Video Game Design with a Foundation Year - BA (Hons)
Currently viewing course to start in 2023/24 Entry.
Our BA (Hons) Video Game Design with Foundation Year undergraduate degree course responds to the growing and innovative sector by developing skilled, team-orientated, reflexive graduates ready to succeed in the field. Interactive Entertainment and Video Games development are key sectors for contemporary culture, economic growth and employment locally in the Midlands, nationally and globally....
- Level Foundation
- Study mode Full Time
- Location City Centre
- Award BA (Hons)
- Start date September 2023
- Fees View course fees
- School School of Games, Film and Animation
- Faculty Faculty of Arts, Design and Media
Overview
Our BA (Hons) Video Game Design with Foundation Year undergraduate degree course responds to the growing and innovative sector by developing skilled, team-orientated, reflexive graduates ready to succeed in the field. Interactive Entertainment and Video Games development are key sectors for contemporary culture, economic growth and employment locally in the Midlands, nationally and globally.
This three-year course gives you a guaranteed video game development placement in our in-house studio.
What's covered in this course?
The course focuses on video games design and communication. You will gain a grounding within the industry’s design and production principles while developing your creative and teamwork skills.
Developing you as a professional developer
The course covers core video game design methodologies and video game development tools, as well as contemporary agile software development techniques to make you a competent and adaptable game designer, capable of finding employment in the sector or preparing you for further academic study.
Your first position in the video game industry
Building upon your core design skills, in the second year you will be tasked with a specific role within our in-house game development studio over the summer term. This work experience gives you the opportunity to apply the knowledge and professional practices you’ve learnt on the course in a safe and supportive environment. Typically for these projects you’ll be using industry standard game development tools such as Unity and Unreal.
The work students produce during these summer placements can act as excellent portfolio pieces, which demonstrate their ability as both a professional game developer and effective team member.
Best of class facilities and staff
Teaching takes place in a modern production studio based in Birmingham City Centre where you’ll be provided with studio space to complete projects and access to the software you’ll need for the duration of the course.
You will be taught by staff with significant experience in the video game development industry, having worked with game developers including Psygnosis, Rage Software, Codemasters, FreeStyleGames and EA Games.
Real experience
By the time you graduate, you’ll have three years of tangible games development studio experience under your belt, ready to launch your dream career as a games developer.
Alternatively, you can choose to apply for one of our one-year Gamer Camp courses, to gain even more in-depth skills, and experience.
The BA Video Game Design course will give you the opportunity to learn all about games design and production, helping you to get your foundation of experience that you will need to decide upon which is the correct career path for you.
Zuby Ahmed – Video Game Design Course Director
Why Choose Us?
- Guaranteed placement in our summer development team in your second year of study.
- Top 5 for Animation and Game Design (Guardian League Tables 2023).
- Teaching is delivered by our team of industry practitioners, who collectively have over 100 years of video game industry experience, having worked on franchises such as EA’s ‘Battlefield’, Codemaster’s ‘Formula 1’ and Sega’s ‘Sonic’. They have also taught, trained and mentored students, graduates and practitioners, who are now successful industry developers, working at studios and publishers which include Ubisoft, Microsoft and Rockstar North.
- During the course you’ll work on numerous projects with periodic input from industry partners. Previous partners and mentors have included Codemasters, Pixel Toys, Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe, Microsoft’s Rare Studio and Rockstar North.
- This course will develop you to be able to move into employment, or further study, for example on our Industry-recognised Master’s Courses, Gamer Camp, which is a finishing school for game developers (coders, artists, designers and producers) based at Birmingham City University.
Studying with us during the Covid-19 pandemic
The University has put in place measures in response to Covid-19 to allow us to safely deliver our courses. Should the impact of the pandemic continue in future years, any additional or alternative arrangements put in place by the University will be in accordance with the latest government public health advice, health and safety legislation, and the terms and conditions of the student contract.
Open Days
Join us for an on-campus Open Day where you'll be able to explore our campus and facilities in person. Booking for the next event isn’t open yet. Register your interest below and we’ll email you as soon as booking goes live.
