BSc (Hons) Games Programming Degree
Study Games Programming to develop advanced skills in industry-standard software packages such as Unreal Engine 4, Unity3D, C++ and C#. Work across film, audio, and animation projects at SAE to graduate with a portfolio, work experience, and a network of fellow creatives.
£9,000 per year
The annual tuition fee is fully funded via Student Finance England for eligible home-fee students.
For UK/Irish students commencing their studies from January 2024, the following fees will apply: £11,100 per year.
£7,500 per year
Partial funding is available for eligible home fee applicants who are residents of Scotland via the Students Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).
For UK/Irish students commencing their studies from January 2024, the following fees will apply: £9,000 per year.
£9,000 per year
The annual tuition fee is fully funded via Student Finance England for eligible home-fee students.
For UK/Irish students commencing their studies from January 2024, the following fees will apply: £11,100 per year.
£9,000 per year
The annual tuition fee is fully funded via Student Finance England for eligible home-fee students.
For UK/Irish students commencing their studies from January 2024, the following fees will apply: £11,100 per year.
£13,000 per year
(*Student visa required)
For UK/Irish students commencing their studies from January 2024, the following fees will apply: £15,000 per year.
£11,500 per year
(*Student visa required)
For UK/Irish students commencing their studies from January 2024, the following fees will apply: £13,000 per year.
£13,000 per year
(*Student visa required)
For UK/Irish students commencing their studies from January 2024, the following fees will apply: £15,000 per year.
£13,000 per year
(*Student visa required)
For UK/Irish students commencing their studies from January 2024, the following fees will apply: £15,000 per year.
September
September
September
September
- Listening – 17
- Writing – 17
- Speaking – 20
- Reading – 18
- International ESOL C1 Expert – pass in all four components
- International ESOL SELT B2 (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking) – minimum 33 in all components
- ESOL Integrated Skills in English II – pass in all components
YOUR CAREER IN GAMES BEGINS NOW

Games Development Skills
Games Programming Degree Course Structure
BSc (Hons) Games Programming is divided into three stages, each designed to develop different skills.Topics include:
- Programming Basics
- Structured Programming
- Object-Oriented Programming
- Introduction to Algorithms
- Boolean Algebra, Numeral Systems
- Vector Arithmetic
- Version Control
The implementation and tweaking of game mechanics and mechanisms in common game engines are applied to a game project.
Topics include:
- Game Design Fundamentals
- Game Engine Basics
- Game Mechanics
- Game Mechanisms
Topics include:
- Design Patterns
- Data Structures
- Software-Architecture (Entity Component System)
- Copyright Basics
- Game Production Basics
- Optimisation (Profiling)
Topics include:
- Statistics
- Heuristics
- AI Basics, e.g.
- Pathfinding
- Behaviour Trees
- Finite State Machines
- Needs Based
- Composition Algorithms, e.g.
- Maze
- Dungeon
- Landscape
Topics you may draw upon in Creative Studio 1 include:
- Level Design
- Computer Graphics
- Shader Programming
- Lighting
- Animation Programming (IK, FK)
- PCG Advanced (L System, Generative Algorithms) Tools Development
- Persistent Data
A key aim of the module is to identify a target market and develop a product that can be distributed to a paying audience. Collaboration opportunities may also exist with students from other programmes, including Game Art & Animation.
Topics you may draw upon in Creative Studio 2 include:
- Network Programming
- Server-Client Communication
- Lag Compensation
- Back-End Development
- Mobile Development
- Performance Optimizations
- Multithreading
- Performance Analysis
- Business Planning
- Marketing
Topics you may draw upon in Creative Studio 3 include:
- Machine Learning
- AI Advanced (GOAP, Utility AI)
- ECS
- Compute Shaders
- VR/AR Development
- Physics
- Research Methodologies and their Application in the Creative Media Industries
- Scientific Research and Practice
- Contemporary Issues Surrounding Research
- Developing a Research Question / Hypothesis
- Gathering, Analysis, Interpretation and Presentation of Data
- Literature Review and Critical Analysis of Existing Research
- Research Ethics

Career Outcomes
What jobs will this course lead to?
- Game Designer
- Game Economy Designer
- Level Designer
- Simulation Specialists
- Analysts
- Community Managers
- Systems Designer
- User Experience Designer
- Graphics Programmer
- Games Writer
Student Spotlight
Course FAQs
We will use a wide range of tools and software including Unity Engine (2D and 3D), Direct X / Open GL, Blender, C# programming language, Photoshop, Illustrator and Visual Studio.
Yes, you will learn how to design and develop Multiplayer Games using network programming, client-server communication and file I/O.
Yes, we are excited to teach our students the latest technologies such as AI to create an effective immersive experience for the player.
