Undergraduate study
Games and Web 2019/20
Our trophy cabinet The awards we’ve won don’t just make us feel proud. They give you an idea of what the University is like.
Teaching Excellence Framework Gold Award Huddersfield is a TEF gold-rated institution delivering consistently outstanding teaching and learning of the highest quality found in the UK (Teaching Excellence Framework, 2017).
Global Teaching Excellence Award We won the first Global Teaching Excellence Award. It recognised the University’s commitment to world-class teaching and its success in developing students as independent learners and critical thinkers (HEA, 2017).
University of the Year The Times Higher Education named us as University of the Year in November 2013. They liked our “bold, imaginative and innovative initiatives.”
Queen’s Anniversary Prize The Queen’s Anniversary Prize is a big thing in UK Higher Education. We were delighted to earn one for our role in expanding global boundaries of new music.
A Four Star University QS Stars has given us four stars. That means we are “highly international, demonstrating excellence in both teaching and research with an excellent environment for students and staff.”
Athena Swan We’re serious about gender equality. We want an equal number of men and women on our science and engineering courses, for instance. Our commitment was recognised in 2015 with the Athena SWAN Bronze Award.
Find out more about our awards at hud.ac.uk/about/our-awards
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What’s inside Study with us
4–5 Our courses
Meet us
Apply to us
Hear how Senior Lecturer Matt McIntosh made the transition from industry to education
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14 Open Days
Dayna’s student journey so far
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Welcome to Games and Web The games and web industries are exciting, global and always evolving. They generate billions of pounds worldwide each year and play an increasing part in our lives. This is great news for graduates as there are career opportunities across the world. At Huddersfield, technology and creativity are at the heart of the student experience. We encourage games and web students to be ambitious, visionary and innovative. Our courses are designed to combine industry knowledge and academic theory with practical experience to support you in graduating ready for work, starting your own company or further study.
We aim to provide you with an insight into the latest developments in the games and web industries and the careers and opportunities that are open to you. You have the chance to complete a year-long placement in industry, or even start your own small company. We host an active industry guest speaker programme, giving you the opportunity to listen to and network with experienced industry representatives. Last year’s programme featured speakers from organisations including Rockstar and FormerDroid. I look forward to seeing you at Huddersfield. Dr Michael O’Grady Subject Area Leader
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The games and web industries are truly global offering you some dynamic and exciting job opportunities. And they’re crying out for talent. So if you’ve got what it takes, we can help you step up to the next level.
Study with us
I really like the idea of being self-employed and the course covers this too. Dan Park, Web Technologies BSc(Hons)
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Check this out! Awards
Funding
Guest speakers
Our games students won five prizes at the Game Republic Awards 2017, including three 1st place awards!
Our students secured over £90k worth of games development funding from organisations such as Creative England or Transfuzer in 2016/17.
We run an active guest speaker programme, giving you the chance to hear from inspiring industry figures.
Perhaps you want to develop your programming skills, or you’re looking to use your design talents to create graphics for games or the web. With such fast-moving industries, anything’s possible. If you’re keen to make your mark, we could help you get started on an incredible career. Our courses combine the latest knowledge and thinking with real-world practicality to help you prepare for work. Technology and creativity are what it’s all about in all our courses. We’ll give you the chance to take part in national competitions, live projects and Game Jams. You’ll also be able to come along and hear some inspiring names from the industry at our special guest lectures. Our courses are geared to be practical, but you can dial up your hands-on experience even more by taking a year-long placement. Perhaps you’ll work 1. Pocket Galaxy Developed by placement students in our Canalside Studios. Now available in 16 languages.
in a cutting-edge business developing something creative. Or you could work at the University’s own Canalside Studios. The Studio develops their own games for release and they have also produced work commissioned by commercial clients. In fact, you could even set up your own business by taking an Enterprise Placement Year.* We’ll give you access to the kit that they use in the industry, including video and photographic equipment and cutting-edge software. So you should have everything you need to unleash your creativity. Just to let you know, previous graduates have gone on to work for companies like Microsoft Xbox, Rockstar Games, Virgin, Siemens, Shell, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, American Express and EA Games.**
2. Iron Works Year 2 Computer Games Design work by Samuel Sharpe
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*The Enterprise Placement Year is only open to UK/EU students. **Source: LinkedIn.
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Graduates employed from this subject
Computer Games Design BA(Hons)
92%* Key information: UCAS code: G4W6 Duration: 3 years full-time, 4 years inc. placement year Entry requirements: ABB at A Level DDM at BTEC in Art and Design or a games related subject 128 UCAS points from a combination of Level 3 qualifications A Foundation course in Art and Design: Distinction Additional criteria: GCSE English Language or Literature and Mathsat grade 4 or above, or grade C or above if awarded under the previous GCSE grading scheme. Portfolios and Interviews: Electronic portfolio required as part of application. Selected individuals may also be required to attend an interview.