Next Open Day: March 2023
Entry Requirements
These entry requirements apply for entry in 2023/24.
All required qualifications/grades must have been achieved and evidenced at the earliest opportunity after accepting an offer to help confirm admission and allow for on-time enrolment. This can also include other requirements, like a fee status form and relevant documents. Applicants can track their application and outstanding information requests through their BCU mySRS account.
We accept a range of qualifications, the most popular of which are detailed below.
UK students
| Essential | ||
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80 UCAS tariff points. |
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| Level 2 qualifications | ||
| GCSE | GCSE English Language or English Literature and GCSE Maths at grade C/4 or above. If you do not have these or are not undertaking them, we accept other Level 2 equivalents, or we may ask you to pass BCU's GCSE equivalency tests. | |
| Irish Leaving Certificate (Ordinary Level) | See level 3 entry requirements under Irish Leaving Certificate for full details | |
| Scottish National 5 | English Language or English Literature and Maths at grade C or above. If you do not have these or are not undertaking them, we accept other Level 2 equivalents, or we may ask you to pass BCU's GCSE equivalency tests. | |
| Plus one of the following Level 3 (and above) qualifications | ||
| A Level and Advanced VCE |
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AS and AS VCE |
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications (AS Levels must be in different subject to A-Levels) to obtain 80 pts | |
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Access to HE Diploma |
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MMP | |
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Foundation Studies (Art and Design, and Art, Design & Media) |
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IBO Certificate in Higher Level |
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International Baccalaureate Diploma |
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Irish Leaving Certificate (Highers) |
Pass the Irish Leaving Certificate with a minimum of 80 tariff points, achieved in five Higher level subjects. This must include English Language and Maths taken at either Ordinary Level (minimum grade O1-O4 (or A-C/A1-C3)) or Higher level minimum grade H1/H7 (or A-D / A1-D3 up to and including 2016. | |
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OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma |
MMP | |
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Scottish Higher/Advanced Higher |
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T-Levels |
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UAL Extended Diploma in Art & Design |
Merit overall | |
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UAL Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production & Technology |
Merit overall | |
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UAL Extended Diploma in Performing and Production Arts |
Merit overall | |
| Other qualifications | ||
| If you have a qualification that is not listed in the table please refer to our full entry requirements on UCAS. Further guidance on tariff points can be found on the UCAS website. |
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Additional information for EU/International students
| Essential | ||
|---|---|---|
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Please see your country page for further details on the equivalent qualifications we accept. In addition to the academic entry requirements listed above, international and EU students will also require the qualifications detailed in this table. |
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| EU/Non-EU (International) Qualifications | Requirements | |
| IELTS |
6.0 overall with no less than 5.5 in each band. If you do not meet the required IELTS score, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English courses. Please note that you must have a Secure English Language Test (SELT) to study on the pre-sessional English course. More information. |
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Fees & How to Apply
UK students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: BA (Hons)
Starting: Sep 2023
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 3 years
- £9,250 in 2023/24
- Apply via UCAS
International students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: BA (Hons)
Starting: Sep 2023
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 3 years
- £13,980 in 2023/24
If you're unable to use the online form for any reason, you can complete our PDF application form and equal opportunities PDF form instead.
Guidance for UK students
UK students applying for most undergraduate degree courses in the UK will need to apply through UCAS.
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is a UK organisation responsible for managing applications to university and college.
Applying through UCAS
- Register with UCAS
- Login to UCAS and complete your details
- Select your course and write a personal statement
- Get a reference
- Pay your application fee and submit your application
You are not required to submit a portfolio for this course.
Course in Depth
Foundation year
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):
The purpose of this module is to give students the opportunity to gain an understanding of the basic foundations of game design to develop an analytical mindset. By learning the fundamentals of game design and utilising analytical frameworks, we will discuss looking at games layer by layer through various lenses to propose structured and cohesive systems that will provide an engaging user experience.
The purpose of this module is to give students the opportunity to get to grips with an easy-to-use programming language and manage to handle input from the keyboard and output to the computer screen. This will allow students to gain an appreciation of how logic works within software to be able to deliver an interactive experience to the user.
