Computer Games Programming at Staffordshire University

As members of the PlayStation® First Academic Program run by Sony, we have access to professional development hardware and software tools. Our labs will help you to develop for multiple platforms, including consoles, phones, tablets and PCs. We also have a usability lab for testing how people interact with games, and a commercial games studio. Staffordshire University is also a member of TIGA, the games industry body.

Our academics have experience in the industry and are engaged in research, so course content is always relevant. You’ll also get to hear our guest speakers discuss cutting-edge game development tools and processes.

As soon as you start the course, you’ll begin to develop a portfolio. This will include creating games, studying game artificial intelligence and physics, computer graphics using DirectX and OpenGL, and network programming for multiplayer game development. You’ll learn programming languages such as C++, Java and C# as well as the software engineering skills needed to develop large, efficient programs.

During Year 2, you’ll work in a team to develop a game from an initial concept to a finished product. We’ll also give you the opportunity to pitch your games to commercial games studios such as Matmi, Team 17 and Media Molecule.

In your final year, you can specialise in your own area of interest. You’ll work in a group to complete a game development project that simulates game industry working practices. You’ll also undertake an individual final year project. This could involve developing a complete game, or researching and implementing an advanced topic in game development.