Games and Animation Production, BA (Hons)

AT A GLANCE

Transform your passion for gaming into a career by producing games and animations alongside studies in other creative, business and computing disciplines.

The global games industry is booming and was worth £70 billion in 2016. Interest is growing all of the time and there are an estimated 20 million gamers in the UK alone. With developments in technology in areas such as virtual reality, the opportunities to work in this exciting industry are only expected to increase in the years ahead.

The vast majority of the games and animations produced in Britain are done so by small and medium-sized businesses and students on this course work in such a professional environment by working on individual and group projects in comfortable class sizes. Indeed, the whole ethos of this course is to develop individuals who can respond creatively to commercial challenges, and who are able to pitch and promote their ideas and work collaboratively to realise them.

Whether you want to develop your practice in mobile, PC, console, VR or multiplatform games production, or finesse your skills in animation, the vocational focus of this course will help you break into the sector you’re interested in. As well as incorporating industry standards throughout, it is taught by active practitioners and visiting experts. You’ll also undertake a work placement relevant to your career plans.

The BA (Hons) in Games and Animation Production is taught in dedicated rooms in UCW’s Knightstone Campus. By enrolling on this course, you’ll also be among the first students to benefit from the brand new equipment, state-of-the-art technology, modern library, extended opening hours and bright and spacious study spaces in the multimillion pound redevelopment of the iconic Winter Gardens building, also in the centre of Weston.

This course also offers a comprehensive itinerary of optional visits to studios and businesses in the games and animation industry, and games conventions in the UK and abroad. Students have visited EGX in Birmingham and Gamescom in Cologne at an additional expense, for example.

UCW’s commitment to great graduate outcomes is also underpinned by our students having access to a Careers Coaching service for the whole time they are enrolled with us.

Please click on the next tab to find out more about what you’ll learn on this programme and how it is taught and assessed. The dropdowns below deal with our partnership with UWE Bristol and what is included in the cost of tuition.

Please contact UCW’s HEART team if you have any questions. It would also be great to see you at our next Open Day.

Our partnership with UWE Bristol

Course costs

Full-time tuition fees: £8,250 per year.

This covers all of the teaching and assessment elements that are required for you to complete the course.

It also includes:

The use of UCW equipment and specialist software.
Attendance at guest lectures at UCW.
Annual £10 printing and photocopying allowance for full-time students and £5 for part-time students.
The use of UCW computer equipment at any of our campuses and access to Microsoft Office 365 while you are enrolled with UCW.
The loans of books from our libraries.
Access to all of the UCW student support and careers services.

It does not include:

The approximate £20 cost of a hard drive that students on this course will need.
Optional studio/business visits at an approximate cost of £25 each.
Optional residential visits at an approximate cost of £50 (UK) and £100 (overseas) per night.
Extra printing and photocopying above the £5/£10 limit.
The cost of books or any specialist artistic materials that you may wish to purchase.
Transport between our campuses, and to/from your partner university and any work placements. We encourage students to take advantage of termly bus passes to reduce transport costs.
Accommodation and other living costs.

UCW publishes its Tuition Fees Policy on the Wider Information Set page of this website.

You may also be eligible for additional financial support, depending on your circumstances.

All of the modules on this course are compulsory and worth 30 credits each.

Year 1:

Understanding Animation for Production – 30 credits
Understanding Art for Production – 30 credits
Understanding Games Development – 30 credits
Understanding the Games and Animation Industries – 30 credits

Year 2:

Creative Collaborative Production – 30 credits
Creative Independent Production – 30 credits
Games and Animation for Cultural and Ethical Awareness – 30 credits
Wider Professional Practice – 30 credits

Year 3:

Pitching to Industry – 30 credits
Professional Practice – 30 credits
Specialist Collaborative Production – 30 credits
Specialist Independent Production – 30 credits

Teaching and assessment

This course is taught via a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, case studies, presentations, skills practice and project work. UCW’s Higher Education Library Plus (HE.LP) team also deliver a series of sessions on degree-level research and academic writing to all first-year students. When not in scheduled classes, students are expected to continue learning through independent self-study. This involves reading relevant literature, working on individual and group projects, and undertaking research in preparation for coursework.

This course has an average of 13.5 hours of scheduled teaching per week and a work placement element totalling 60 hours over the duration of the course.

At UCW we understand that some students benefit from more contact time with lecturers than is the norm at a traditional university, so we do all we can to make sure academic staff are available for their students when they are needed.

Assessment is via a combination of practical exams and coursework, with an assessment breakdown of 35% practical exams and 65% coursework. There are no written exams on this course.

Course length
Full-time: 3 years (3 days a week)
Start date
7th September 2020
Course codes
Institution: W47
Course: GAPR
Campus: –
Tuition fees
Full-time: £8,250 per year

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Course handbook

Programme specification

UCW Terms and Conditions

Delivered in partnership…

This course is delivered in partnership with the University of the West of England (UWE).

So students get the best of both worlds – the enhanced support and increased contact with lecturers that sets us apart, and full access to all the resources and facilities at UCW and a nearby university.