The purpose of this module is to assist students in developing the academic skills needed to succeed in higher education.
The purpose of this module is to assist students in developing the research and prototyping skills needed to support their ambitions to be a game developer. This module also enables the development of communications skills which are key employability skills, how to present work effectively, how to draw on existing research to support ideas, how to organise and plan projects, and how to write reflectively about the experience.
The purpose of this module is to enable students to draw on their own creative strategies to facilitate the development of a project that is appropriate for progression onto their chosen BSc (Hons) or BA (Hons) course. This is achieved by utilising and building upon research and planning conducted towards the development of the vision of the video game. This is further enhanced by reflecting upon academic and professional skills progression, demonstrated over the course of the foundation.
Year one
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 180 credits):
The purpose of this module is to introduce students to the history of videogames and also provide a basic introduction into game design. By looking at the history of the games industry from a global context; the module will discuss the evolution of video games which will provide students contexts to consider current and future games industry opportunities and market trends. The module also enables development of team and communications skills which are key employability skills.
The purpose of this module is to allow students to cover the fundamentals of the process of design for conceptualising a game. There are also sessions on game design theory fundamentals. This will give students an understanding of the development and documentation needed to illustrate and refine that idea to others to then plan, manage and implement the game into production. The module also enables development of communications skills which are key employability skills, which are needed to be demonstrable upon graduation.
The purpose of this module is to build upon previous modules and apply more in depth analytical lenses to ascertain on a macro level the role and significance of video games in culture and society, whilst on a micro level students will research, analyse and appraise usability, immersion and emotion in the video games under discussion. The module also enables development of communications skills which are key employability skills, which are needed to be demonstrable upon graduation.
The purpose of this module is to cover the fundamentals of the process of 2D game space design for conceptualising gameplay within 2D environments, married with game design theory fundamentals. Students will then gain an understanding of the development and documentation needed to illustrate and refine ideas to others to then plan, manage and implement the 2D game space design and support information into production, followed on by a critical analysis of the development process.
The module is an opportunity to learn and critically reflect on the skills of collaboration by enabling you to create an interdisciplinary project with students from complementary disciplines. You will be tasked with completing a project over a short development / production period. This project may be set either by an academic or course industry-partner.
Year two
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 180 credits):
The purpose of this module is to allow students the opportunity to generate ideas to become a multiple screen/multiple platform strategy, based on future technologies. This will then be presented / pitched to high level stakeholders at the end of the module. The multiple screen/multiple platform strategy will be supported by the academic team so that the output work will support future modules and also any potential future business development/enterprise opportunities which the student(s) may wish to explore.
The purpose of this module is to cover the fundamentals of the process of 3D game space design for conceptualising gameplay within 3D environments, married with game design theory fundamentals. This will give students an understanding of the development and documentation needed to illustrate and refine ideas, to then plan, manage and implement their own 3D game space designs, supported by production management methodologies, with continued critical analysis of the ongoing development process.
The purpose of this module is to allow students to generate ideas to become a business plan which will be presented / pitched to high level stakeholders at the end of the module. The business proposition will be supported by the academic team and introduces industry approaches to, and application of assessment and evaluation within a business context. Furthermore the practical nature of the module will enable students to apply knowledge gained so that the output work will support any potential future business development/enterprise opportunities which the student(s) may wish to explore.
The module is an opportunity to learn and critically reflect on the skills of collaboration &/or your own professional practice. The module enables you to create either an interdisciplinary project with students from complementary disciplines or your own self-defined project.
The purpose of the module is to enable you to undertake a sustained, in-depth and theoretically informed research project exploring an area that is of personal interest to you. It is important that we can support you appropriately, so you will be guided towards choosing a research topic which is relevant to your discipline and in which your lecturers have expertise. The outcome may take the form of a written dissertation or a practice-based portfolio.
Download course specification
Download nowThe course is structured around teaching you new skills and allowing you the freedom to experiment and experience putting your new skills into practice through stakeholder-directed live projects.
Typically, this means modules are split into taught modules and studio-based project modules.
