BSc (Hons) Games Design and Development Bachelor's degree at Middlesex University
BSc (Hons) Games Design and Development at Middlesex University sits within Computer Science and offers specialisations such as Software Engineering, Data Science, AI & Machine Learning, Cyber Security, Web & Mobile, Cloud & DevOps, Games, and HCI.
About this course
Study our Games Design BSc degree and develop coding skills, master gameplay design, prototyping, and in-game engine scripting. Learn from great tutors. Apply now From the provider’s course page.
BSc (Hons) Games Design and Development is a Bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons)) at Middlesex University, based in Hendon Campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Computer science graduates from this provider, 75% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 60% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £32,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Computer Science, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Stronger evidence Published sample: 6,420. Cohort 2021-22. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 75% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 77% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 4 modules
- Games Design FundamentalsCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Gain an overview of common industrial games design processes. Understand the theory around audience research and persona-based design as it relates to initial design and testing. Become familiar with the key concepts relating to developing game mechanics, effective game play, and level design. Identify, describe, and develop basic game play elements. Document and present a paper-based prototype that links to the design and analysis.
- Mechanics of Player Experience and PlaytestingCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Apply theory and game history to contextualise Games Design in relation to a variety of creative practices. Develop lines of inquiry and argument through engaging in game design and player experience theory. Prototype a game idea using paper, and other materials. Use appropriate social research methods to playtest prototypes. Reflect on game play experiences to inform understanding around user experience.
- Professional Studio Practice 1Compulsory30 credits
Module details
Cultivate teamwork skills by engaging you in collaborative efforts to design and develop a basic game prototype. Enhance your game design, development and management skills through practical projects. Develop your practical understanding of project management within team environments. Encourage you to evaluate and respond to the requirements of established brief, fostering critical thinking, problem-solving.
- Prototyping and ScriptingCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Provide you with hands-on experience in producing a variety of digital prototypes with scripting. Offer practical experience of technical games design. Enable you to experience with asset workflows associated with constructing games. Cultivate your ability to reflect on the game development, encouraging critical analysis and self-assessment to enhance learning outcomes and personal growth.
Year 2 3 modules
- Advanced Prototyping and ProgrammingCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Cultivate a deeper understanding of how to make a persuasive prototype. Foster a technical understanding of developing and implementing games across multiple platforms to further the creative and commercial possibilities of games design. Provide practical experience in applying user experience design to develop the requirements and constraints of cross platform development. Develop and enhance existing technical skills including software development skills for cross platform delivery and source
- Game Cultures and Design Beyond EntertainmentCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Develop critical skills by examining a range of topics associated with games culture. Teach you how to assess the construction of games produced for non-entertainment contexts. Enable you to devise gameplay and mechanics for non-entertainment contexts.
- Professional Studio Practice 2: Industry ProjectsCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Build upon existing game design, development and management skills. Engage with a professional brief from industry. Create appropriate professional documentation in response to industry brief. Evaluate and respond to the requirements of an intellectual property and audience. Work as part of a team to design and develop an advanced game prototype.
Year 3 5 modules
- Technology, Gameplay, and MechanicsCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Evaluate various technologies and techniques and generate game appropriate ideas using them and make prototypes to test the ideas. Provide a knowledge of technical advances informing the direction of games design and development. Provide the ability to evaluate and test advanced technologies and predict their application in practical project development. Provide a critical understanding of the ways in which new game interfaces are developed in light of developing technologies. Provide new techni
- Experimental Gameplay DevelopmentCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Provide a range of methods for rapidly prototyping and experimenting with gameplay ideas and evaluating them. Provide the ability to propose and test game ideas that provide unexpected play experiences or promoting unique feelings within players through mechanics. Provide a critical understanding of the core aspects of technical design including generative gameplay, emergent gameplay, interactive storytelling, and innovative user interfaces. Provide the space to learn from failure.
- Games Design Processes, Research, and PlaytestingCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Identify and deliver a piece of research from sustained and creative engagement with both a range of research methods and an area of game production. Understand the processes needed to run a professional project and to demonstrate industry ready skills. Critically evaluate project work within the context of theory, history and existing practice in the field and effectively communicate outcomes. Communicate ideas, challenges and solutions in the field of study to demonstrate independent, responsi
- Professional Studio Practice 3: Portfolio and BeyondCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Develop an awareness of professional games development workplace environments and the current recruitment process. Manage your professional development portfolio to help with career planning. Demonstrate a body of work in games design and development. Work independently to make decisions in dynamic professional contexts.
