Key information
- UCAS code
- G4GD
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Delivery type
- Full Time
- Degree qualification
- BSc (Hons)
- Mode of delivery
- On-Campus
- Duration
- 4 years
- Location
- Edinburgh
- Start date
- September
Introducing our ground-breaking new undergraduate programme at Heriot-Watt University, BSc (Hons) Games Development and Production, exclusively launching in the vibrant city of Edinburgh.
Led by acclaimed industry expert Dr. Thomas Methven, a Bafta award-winning indie developer, you'll acquire sought-after skills in game design, 3D graphics, UI/UX, and more. Our expert teaching team will guide you through gaining real-world experience in designing, building, and releasing your own games.
In recent years, Edinburgh has firmly established itself as a global hub for the gaming industry, surpassing major sectors such as AI, Data Science, and Cyber Security. This undergraduate programme seeks to bridge the gap within Edinburgh's thriving gaming ecosystem, driven by industry giants like Rockstar North, Epic Games, and Unity Technologies.
Our Games Studio
This programme has exclusive use of our purpose-built Games Studio inside our £19m innovation and entrepreneurship GRID building. This studio comes equipped with the latest development hardware, allowing the development of modern console or VR experiences. As there are only a handful of universities worldwide capable of offering such design-led programmes, this studio provides a unique mixture of practical supervised studio learning experience, technical know-how, and an interdisciplinary entrepreneurship approach to Games production.
Example of Gaming careers you could work in:
- Game Developer: Develops the code and software components of video games.
- Game Designer: Develops the core game functions, creating the rules, gameplay, and flow throughout the game.
- Game User Experience (UI/UX) Designer: Enhances the overall user experience and designs how users interface with the game.
- Game System/Engine/Graphics Developer: Develops the low-level components of a modern game, which supports the gameplay.
- 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 AI Programmer: Develops artificial intelligence systems to control non-player characters and game behaviours.
Your student experience
- Led by Scottish BAFTA Winning Games Developer Thomas Methven: indie developer of SOLAS 128
- 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
There are currently no Go Global opportunities for this particular programme. However, other Go Global opportunities may be available. Please contact studywithus@hw.ac.uk for more information.
Course content
September Intake - Edinburgh
Year 1
Mandatory September
- Software Development 1
- Introduction to Interaction Design
- Introduction to Games
- Logic and Proof
Mandatory January
- Software Development 2
- Discrete Mathematics
- Introduction to Computer Systems
- Web Design and Databases
Year 2
Mandatory September
- Introduction to Data Structures and Algorithms
- User-Centred Experimental Design
- Programming Languages
- Games Engines
Mandatory January
- Data Structures and Algorithms
- Hardware-Software Interface
- Database Management Systems
- Introduction to Software Engineering
Year 3
Mandatory September
- Software Engineering
- Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Agents
- Data Communications and Networking
- Computer Graphics
Mandatory January
- Professional Development
- Operating Systems & Concurrency
- Games Prototyping
- Games Programming
Year 4
Mandatory September
- Research Methods & Requirements Engineering
- Game Development Group Project A
- Game Development Group Project B
Optional September
- Biologically Inspired Computation
- Rigorous Methods for Software Engineering
- Computer Network Security
- Intelligent Robotics
- Data Mining and Machine Learning
Mandatory January
- Design & Implementation
- Project Testing and Presentation
- Distributed and Parallel Technologies
- Advanced Human Computer Interaction
Programme Video
Study Games Development and Production
Join Dr Thomas Methven as he outlines the key reasons you should study the Games Development and Production programme at Heriot-Watt University.
Fees and funding
| Status | Fee |
|---|---|
| Scotland | Paid by SAAS |
| England / Wales / N Ireland / Rep of Ireland | £9,535 |
| International | £25,008 |
- 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
Bursaries for students from England, Northern Ireland or Wales
In addition to government loans and grants towards the costs of fees and living costs, we are offering generous financial support to attract and support eligible undergraduate students from England, Northern Ireland or Wales:
- Heriot-Watt University Bursary (up to £3,100 per year)
Entry requirements
We have standard entry requirements for all of our courses that you will have to meet.
Year 1
Standard entry requirements
- Highers ABBB (over two sittings). Must include Maths achieved at B.
- A-Levels BBC- ABB. Must include Maths achieved at B.
- International Baccalaureate 28 points. Must include Maths achieved at Higher Level 5.
- BTEC Extended Diploma DDM. Must be in a relevant subject and contain sufficient Maths.
- HNC B in graded unit. Must be in a relevant subject and contain sufficient Maths at SCQF Level 6.
- HND BB in graded units. Must be in a relevant subject and contain sufficient Maths at SCQF Level 6.
Please check that you meet our University-wide National 5/GCSE (or equivalent) English and Maths requirements.
Minimum entry requirements *
- Highers BBBC (over two sittings). Must include Maths achieved at B.
- A-Levels BCC. Must include Maths achieved at B.
- International Baccalaureate 28 points. Must include Maths achieved at Higher Level 5.
- BTEC Extended Diploma DDM. Must be in a relevant subject and contain sufficient Maths.
- HNC B in graded unit. Must be in a relevant subject and contain sufficient Maths at SCQF Level 6.
- HND BB in graded units. Must be in a relevant subject and contain sufficient Maths at SCQF Level 6.
* Minimum: under our Fair Access Policy, we will relax our standard entry requirements for some Scottish and Rest of UK status students depending on their circumstances. Our minimum requirements will apply if you:
- live in an area within the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation lowest 20% (SIMD20) or POLAR4 Quintile 1 regions (RUK)
- or are care experienced.
We can also make exceptions for some Scottish students with grades above minimum but below standard. Read more about our Minimum and standard entry requirements.
Year 2
- Advanced Highers BBB including Maths and Computer Science, plus Higher ABBB.
- A-Levels ABB. Must include Maths and Computer Science.
- International Baccalaureate 30 points. Must include Maths and Computer Science at Higher Level 6.
- BTEC Extended Diploma DDM. Must be in relevant subject, including sufficient Maths and Computing.
- HNC A in graded unit with 120 SCQF credit points. HNC must include Maths and Computing at SCQF Level 6.
- HND AB / BA. Must include Maths and Computing at SCQF Level 6.
- Global College: Successful completion of our Technology with Accelerator Programme
Advanced entry applicants are expected to be proficient in a high-level programming language and experience in Java, C#, or C++ experience is valuable.
Additional information
- For all years, applications are welcomed from holders of non-school qualifications, mature candidates and overseas students.
- If you do not see your qualifications here please contact us at studywithus@hw.ac.uk
- For applicants studying HNC, HND or BTEC qualifications, when submitting your application please ensure you list in full all the units you are currently studying, as specific units (e.g. in Maths) may be required.
- Not studying mathematics or worried about meeting the mathematics requirement? Consider applying for BSc Computer Systems. In Year 1 of this degree it is possible to take two optional mathematics courses. Then, subject to a good performance, a course transfer to BSc Games Development and Production for Year 2 onwards can be requested.
English language requirements
If your first language is not English, we'll need to see evidence of your English language ability.
The minimum English language requirement for entry to this programme is IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent) with no score lower than 5.5.
If you do not have IELTS 6.0, we offer a range of English language courses to help you meet the English language requirement for this programme prior to commencing your studies.
Please see our detailed English language requirements.
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.
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