In the taught modules the focus is on your personal development as a professional designer. You will also learn professional project management methodologies to help you deliver your design projects. You will take modules which focus on the development of skills for specific roles within the sector, for example, understanding the history and fundamentals of Game Design, looking at 2D and 3D Game Spaces, and advanced and strategic Game Design.
The Video Game Design course is all about providing you with crucial experience-based learning you'll need for your career. To this end during the summer you will be required to attend an in-house work placement. It is during these modules you’ll be using development tools such as Unity & Unreal.
This undergraduate degree course has professional game development studio experience embedded as part of your learning journey.
You'll be assessed in a variety of different ways, including practical project work – both group and individual – presentations, written reports and practical portfolios.
Assessment is embedded into the course, which will mean your learning experience isn't constantly interrupted by assessment. You are also assessed on your work within a project delivery team while you are based in our simulated in-house studio environment.
The course culminates with a project you define yourself which targets a specific subsector of the video games industry, for example; working as a component and technical designer or even managing a project using Agile Project Management methodologies (note this is not an exhaustive list of roles). You have the choice of either proposing your own individual project or collaborating with other students to create another video game project for your portfolio.
Employability
Experience on the Course
Workplace simulation and giving student indicative or real industry-standard work to complete while on their course is a core pillar of the approach and success for courses at the School of Games, Film and Animation.
On top of the course-specific experiences, the University has introduced the BCU Graduate+ programme, which is an extra-curricular awards framework that is designed to augment the subject-based skills that you develop through your programme with broader employability skills and techniques that will enhance your employment options.
Leading up to and upon graduation
At the end of your studies, you’ll complete a final major project, which may lead you to working directly with a client. This direct contact will give you the experience, confidence and freedom to put into action all you’ve learned on your studies. Allied with this course-specific experience you will also have access to a range of support staff and services from the University’s careers service, who can help with:
- Reviewing CVs, covering letters and application forms
- Career planning and decision making
- Preparing for interviews and assessment centres
- Developing portfolios
- Networking with employers
- Advice about self-employment and entrepreneurship
Placements
During the summer term of your first year, you will have the opportunity to work in a video game development team as part of the in-house placement element of the course.
During the summer on the first year of your course after the foundation year, you’ll have a guaranteed placement in an in-house development studio. Our students previously worked directly with The Wellcome Trust on an interactive, online awareness campaign which involved making, video games, web apps, mobile apps and video material to promote The Crunch initiative.
Students have also worked along postgraduates to make a mobile version of the PlayStation 4 Xtreme Drone Racing game which is being developed as part of the PlayStationFirst initiative. The mobile versions features racing against 40 drones in a variety of locations in Birmingham, geotagged content and extensive drone customisation.
Graduate stories
Arthur Fostier
Gameplay Designer, Pixel Toys
“I’m currently working on a mobile strategy title entitled “Realm War” where I’m responsible for balancing the different units in the game. This involves a deep understanding of all kinds of interactions and mechanics of each unit, as well as being informed in regards to how users are playing the game. The production element of the course has been immensely useful for my role at Pixel Toys, as it gave me a better understanding of how to realistically go through the many steps of content development when I first joined the studio.”
International
Birmingham City University is a vibrant and multicultural university in the heart of a modern and diverse city. We welcome many international students every year – there are currently students from more than 80 countries among our student community.
The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.
Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:
- Explore some of the good reasons why you should study here.
- Find out how to improve your language skills before starting your studies.
- Find all the information relevant to applicants from your country.
- Learn where to find financial support for your studies.
Facilities & Staff
Our School of Games, Film and Animation is based in the Curzon Building, a £63 million development, located on our City Centre campus.
We help you learn a specific discipline such as digital marketing, programming or art and put that discipline into practice by offering flexible teaching space, dedicated development studios and open access work areas for group projects, as well as course-specific facilities.
Our staff
Zuby Ahmed
Programme & Creative Director Video Game Design & Production
Zuby is a seasoned game developer and manager, with a career spanning over 20 years, 15 years of which have been focused within the Games Industry. Starting as a freelance writer for Edge, Zuby went onto work for Digital Image Design, Warthog Games, and EA Games.
More about Zuby