MSc Games Development and Design

Program Overview

The MSc Games Development and Design program from the University of Lincoln equips students with advanced programming and design skills for contemporary video game development. Through core modules in VR/AR, game prototyping, and research methods, the program prepares graduates for careers in the fast-paced games industry. Students benefit from industry guest speakers, research-informed teaching, and access to high-performance computing facilities.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

• Objective: To build upon students' existing computer programming skills, equipping them with the knowledge and expertise to develop contemporary video games using advanced tools and platforms like virtual reality.
• Focus: Industry context and topics applicable to working within the sector, as well as independent game creation.
• Program Design: Informed by the work and research of academic staff specializing in games, with a blend of industry experience and research backgrounds in relevant areas.
• Guest Speakers: Contributions from games companies and related fields in the "Frontiers of Games Research" module, providing industry perspectives and preparation for employment or further study.

Outline:

• Structure: The program comprises core modules and optional modules covering specialist subject areas.
• Core Modules:
• Advanced Programming:
Explores advanced topics using a contemporary object-oriented programming language, preparing students for professional-level programming in scientific and commercial computing.
• Virtual and Augmented Reality for Games: Covers emerging VR and AR platforms from both design and development perspectives, allowing students to design, build, and evaluate their own VR/AR apps.
• Frontiers of Games Research: Introduces cutting-edge topics in games research, including theory and practical applications.
It follows a research seminar format with input from colleagues across the School of Computer Science and other schools at Lincoln. Guest lectures from industry representatives and leading international researchers are also included.
• Prototyping and Evaluation for Games: Introduces game development guided by industry experience, underpinned by theoretical considerations from game design and player experience.
• Games Design Methods and Approaches:
Explores conceptual tools applicable to the games design process, focusing on the design pipeline from requirements gathering to evaluation and iteration.
• Research Methods (MSc Computer Science): Covers fundamental skills and background knowledge needed for research, including surveying literature, selecting a research topic, planning research, choosing appropriate methods, evaluating research, presenting and reporting research, and considering legal, social, ethical, and professional aspects.
• Research Project: A significant inquiry-driven project focusing on a topical area of interest aligned with the program of study.
It involves developing a dissertation and substantive software implementation. Students can choose to work on ongoing research within the School of Computer Science or develop a project concept in consultation with their supervisor.
• Software Engineering: Provides an understanding of advanced software engineering principles and practices, developing skills necessary to design and deploy sophisticated modern software systems.
• Independent Study: A significant portion of the program involves independent study, exploring material covered in lectures and seminars.
Students are expected to spend at least two to three hours in independent study for every hour spent in class.

Assessment:

• Methods: In-class tests, coursework, projects, and examinations.
• Final Stage: The research project allows students to specialize and complete a complex piece of work.

Teaching:

• Location: Primarily in the University's Isaac Newton Building.
• Resources: Computer laboratories with high-performance workstations equipped with full software development platforms.
• Equipment: A range of equipment for loan, including Raspberry Pi devices, robots, and virtual reality equipment like HTC Vive and Oculus Quest.
• Research-Informed Teaching: Underpinned by world-leading research in areas like computational neuroscience, machine learning, data analytics, robotics, medical imaging, AI in healthcare, and various aspects of human-computer interaction and games computing.

Careers:

• Industry: The games sector is one of the world's largest entertainment industries, offering rewarding and stimulating careers.
• Research: The program is informed by world-leading research in computer science, with strengths in areas like computational neuroscience, machine learning, data analytics, robotics, medical imaging, AI in healthcare, and human-computer interaction.