If you enjoy exploring what’s possible with digital design and games development, we could help you really get to know the subject. We encourage students to be creative, visionary and always ambitious with their designs. We explore some of the more complex aspects of game and level design, and games art during the course. We aim to cover all the bases, including how to design and plan game ideas and concepts, and then develop, create and build your own games. Your course is very much designed for the real-world. We maintain active links with industry figures, during your course you could have the chance to hear from them – in the past we’ve hosted art directors, animators, illustrators and designers from the freelance world and from companies like Rockstar, Formerdroid and Realtime UK.
involved in externally organised events like the Global Game Jam and Game Republic. If you’d like to take what you’ve learnt out into the real-world, we also give you the chance to spend a year working in industry. Alternatively, we have a small number of placements available in our in-house games development studio, Canalside Studios. Here you could find yourself working as part of a team developing games for a range of platforms. Finally, you could even think about starting your own small business while you’re here by applying for the Enterprise Placement Year (EPY).**
You’ll have the chance to take part in lots of internal Game Jams. And we’ll encourage you to get
Final year work by Mikey Starovoytov. * Percentage of graduates from these subject areas at Huddersfield who go on to work and/or further study within six months of graduating (Destinations of Leavers Survey 2014/15 and 2015/16 aggregated). ** EPY is open to students from within the UK or the EU only.
Mikey won first place for Character Art in the ‘Search for a Star’ 2017 competition. His eye for detail and professional level ability have led him to taking an art role with Red Kite Games after graduation.
Placement Chance to start your own studio with our Enterprise Placement Year scheme. You’ll even get support from an industry mentor.
Guest speakers We run an active guest speaker programme, giving you the chance to hear from inspiring industry figures.
For detailed course and employability information, including full entry requirements, please visit courses.hud.ac.uk
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Graduates employed from this course
92%
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Key information: UCAS code: C186 Duration: 3 years full-time, 4 years inc. placement year Entry requirements: BBB at A Level DMM at BTEC 120 UCAS points from a combination of Level 3 qualifications Additional criteria: GCSE English Language or Literature at grade 4 or above, or grade C or above if awarded under the previous GCSE grading scheme. GCSE Maths at grade 5 or above, or grade B or above if awarded under the previous GCSE grading scheme.
Computer Science with Games Programming BSc(Hons)
Games development is a thriving industry in the UK. We want to help you gain the skills to become a great programmer so you can get a rewarding job in this exciting sector. Your course will cover general computing and software engineering knowledge and techniques that apply across the computing industry, whilst exploring the latest issues in computer games. We’ll look at the technical aspects of games development, from computer games programming to games systems and development techniques. We’ll also cover game engine architecture, computational mathematics and artificial intelligence (AI). And to help develop your abilities and your team working, we’ll get you operating with other students to complete a computer games project.
During your third year you have the opportunity to take a year-long placement. Thanks to our links with a range of leading employers, you could end up working for a big name. Previous students have taken placements with Sega Europe Ltd, Rebellion Studios, Rockstar Leeds and Red Kite. Or you could have the chance to take a placement at the University’s Canalside Studios, working as part of a team researching and developing games for a range of platforms. Our Enterprise Placement Year ** scheme also affords you the chance to set up your own company (individually or in a group). You’ll have support from business advisors and a games industry mentor.
Jessie Thomson graduated from Computer Games Programming BSc(Hons)*** in 2012 and now has a PhD in Computer Vision. * Percentage of graduates from this course who go on to work and/or further study within six months of graduating (Destinations of Leavers Survey 2015/16). ** The Enterprise Placement Year is only open to students from within the UK or the EU. *** Course now offered is Computing Science with Games Programming BSc(Hons).
“My experiences at Huddersfield were invaluable, giving me the knowledge and confidence to pursue my dreams. The teaching, and my placement year, guided me to realise my love for AI and helped me achieve positions in both education and my latest job working alongside the games industry.”
Placements
Award Winning
We encourage all our students to undertake a placement year in industry with support from our dedicated Placement Unit.
Our games students won five prizes at the Game Republic Awards 2017, including three 1st place awards!
For detailed course and employability information, including full entry requirements, please visit courses.hud.ac.uk
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Graduates employed from this subject
Web Design BSc(Hons)
92%* Key information: UCAS code: G4P3 Duration: 3 years full-time, 4 years inc. placement year Entry requirements: BBB at A Level DDM at BTEC 120 UCAS points from a combination of Level 3 qualifications Additional criteria: GCSE English Language or Literature and Maths at grade 4 or above, or grade C or above if awarded under the previous GCSE grading scheme.
