Computer Science with Games Development BSc (Hons)

Do you have a passion for computer games? Do you want to gain the skills and knowledge needed to become an apps and games development professional? Our computer science with games development degree offers you the opportunity to develop a unique blend of technical and transferable skills that will allow you to access the variety of careers within this growing industry. 

You’ll study the core aspects of computer science, with a focus on coding and development of creative software including game development, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

About this course

• Developed alongside employers, this course aims to address the skills shortage in the applications and games development industry.
• You’ll gain a thorough understanding of the fundamental areas of computer science and develop your ability to design, code, integrate, test, deploy and decommission creative software. You’ll explore the computing and digital industries and look at how computer science can be applied across a wide variety of other sectors.
• We’ll support you as you challenge your own curiosity and creativity, and enhance your technical, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills throughout your studies.
• You’ll be taught by lecturers with industry experience and research expertise in areas including cybersecurity, AI, algorithmic solutions, UI, accessibility and extensibility. You’ll also learn about legal considerations relevant to the online and app-based games industry and the contractual, regulatory and legal principles within which the sector operates.
• Modern apps and games development also requires an understanding of the importance of ethics, inclusion, diversity and equity, each of these principles is embedded in the modules you’ll study so you can apply them in your work.
• Professional work placements and employer projects are integral to this course, allowing you to gain relevant work experience, build your knowledge of the app/games development sector and be able to obtain valuable employer references and industry contacts.
• By the time you graduate, you’ll have been able to develop the necessary knowledge and skills in computer science and games development for your chosen career path.

Why study with us?

• Learn the skills needed to become an apps/games development professional with knowledge of the latest contractual, regulatory and legal obligations in the industry.
• Understand the impact of ethics, inclusion, diversity and equity on modern app/games development.
• Develop key technical and transferable skills for your future career.
• Gain relevant experience through the professional work placements and employer projects that form part of your course.

Course modules

• You will study a variety of modules across your programme of study. The module details given below are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

Year 1
During your first year, you will study four core modules.

Software Development - Core

• You'll be introduced to the fundamentals required to develop software artefacts fit for real-world organisational and commercial purposes. 
• Explore three stages of software development: problem specification, programming and architectural design.
• We'll look at problem decomposition and programming, mathematical algorithms and computing problems, writing modular code and adopting relevant stylistic conventions and testing in project planning and implementation.

Tech Stack - Core

• The web is now a ubiquitous medium that crosses platforms from desktop and mobile to the Internet of Things (smart; homes, car, cities) for both personal and collaborative experiences.
• The ways in which we design for, develop and deploy these applications constantly evolves, due to the increasing and changing needs of users, society and enterprise. With this in mind, designers need to evolve the way that they design for future platforms.
• With a rise in web-based solutions, data driven philosophies are founded upon a platform agnostic approach to designing for the web. This data needs to be stored securely, parsed and presented to the user in a way that builds trust, and is interactive and insightful.
• You'll focus on modern web applications in the era of cloud computing.

Computing Skills - Core

• You'll be encouraged to engage in a comprehensive audit and introspection of your computing skills and career aspirations. The aim is to create a dynamic learning environment that empowers you to not only understand you current proficiency in computing but also to reflect upon and refine your career goals throughout your academic journey.
• Learn the basics of computer networking, both from a technical approach and a holistic viewpoint. Enhance your problem-solving abilities, refine your communication skills and acquire a keen attention to detail.
• You'll be equipped students with a well-rounded toolkit that goes beyond the technical aspects of computing, preparing you for the multifaceted challenges in your future careers.
• You'll also actively participate in a Professional Challenge Project or undertake a meaningful work placement.

User Experience - Core

• Discover the processes of interface design, evaluation and user experience.
• You'll cover computer users, interaction technology and concepts, interaction applications, and the context of computer use. 
• Learn about user interface design using prototyping, and about methods for evaluating user experience. Practise key design and evaluation techniques in the context of your assessments.
• In the UX Team Project activities, you'll learn how to work in teams and apply Agile development methods to deliver a UX solution. This may be employer led and be accompanied by a live brief. 