- Showcase ProjectCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Propose and produce a project that represents the culmination of the skills and knowledge you have developed. Create and project manage the making of a game or substantial game component from initial idea to persuasive prototype. Problem-solve challenges related to game development using agile methodologies and rapid prototyping. Approach the creation of a game by evaluating appropriate design methodologies and technologies to support the idea. Collaborate with, manage, and engage other people w
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This course combines practical coding skills with games design and engine scripting. You'll usually start with programming fundamentals and computer systems, then move into algorithms, databases and software engineering as you develop your design knowledge. Year 2 typically introduces artificial intelligence and machine learning alongside specialist gameplay theory. In your final year, you'll choose from specialisations such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, human-computer interaction and systems & networks, and complete a substantial individual project that brings together your technical and creative work.
Who it's for
This course suits students with A-levels or equivalent qualifications. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent; the typical UCAS tariff among entrants was 80–95 points. The course is taught in English and delivered full-time. The university also offers bursaries and scholarships. Check the university's funding pages for details.
University & format
This is a full-time, 3-year BSc (Hons) degree taught in English at Middlesex University's Hendon Campus. Middlesex University is a recognised UK degree-awarding body, and holds Silver for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 85% |
| another higher-education qualification | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at Middlesex University →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Computer Science graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £32,000 | £27,000 – £40,000 | 6420 |
| 3 years after | £25,500 | £19,000 – £33,500 | 175 |
| 5 years after | £31,000 | £22,500 – £42,000 | 185 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 6,420. Cohort 2021-22.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate / Junior DeveloperFirst engineering role · 0–2 yrs
- 2Software EngineerShipping features end-to-end · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / Lead EngineerOwning systems and mentoring · 5–9 yrs
- 4Principal / Engineering ManagerArchitecture or leading teams · 9+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Computer Science nationally
National figures for Computer Science graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 6,420. Cohort 2021-22. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Computer Science courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,820 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Information Technology ProfessionalsSOC 2020 213 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £55,357
- Science, engineering and technology associate professionalsSOC 2020 31 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,828
- Skilled trades occupationsSOC 2020 5 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,241
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 20; response rate: 70%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Is BSc (Hons) Games Design and Development worth it?
It depends. BSc (Hons) Games Design and Development adds about +£40,630 over the first ten years vs. going straight to a job, but on these earnings the payoff is slower than average.
Cumulative earnings vs. going straight to work at 18, counting tuition and 3 years of wages given up while studying. The line clears zero around year 18.8. This is a simplified gross-earnings comparison, not a forecast of cash loan repayments.
Model: this course’s own median graduate earnings (Graduate Outcomes / LEO) above the £24,000 non-graduate baseline (ONS), net of £9,790/yr over 3 years (published course home fee). Eligible England-domiciled students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan; repayments are 9% only on income above the threshold, with anything left written off after 40 years. That makes the cash flow different from conventional commercial debt. Opportunity cost assumes £18,000 gross earnings forgone in each study year; figures are nominal and exclude tax, living costs, investment returns and loan interest. A simplified estimate. Earnings and actual fees vary by graduate, provider, fee status and UK nation.
Job market & outlook
How Computer Science graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Boilerplate and scaffolding code
- First-pass tests and docs
- Routine debugging and refactors
- Standard data wrangling
More human than ever
- System design and architecture trade-offs
- Reviewing and owning correctness & security
- Translating fuzzy problems into software
- Leading delivery and mentoring
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Computer Science graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Tech companies
- Banks & fintech
- Consultancies
- Government (GDS) & startups
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Computer Science graduates.
Is this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
Published home tuition is £9,790/year for this course. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
75% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £32,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 7.9 out of 10: NSS 83.7% · in work or study 75% · continued 77%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Middlesex University
Computing across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Hendon Campus
1,980 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Computer Science right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Middlesex University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £17,200 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Middlesex University’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Middlesex University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Middlesex University
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
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What will it cost me?
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