* Percentage of graduates from this subject area at Huddersfield who go on to work and/or further study within six months of graduating (Destinations of Leavers Survey 2015/16). ** The EPY is only open to students from within the UK or the EU. *** Course now offered is Web Technologies BSc(Hons)
Websites, social media, the apps we use for entertainment and for organising our everyday lives – if you’re like most people, you’ll experience web design many times every day. Web designers play an important part in our lives, constantly creating new ways for us to access and experience the web. We’ll give you the opportunity to gain the skills employers are looking for by focusing on both the creative and technical aspects of web design. We’ll look at moving imagery too, specifically animations and videos. How people access the internet is constantly developing, so we’ll study how to design and create content and experiences for devices including smartphones, tablets, watches and traditional computers. We’ll get you working on projects in teams to create complex products. It’s all about helping you develop your technical, design and project management skills. You’ll gain invaluable experience – in fact, some projects may mean you end up working on a real product for an industry client.
To gain even more experience, you have the chance to take a placement with an employer in your third year. This is your opportunity to put what you’ve learnt into practice, broaden your range of skills and gain great contacts too. There’s also the opportunity for you to start your own small business through our Enterprise Placement Year (EPY) scheme.**
Showcase Final Year showcase attended by industry representatives.
Faye Hackney graduated from Multimedia Studies BA(Hons)*** in 2017, did her placement with Buy It Direct and is now a Graduate Digital Officer at Calderdale Council. “I have loved being at university and it’s been a great challenge, with supportive and friendly lecturers to encourage students along the way.”
For detailed course and employability information, including full entry requirements, please visit courses.hud.ac.uk
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Graduates employed from this course
Web Technologies BSc(Hons)
100%* Key information: UCAS code: G422 Duration: 3 years full-time, 4 years inc. placement year Entry requirements: BBB at A Level DDM at BTEC 120 UCAS points from a combination of Level 3 qualifications Additional criteria: GCSE English Language or Literature and Maths at grade 4 or above, or grade C or above if awarded under the previous GCSE grading scheme.
Just about every business and organisation has a web presence. And many of them are looking to expand that presence and exploit the latest technology. There’s a huge demand for skilled graduates who understand the technology; cloud computing; touch, gesture and motion-based technology; as well as mobile and tablet apps. If you can keep pace with the new technology, and know how it can be used to inform, educate, market, sell and innovate, then you could be an attractive prospect for an employer.
ASP.NET, and we’ll also cover innovative frameworks such as Bootstrap and Laravel. During your studies you’ll be given the chance to take a placement in your third year. It’s an excellent opportunity to put what you’ve learnt into practice. There’s also the opportunity for you to start your own small business through our Enterprise Placement Year (EPY) scheme.**
This course aims to provide you with the skills to help organisations harness the technology. We’ll look at making applications for web, desktop, mobiles and projections. You’ll study the principles of creating and accessing data, as well as embedding data structures such as maps, tweets, eBay bids, Amazon offers and Facebook comments in your digital products. To help you develop your capabilities, we’ll look at a range of computing languages. The most common ones we use are JavaScript, PHP and Year 2 work by Eva Glover * Percentage of graduates from this course who go on to work and/or further study within six months of graduating (Destinations of Leavers Survey 2015/16). ** The EPY is only open to students from within the UK or the EU.
Leonie Mann, Web Technologies BSc(Hons), did her placement at the European University Institute in Italy. “I spent a year in Florence working at the European University Institute (EUI) on the help desk, where I was a User Support Technician. The move to Italy was made miles easier by EUI, who even set up a visit so that I could meet other students I’d be working with.”
For detailed course and employability information, including full entry requirements, please visit courses.hud.ac.uk
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Meet our staff
The transition from industry professional to educator
Matt McIntosh
Senior Lecturer, Department of Computer Science “When I was younger I wanted to work in films making things like props and special effects. I took a model making course at Bournemouth Arts Institute and one of the modules I undertook introduced me to using 3D programs and I was hooked from that point. I always had an interest in games but it wasn’t until I used a 3D program that I actually considered it as a possible career avenue. “I used to work for Sumo Digital down in Sheffield where I worked on a number of AAA titles. That introduced me to different aspects that related to being a games artist, such as environment creation, animation, character development and 3D sculpture. I made the transition in to teaching about 8 years ago and a year and a bit ago I came to Huddersfield to pursue a PhD.
