' at the TIGA UK Games Education Awards 2024.
Structure
Content
Year one
You'll study:
- Game Development Evolution
- Games in C++
- Games Technology: 101
- Principles of 3D Environments.
Year two
You'll study:
- Game Engine Programming
- Gameplay Programming
- More Games in C++
- Play and Games.
Placement year (if applicable)
If you study on the four year (sandwich) course, you'll spend a year away from the University on a work placement after year two.
You'll complete a Professional Experience or International Experience module.
See the Placements and Fees sections for more information.
Final year
You'll study:
- Advanced Technologies
- Commercial Games Development*
- Comprehensive Creative Technologies Project.
*If you've completed the sandwich placement year, you'll study a reduced credit version of this module.
The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we'll inform you.
"After meeting the Founder of Okko Health at UWE Bristol's Degree Show, I was hired there as a Games Developer after graduating. In my role, I've applied my rapid prototyping skills and basic vision science knowledge from my degree to build mobile-based eyesight games." Benji, Games Technology graduate.
Learning and Teaching
We encourage you to become a proactive, independent learner.
Learn through a mix of face-to-face lectures and tutorials, virtual learning environments, practical work and independent project work. We also adopt a studio model of working, to provide flexibility in individual study approaches, whilst also mirroring industry practice to help make our graduates ready and able to work in professional environments.
Study the history of electronic games, investigate current technological developments and create your first playable scenarios in a dedicated authoring environment.
Examine theory behind play, games and user engagement. Find out how software development delves into game engine architecture and advanced C++ programming concepts, as well as level design and the simulation/emulation of real world environments.
Develop individual areas of specialism across a range of advanced technologies. These include graphics, physics, artificial intelligence, networking and multi-processor programming.
We encourage all students to take part in local and national game jams as these provide excellent networking and learning opportunities. At UWE Bristol we've also been hosts for the Global Game Jam for several years, as one of the UKs largest official sites. Alumni, industry and students from across a wide variety of courses at UWE Bristol get involved at the event and every year hundreds of games are created.
We regularly host presentations and industry guest speakers from professionals in the games industry, who share their knowledge, best practice and industry trends.
See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.
Showcase your work
Show your creations at our annual degree show, with the best projects going on to exhibit at the yearly Develop conference in Brighton.
Assessment
You'll be assessed through a mix of practical exercises and portfolios of work, along with individual and group projects and examinations.
Where possible, assessments will contribute towards a graduate portfolio of work that you can demonstrate to potential employers.
Learn more about assessments.
Features
Professional accreditation
The course is accredited by TIGA, who introduced the TIGA Accreditation process to ensure universities and colleges produce graduates with industry relevant skills.
The TIGA Accreditation system accredits the best university courses, enabling both prospective students and game developers to identify courses that are producing industry ready graduates.
Placements
Students who get work experience tend to graduate with better degrees. Experience also hones your skills, industry knowledge and professional network, making you highly employable on graduation.
If you choose the four year (sandwich) course, you'll spend a year away from the University on a work placement after year two.
We have good relationships with independent developers in and around Bristol. They provide opportunities ranging from working on specific games to software development placements. Past students have worked in mobile games and applications.
In-house studio PlayWest also provides opportunities to work on live industry projects, including paid undergraduate and graduate internships.
You'll get help to find your placement and support throughout from our Placement Team and award-winning careers service.
Study facilities
Develop real-world practical skills and bring your game ideas to life in our modern facilities.
Design and develop games in dedicated games studios. With over 40 bespoke workstations, they provide the latest gaming hardware and industry-standard software, including powerful GPUs, duel 4k displays and group study spaces.
Access a specialist group learning and development space with games hardware including PlayStation 5 development kits, gaming interfaces and the latest devices.
Learn more about UWE Bristol'sfacilities and resources.
Take a personalised virtual tour of the Computer Science and Creative Technologies facilities and experience what a typical day could look like here for you.