Year 2
During your second year, you'll study four core modules.

Software Engineering - Core

• You'll gain both a theoretical understanding and hands-on experience related to the current best practices in software engineering.
• We'll look at the principles of software engineering principles, development of artefacts, design quality, technical evaluation and testing.
• You'll be equipped with the comprehensive skillset that reflects the latest and most effective approaches in the field of software engineering including requirements in engineering and modelling, configuration and testing techniques.

Algorithms and Data Structures - Core

• You'll develop computational thinking as fundamental problem solving expertise within the realm of core computer science knowledge, expected of and utilised by all computing practitioners.
• Study the core algorithms and data structures and be introduced to algorithm analysis and basic computability.
• Learn about data types such as stacks, queues, trees and graphs, understand time and space complexity, write and explain commonly used algorithms, use a variety of different data structures and understand the concepts of computability and complexity.
• Delve into the computational facets of data representation and fostering familiarity with established, proven solutions to recurring problems encountered in various computing contexts and practical applications.

Game Technologies - Core

• You'll look at the use of existing technologies currently used in computer games development and seek out opportunities for innovation within the field.
• Explore the current state of game technologies and identify technical fundamentals in relation to games development. Identify areas where you can push the boundaries and introduce new and creative ideas.

Thematic Project - Core

• You'll cultivate the essential project leadership skills demanded by computer practitioners through a people-centric approach. 
• Through the lens of Agile methodology, you'll engage in a programme-specific group project, immersing themselves in collaborative and dynamic work environments
• Your comprehension of the social, professional, ethical and legal dimensions of computing, as well as a focus on equality and diversity within the context of their programme will be reinforced.
• This module will act as a crucial preparatory step for your final year project by introducing vital elements such as teamwork, project planning and investigative skills.
• The immersive experience not only enhances your technical acumen but also provides ample opportunities for reflection, fostering the development of personal and communication skills crucial for effective teamwork and future employability. 

Year 3
During your Final Year, you'll study four core modules.

Secure Development and Deployment - Core

• Cover principles, methodologies and processes that enable secure and effective end-to-end software product development and deployment.
• Build on your software design and development skills gained in earlier modules so you can securely develop, deploy, and retire software using platforms such as Azure and AWS.
• You'll mainly be doing practical work, with code review forming a substantial part of the module.

Project - Core

• Bring together your learning across previous modules and your elective specialist modules to take on an independent project.
• You'll demonstrate advanced skills and knowledge in a specific subject area, define problem boundaries and investigate plausible solutions with reference to wider social and cultural contexts.
• The goal is to deliver a software artefact that has real context.
• You'll communicate your findings in oral and written forms.

Applied Artificial Intelligence - Core

• Cover the main elements of intelligence and intelligent systems, focussing on machine learning.
• Explore ethics and artificial intelligence (AI) regulations from human and machine contexts.
• You'll explore how to design a business around AI and AI trends and measure the impact of using such technology.
• Get hands-on experience in machine learning algorithms and techniques such as regression/clustering, reinforcement learning and deep learning.
• You'll study various real cases of using AI in detecting fraud and fake news, healthcare and battling against chronic diseases.

Games Development - Core

• Creating computer games software demands a multifaceted skill set that goes beyond general software proficiency. 
• You'll not only leverage your general programming skills but also apply the principles of object-oriented programming in the unique context of games development.
• Gain a comprehensive grasp of the intricacies involved in crafting effective and engaging computer games, combining the foundational elements of programming with the specialised knowledge required for the dynamic and creative field of game software development.

Professional work placements

• Experience matters. That's why we embed professional work placements within the majority of our standard undergraduate degrees.

Professional Work Placements
How does it work?