As a tutor, being able to guide these students throughout their university career to eventually become industry professionals is always rewarding. “Having a good team spirit with the other colleagues on my course makes the job much more enjoyable. We regularly do things as a group and recently we went to the arcade club to play classic games in their original format. “The switch from being an artist to an educator has been one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done. The people that we have join the course often come from a wide range of backgrounds and many of them have differing levels of experience. The thing I enjoy most about teaching is knowing that I’m helping students get their foot in the door of a particularly competitive industry, by helping them develop good working practices and become better artists.”
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My student journey so far
Dayna Davison Computer Games Design BA(Hons) “When I was younger I wanted to be a vet as I loved animals. But as I grew up I started playing my older brother’s videos games; my favourites included Crash Bandicoot, Spyro and Tomb Raider! “I became fascinated with how games worked and were put together. I used pen and paper to plan and draw out my own games, but I didn’t know how to actually make them! I didn’t even know you could study games as a subject so I thought I would do IT and art, but then I discovered you could do a course in games development in college and I knew it was perfect for me.
I like that here you get a lot of time with tutors and that they all know your name. “When I got my offer to study here I was buzzing! I had read all the reviews of Huddersfield, and I knew it was one of the top universities for games. I came to an open day and I knew I wanted to be here. “My most memorable event of my time here was pitching for my place on the Enterprise Placement Year. I had never pitched for anything real before, we had done practice pitches on my course, but so much was riding on this and it was real. I felt so proud we got the place, it made me feel like my game idea was validated by the panel of academics, a business mentor and placement experts. I was so proud to have won a place in such a competitive process.”
To hear Dayna talk about her student journey visit hud.ac/profiles
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Student journey Our creative courses give students the opportunity to explore visual design and develop a portfolio of work. Here you can see examples of work from students at different stages of their university career. 1. ‘This Dead Winter’, work by Rob Potter, Final Year, Computer Games Design BA(Hons)
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2. ‘TETRA - Elemental Awakening’ by OceanSpark Studios, Enterprise Placement Year Project 3. Michael Appleby, Final Year project, Computer Games Design BSc(Hons) 4. Gabrielle Lasaite, Year 2, Web Design BSc(Hons) 5. Eva Glover, Year 2, Web Technologies BSc(Hons) 6. Alexandra Livingstone, Final Year, Interactive Multimedia BA(Hons)*
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*Course now called Web Design BSc(Hons)
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We hope you’ve found all the information you need to inspire you to become a student here at Huddersfield. Now all you need to do is apply.
Apply to us UCAS If this is your first (undergraduate) degree and you want to study a full-time course, then you’ll apply via UCAS at ucas.com If you’re at a college or school right now, it’s probably already registered with UCAS. The best thing to do is ask your teacher or careers adviser to help with your application. Once you’ve applied we’ll keep in touch with you throughout the 1 application process, so you’re up to speed with what’s going on. When to apply If you want to start your course in September 2019, you can apply to UCAS any time from 1 September 2018 onwards. Please make sure UCAS receives your application by 15 January 2019.
Contact us Got a question? Get in touch with us. Tel. +44 (0)1484 473116 Email. compeng@hud.ac.uk @HudCompEng HuddersfieldUniversity ComputingandEngineering
Our course codes You have to enter the code for the course you want to study on your application form. You can find our course codes on each of the course pages in this brochure, or on the UCAS website. By the way, the institution code for Huddersfield is HUDDS H60. Portfolios and Interviews The Computer Games Design course has a two-part selection process which involves viewing uploaded applicant work and also discussing each application among the staff team. Firstly, all applicants will be required to submit electronic evidence of a portfolio of work as part of the application process. All your work will then be reviewed by academic staff as part of the offer process. You may be contacted by staff if they require clarification or further information. Secondly, staff will confirm results of the portfolio review at two main periods, as follows: For applications received before 1st December, results are formalised before Christmas of the same year; For other applications received prior to the first UCAS deadline, decisions will be formalised before the end of February in the same year You may also be required to attend an interview to determine your enthusiasm and aptitude for the subject. If we invite you to an interview, we’ll let you know what we expect you to bring.
Important Information This brochure is provided for information only and will not form part of your student contract. For full, up to date details on our courses, including when and how that information may change, visit our website at www.courses.hud.ac.uk
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Open Days Everything starts now
2018
Saturday 30 June Saturday 22 September Saturday 20 October Wednesday 7 November Friday 30 November
Book a place hud.ac.uk/open-days 15
University of Huddersfield Queensgate Huddersfield West Yorkshire HD1 3DH UK Tel. +44 (0)1484 422288 Email. askhud@hud.ac.uk www.hud.ac.uk
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