Key information
What do Roberta Williams, Shigeru Miyamoto, Amy Hennig, and Tim Schafer all have in common? They are world-renowned games designers.
- Level
- Postgraduate Taught
- Delivery type
- Full Time
- Degree qualification
- Master of Design
- Mode of delivery
- On-Campus
- Duration
- 1 year
- Location
- Edinburgh
- Start date
- September
Join Scotland's top game design programme at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. With industry-leading facilities and hands-on projects, our MDes in Games Design and Development offers you the opportunity to turn your game ideas into reality.
Led by an award-winning indie developer, you'll acquire sought-after skills in game design, 3D graphics, UI/UX, and more. Our expert faculty will guide you through gaining real-world experience in designing, building, and releasing your own games.
Design your own game
The Master of Design (MDes) programme in Games Design and Development provides students with a unique opportunity to design and develop their own computer game to the highest industry standards while gaining hands-on experience with the product lifecycle, gathering technical and professional skills, and further practical entrepreneurship knowledge. It is the perfect stepping stone to enable students to smoothly transition to design and programming roles in the games industry.
Our Games Design Studio
This Masters degree benefits from the utilisation of our purpose-built Games Studio inside our £19m innovation and entrepreneurship GRID building. As there are only a handful of universities worldwide capable of offering such design-led programmes, this studio will provide students with a unique mixture of practical supervised studio learning experience, technical know-how, and an interdisciplinary entrepreneurship approach to Games production.
Studying in Edinburgh, the key to for Your Success
- Edinburgh's Gaming Legacy: Edinburgh has a rich gaming legacy, home to a multitude of gaming companies, studios, and indie developers. It's a city where innovation, creativity, and technology converge, making it the perfect backdrop for your journey into the gaming world.
- Networking Opportunities: Being in Edinburgh means you're in the heart of the action. You'll have unparalleled networking opportunities, with regular industry events, conferences, and meetups that allow you to connect with professionals and potential employers in the gaming field.
- Inspiration All Around: Edinburgh's stunning landscapes, historical architecture, and vibrant cultural scene provide boundless inspiration for game design and storytelling. The city's unique blend of tradition and modernity is the perfect environment for nurturing your creativity.
- Internship and Job Prospects: Many gaming companies and startups in Edinburgh actively seek fresh talent. The proximity to these opportunities enhances your chances of securing internships and job placements during and after your studies, setting you on a path to a successful career in the gaming industry.
The National Robotarium
Located on Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus, in partnership with The University of Edinburgh, the National Robotarium creates innovative solutions to global challenges, working directly with industry to test and develop robotic, AI and automated technologies and rapidly move pioneering research from lab to market.
The National Robotarium fosters the teaching and development of the next generation of roboticists, producing highly skilled graduates who are trained to conduct world-leading research with a market focus, and developing programmes to equip the current and future workforce with robotics, data and programming skills.
Your student experience
- The programme is led by the experienced lecturer and multi-award winning indie developer of SOLAS 128, who brings his real-world experience into the Games Studio. Alongside this is a wealth of practical experience across the teaching team, in subjects such as design, HCI, and 3D Graphics.
- MDes 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
With Go Global, Heriot-Watt's global student programme, you can carry your studies to new places and experience new cultures, expanding your horizons on the way. You'll discover what it means to be a true global citizen and emerge prepared for wherever your career journey will take you.
Inter-Campus Transfer
Course content
September Intake - Edinburgh
Mandatory September
- Games Design Practice and Pre-production Experience
- Creativity and Entrepreneurship
- 3D Graphics and Animation
Mandatory January
- Games Production Practice and Playtesting Evaluation
- Entrepreneurship and Venturing
- Advanced Human Computer Interaction
Mandatory May
- Masters Project in Games
Programme Video
Computer Science subject video (PG progs)
Fees and funding
| Status | Full Time |
|---|---|
| UK | £12,192 |
| International | £25,480 |
- 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
Postgraduate scholarships and bursaries
We aim to encourage well-qualified, ambitious students to study with us and we offer a wide variety of scholarships and bursaries to achieve this. Over £6 million worth of opportunities are available in fee and stipend scholarships, and more than 400 students benefit from this support.
Entry requirements
We have standard entry requirements for all of our courses that you will have to meet.
An honours degree in an appropriate discipline (e.g. Computer Science, Electrical Engineering Mathematics) with programming as a component of their degree or equivalent at the 2:2 level.
Reasonable experience in programming and University level Maths, and some familiarity with games is preferable.
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.
Employability
Potential career paths
- Game User Experience (UX) Designer: Enhances the overall user experience and interface design of games.
- Game Developer: Develops the code and software components of video games.
- Game Artist: Designs visual assets, including characters, environments, and animations.
- 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 Sound Designer: Creates and implements audio elements, such as music, sound effects, and voiceovers.
- Game AI Programmer: Develops artificial intelligence systems to control non-player characters and game behaviours.
Student life
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