From September 2025 entry: this course will be changing its title to BSc (Hons) Games Programming

Why study BSc (Hons) Games Software Engineering at BU?

  • Strong focus on specialist units to give you a broad range of software engineering skills that can be put to good use in the context of games programming
  • Educated by professional practitioners, expert academics and regular guest lectures from some of the leading names in the industry.
  • Taught in dedicated facilities, using the latest industry-standard software for developing games
  • Opportunity to put your learning into practice by taking a 4-week work placement (as part of the 3-year course) or a 30-week placement (as part of the 4-year course)
  • We have regular contact with games developers across the UK and overseas, including Unity, Jagex, King, Sports Interactive, Creative Assembly, Climax Studios, and others 
  • The average earnings for roles in the industry are around £38,000. Entry level roles start around £16k, with senior roles earning £50k or more. Entry level roles include Generalist Programmer, UX/UI Designer, Level Designer, QA Tester and Graphics Programmer (ScreenSkills).

Find out more about the content of this course.

Foundaton year: We have a Foundation Year option for students who do not meet the entry requirements for the degree course. This additional year of study will give you a grounding in the creative skills required for this course, building your confidence, knowledge and skills for further study. After successful completion of the Foundation Year, you will progress to the full degree. If you apply to study the full degree and do not meet the academic entry requirements, our admissions team may consider your application for the Foundation Year and notify you accordingly.

For September 2025 entry: In order to take advantage of new approaches to learning and teaching, as well as developments in industry to benefit our students we regularly review all of our courses. This course is currently going through this process, and we will update this page in September 2024 to give you full information about what we will be offering once the review process has concluded. 

Course accreditations

This course is industry-recognised by TIGA, the trade association representing the video games industry, and carries the TIGA quality mark which indicates courses producing the very best industry ready graduates. The course affords students with excellent opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaborations, which is highly valued within the game development industry.

Key information

Next start date:

September 2024, September 2025

Location:

Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus

Duration:

3 years with an optional 4-week placement, or 4 years with a minimum 30-week placement. Foundation Year: 4 years full-time with an optional 4 week placement, or 5 years full-time with a minimum 30-week placement

Accreditations:

TIGA

Required subjects:

All subjects considered

Entry requirements:

For September 2024 and September 2025 entry: 120 - 128 UCAS tariff points including a minimum of 2 A levels or equivalent. BTEC Extended Diploma: DMM. For more information check out our full entry requirements.

International entry requirements:

For September 2024 and September 2025 entry: If English is not your first language you'll need IELTS (Academic) 6.0 with a minimum 5.5 in each of the 4 components, or equivalent. For more information check out our international entry requirements.