Computer Games Development (MSc)

Expand your technical computer games development skills, where you’ll learn how to develop and program a range of exciting games using industry game engine.

• Outside of London, Manchester is home to more games companies than any other UK city. Thanks to organisations such as Gameopolis, the city is a driving force for building and coordinating the future of the games industry.  
• With our MSc in Computer Games Development, you’ll gain the skills required for an exciting career within this growing industry, both here in Manchester and beyond. You’ll learn the core essentials of programming for games and conduct playtesting sessions and user research to ensure that your games are fun, impactful, and that they effectively reach their target audience.   
• You’ll also complete a masters project tailored to your unique interests. While you’ll have plenty of support along the way, it’s a solo research project designed to develop confidence, autonomy and self-sufficiency – qualities that can take you far in the workplace. 
• By the time you complete your masters, you’ll not only have the technical knowledge, you’ll also have gained key employability skills such as team working, communication, project management and negotiation skills. Plus, thanks to the mentorship of passionate games-focused staff at Manchester Met, you'll be able to build a refined and diverse portfolio to help you work towards securing a job in the games industry.

Features and benefits

• Excellent standards – Recognised for our expertise, the department is a member of the Oracle Academy and an academic partner of the Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec).  
• Institute of Coding – The Department of Computing and Mathematics is part of the £40m national Institute of Coding (IoC). Our students have access to the IoC’s cutting-edge computer lab to hone their skills in this area.
• Tranzfuser Hub – Our students have a regular presence in the Tranzfuser programme led by the UK Government, which provides a pathway to enterprise for talented UK games graduates. 3 of the 19 national teams who secured highly coveted places on 2024's programme were Manchester Met students. 
• Learn alongside world-leading research – 86 percent of our research outputs in Computer Science are rated world-leading and internationally excellent (REF, 2021).  
• We’re in the heart of a thriving technology sector – Being in Manchester puts the largest creative and digital technology sector outside the capital on our doorstep. 
• Optional placement year – Boost your career prospects and put theory into practice with the option to take an industry placement year.  
• Professional study environment – We’ve invested over £115 million to transform the way we teach and the way our students learn. The new Dalton building is equipped with dynamic learning spaces, world-class teaching and research facilities and collaborative study zones. This means you’ll graduate with the skills and experiences employers look for.

Course information

• On our MSc Computer Games Development, you’ll study core modules exploring the exciting world of games development from a practical perspective. You’ll also tackle an independent masters project with the support of our academic and technical team.  
• You can choose to study the course full-time over one-year, or part-time, where you’ll complete the modules over two years. You may also choose to take an additional one-year optional industry placement on the full-time route.  You’ll be supported by academic staff and the University’s Careers and Employability Service to find a placement that is suited to you and your career ambitions. 
• Throughout the course, you will gain hands-on, applied experience of the technical aspects of developing computer games. As part of this, you’ll explore the practical aspects of game development, from programming to using industry-standard game development tools such as Unity and Unreal Engine.
• You'll be introduced to the analytical aspects of the game-making process. We’ll teach you to conduct playtesting sessions and how to use user research to ensure that your games effectively reach their target audience.  
• In addition to developing your technical skills, you’ll gain key employability skills such as team working, report writing, project management, asset management, communication, and negotiation skills. You’ll be making games throughout the masters course, both individually and in teams. This means, with the support of our passionate games-focused staff at Manchester Met, you’ll be able to build a refined and diverse portfolio of games to help you work towards securing a job in the games industry.  
• Finally, you’ll complete an in-depth research project. With guidance from your tutors, you’ll undertake a piece of research on a topic of your choice related to your studies. This will involve designing, implementing, and evaluating a substantial piece of software and documenting the research through writing a dissertation. 

Year 1

• You'll study six core modules, including your individual research project. If you're studying full-time, you’ll complete your modules within one year. If you choose to study part-time, you’ll complete all the modules over two years.  
• If you choose to apply to study full-time with an optional industry placement year, the MSc course will be two years and you'll start your placement after completing all the core modules in year one.

Core modules
Games Programming

• In this module, you meet the core essentials of programming for games. You’ll have the opportunity to use industry-standard programming languages, tools and techniques, and apply your learning in a practical way in the field of games development. 

Games Studio

• You'll take part in a simulated games studio environment, working collaboratively towards, and across, a range of projects. You'll engage with industry-standard tools and techniques for both production and project management and will need to liaise and partner with studio managers to deliver professional-standard game projects.

Games User Research

• This module introduces you to the concept of user research in the context of games design and development. Through the study of this module, you'll become adept at identifying the needs and wants of a customer (or player), measuring their experience of a game, and the scientific and analytical tools that can help to inform the game development process.
• Rapid Game Prototyping
• This module challenges you to respond to regular prompts to develop small prototype games using a variety of tools and techniques. This rapid prototyping-style approach encourages you to work quickly, to think creatively, to work collaboratively (both practically, but also in giving and receiving feedback and taking part in playtesting), and to experiment with ideas – providing a safe space for failure as a natural part of the creative process.

Please note: This module is shared with BSc (Hons) Computer Games Development

The Games Industry

• This module contextualises your studies within the context of the games industry. The module aims to explore the established and emerging working practices and business models involved in working within, and around, the games industry.

MSc Project

• In conjunction with a member of academic staff, you'll undertake an individual research project. While the project must be related to your degree, you may choose or invent the precise topic yourself. As part of the research, you'll be expected to design, implement and evaluate a substantial piece of software or other product, which will embody the research question of your topic. You'll document the research by writing a dissertation, covering the background of your topic, the approach you have adopted and its relation to previous work, the results you obtained and the conclusions which can be drawn from them.

Placement options

• Strengthen your skillset by spending time in industry on a placement year, applying the skills you’ve learned throughout your academic studies in a practical, real-world environment. It’s an excellent opportunity to develop a professional career development plan and gain transferable workplace skills that can boost your employability.

Career prospects

With the practical skills and knowledge that you’ll develop with us, you’ll be ready to pursue an exciting career in the growing games industry. You’ll be able to apply for roles such as:  

• Game developer 
• Game programmer 
• Game designer 
• Game tool programmer 
• Project manager

The transferable knowledge and skills which you’ll learn will also allow you to pursue more general, non-games-related IT, computing and software development roles. This ensures you’re able to build a long-lasting, sustainable career in the digital world.  

Following completion of the taught elements of your MSc course, you can gain additional practice credits by working for a minimum of 36 weeks and a maximum of 42 weeks in an industrial setting, relevant to your course.  

It’s your responsibility to search and apply for advertised placement opportunities, but you’ll be supported by academic staff and the University’s Careers and Employability Service to find a placement that is suited to you and your career ambitions. However, not all students can be guaranteed a placement.  

All placements are approved and monitored in accordance with the University’s Institutional Code of Practice for Placement and Work‐Based Learning. For international students, this includes additional checks on study visas to ensure the appropriate visa status.