• Careers and Placements will work with you to find a placement or help you to arrange your own, whether that's in Leeds, another part of the UK or even abroad. You will be able to take part in a series of workshops, events and live ‘employer challenges’ to boost your confidence and prepare you for your placement.
• During your placement, you could have an opportunity to gain degree-relevant work experience, build your knowledge of career sectors and secure valuable employer references and industry contacts. This experience will help you to shape your career decisions and find the right path for you.
• Our established links with business and tech companies across the region means there are a wide range of sectors where you can undertake your placement. Previous placement providers for Computer Science students include Sky, Infinity Works, Aire Logic and TwentySix Digital. You could be working in a software testing role or within games design, games development or games UI programming.

Assessment

• A variety of assessment methods are used, matched to the learning outcomes for your programme, allowing you to apply and demonstrate the full range of knowledge and skills that you have developed.

Programme delivery

• Your time on campus, learning through in-person teaching, is at the heart of your academic experience and the way we deliver our programmes. This is supported and further enhanced by additional engagement activities and opportunities provided online and through digital teaching materials. This blended approach seeks to ensure a positive learning and teaching student experience.

Your programme of study has been carefully designed around a three-phase model of delivery:

• Preparation: You will be given clear tasks to support you in preparing for live teaching. This could include watching a short-pre-recorded lecture, reading a paper or text chapter or preparing other material for use in class.
• Live: All your live teaching will be designed around active learning, providing you with valuable opportunities to build on preparation tasks, interact with staff and peers, and surface any misunderstandings.
• Post: Follow-up activities will include opportunities for you to check understanding, for staff to receive feedback from you and your peers to inform subsequent sessions, and for you to apply learning to new situations or context.
• Preparation, Live and Post teaching and learning and the digital materials used will vary by course, but will be designed to help you structure your learning, take a full and active part in your course, and apply and test your developing knowledge and skills.

Learning and teaching

• At Leeds Trinity we aim to provide an excellent student experience and provide you with the tools and support to help you achieve your academic, personal and professional potential.
• Our Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy delivers excellence by providing the framework for:

High quality teaching

• An engaging and inclusive approach to learning, assessment and achievement
• A clear structure through which you progress in your academic studies, your personal development and towards professional-level employment or further study.
• We have a strong reputation for developing student employability, supporting your development towards graduate employment, with relevant skills embedded throughout your programme of study.

We endeavour to develop curiosity, confidence, courage, ambition and aspiration in all students through the key themes in our Learning and Teaching Strategy:

• Student Involvement and Engagement
• Inclusion
• Integrated Programme and Assessment Experience
• Digital Literacy and Skills
• Employability and Enterprise

To help you achieve your potential we emphasise learning as a collaborative process, with a range of student-led and real-world activities. This approach ensures that you fully engage in shaping your own learning, developing your critical thinking and reflective skills so that you can identify your own strengths and weaknesses, and use the extensive learning support system we offer to shape your own development.

We believe the secret to great learning and teaching is simple: it is about creating an inclusive learning experience that allows all students to thrive through:

• Personalised support
• Expert lecturers
• Strong connections with employers
• An international outlook
• Understanding how to use tools and technology to support learning and development

Graduate opportunities

Providing you with the opportunity to develop the professional skills and experience you need to launch your career is at the heart of everything we do at Leeds Trinity University.

• As a computer science graduate, you could enter a career in areas such as software development or engineering, game design or development, software support engineering, software release engineering, UI web software engineering, and software testing among others. As your career progresses, you can continue your professional development through gaining qualifications like Java SE Programmer certification. Careers also exist within government, banking, insurance, management and administration where graduates can use the variety of technical and transferable skills gained during their computer science studies. This degree also offers a solid foundation for postgraduate study or academic research in related disciplines.
• After you graduate, Careers and Placements will help you as you pursue your chosen career through our mentoring scheme, support with CV and interview preparation and access to graduate employability events.