Life
Accommodation
An excellent range of options for all of the Bristol campuses and the city centre.
Bristol
A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.
Sports, societies and activities
There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.
Health and Wellbeing
We provide support in the way you need it.
Campus and facilities
Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.
Careers
Careers / Further study
As a graduate, you'll have opportunities to work with developers in the UK and worldwide.
Our graduates hold programming positions at Sony and Rockstar North, and studios throughout the UK and abroad.
Other career opportunities include software development and engineering, simulations, digital media, mobile device applications, web development and IT.
Get inspired
Our award-winning careers service will develop your employment potential through career coaching and find you graduate jobs, placements and global opportunities.
We can also help find local volunteering and community opportunities, provide support for entrepreneurial activity and get you access to employer events.
Visit our employability pages to learn more about careers, employers and what our students are doing six months after graduating.
Fees*
Full-time; Sandwich course
Indicative Additional Costs
Supplementary fee information
*The UK Government recently proposed that tuition fees for Home students will increase by 3.1% to £9,535 from 1st August 2025. This increase is subject to Parliamentary approval and the vote is expected to take place later this year.
Any tuition fee which is impacted by this change will be updated following approval.
Please see GOV.UK for further information.
Your overall entitlement to funding is based on how long the course is that you're registered on. Standard funding is allocated based on the standard number of years that your course lasts, plus one additional year.
You'll apply for funding each year that you study and student finance will take into account how long the course is in each year that you apply. So if you register for the four year course and then transfer to the three year course, the number of years you can apply for funding will change. Student finance will reassess your funding based on how many years you have been in study, not just those years for which you received student finance.
Always seek advice before taking any action that may have implications for your funding.
Additional costs
Additional costs are for items you could need during your studies that aren't covered by the standard tuition fee. These could be materials, textbooks, travel, clothing, software or printing.
Once you apply to our BSc(Hons) Games Technology, you may be eligible to apply for the BAFTA Scholarship Scheme. To be eligible to apply, you'll need to be recognised as a British citizen by UK law or you have Settled or Refugee Status. If you're offered a scholarship through this scheme, you'll receive a financial contribution towards your living expenses throughout your studies. Undergraduate scholars also benefit from mentoring support, as well as free access to BAFTA events across the UK.
Entry
Typical offers
- Tariff points: 120
- Contextual tariff: See our contextual offers page.
- GCSE: Grade C/4 in English and Mathematics, or equivalent.
- English Language Requirement:
International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Please visit our English language requirements page.
- A-level subjects: No specific subjects required.
- EDEXCEL (BTEC) Diploma: No specific subjects required.
Please list the units you are taking in your application. For further advice on acceptable units please email us.
For information on required Guided Learning Hours please see our minimum entry requirements page.
- Access: No specific subjects required.
- Baccalaureate IB: No specific subjects required.
- Irish Highers: No specific subjects required.
- Welsh Baccalaureate: We accept tariff points achieved from the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales in conjunction with other Level 3 qualifications.
- Cambridge Technical: No specific subjects required.
- T Levels: No specific subjects required.
Entry requirements
If you don't meet the entry requirements, you may be eligible for BSc(Hons) Games Technology (with Foundation Year).
International applicants
For country specific entry requirements please find your country on the country information pages. If you are an international student and do not meet the academic requirements to study this course, you can qualify by completing preparatory study at our International College.
If you are applying to study at UWE Bristol and require additional support to meet our English language requirements, you may be able to attend one of our pre-sessional English courses. Read more about our Pre-Sessional English Programme.
Read more about entry requirements.
How to apply
Read more about undergraduate applications.
Read more about international applications and key international deadline dates.
For further information
- Email:
UK applicants
Admissions@uwe.ac.ukInternational/EU applicants
International@uwe.ac.uk - Telephone:
UK applicants
+44 (0)117 32 83333International/EU applicants
+44 (0)117 32 86644