Computer Games Programming with Foundation Year

University of Derby

Undergraduate BSc (Hons) Full-time 4 Years Computer games and animation

Computer Games Programming with Foundation Year BSc (Hons) is an undergraduate degree at University of Derby, based in Derby, taught full-time over 4 years. 80% of final-year students rated the course positively in the National Student Survey, and graduates earn £24,000 on average 15 months after finishing. Typical A-level entry is DDD.

A-Level Entry

DDD

Typical offer · UCAS

UCAS Points

72 points

Typical offer · UCAS

Student Satisfaction

79.86%

NSS · Office for Students

Avg. Graduate Salary

£24,000

15 months after graduation · HESA via Discover Uni

About this course

Including a foundation year as part of your four-year study programme will give you a head start in your academic and professional life. The foundation year offers the chance to strengthen your skills, knowledge and confidence before you advance to stage one of your honours degree. It could also be beneficial if you are planning a career change.

This highly-regarded computer games programming degree gives you the theoretical grounding and the practical skills you'll need to develop computer games – either for entertainment or for serious applications.

KEY FEATURES OF THE COURSE

- REQUIRED SKILLS: If you’re serious about making it in the computer games industry, you’ll need a sound understanding of computer science as well as practical games development skills – this degree gives you both.

- OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPERIENCES: You will take part in team projects and have the chance to develop a game in your final year which will be exhibited at our annual Games Expo.

- PLACEMENT OPPORTUNITIES: If you choose to take the optional year in industry, your chances of success will be even greater. Past students have worked for companies like Kuju, Frontier Developments and Sumo Digital.

- NO EXAMS!: We’ll assess you with other methods throughout your degree.

HOW YOU WILL LEARN
You’ll learn in our industry labs that hosts a range of software including Unreal Engine, Unity Lab and Steam. Our XR (cross-reality) lab is a dedicated space for mixed-course games development and visualisation projects.

Your lectures will be intentionally interactive, incorporating questions and answers and simulation. Seminars and tutorials will give you the opportunity to develop understanding and its application in both familiar and unfamiliar circumstances. Practical sessions will give you the chance to develop your skills in both equipment use and the evaluation of experimental procedures and data. Team working will also allow you to develop interpersonal and communication skills – an important skill for the workplace.

YOUR CAREER
This computer games programming degree will equip you for roles such as Gameplay Programmer, Tools Developer and AI Programmer. However, its solid grounding in computing and software engineering opens doors to other software development roles too.

STUDY OPTIONS
This course is also available without a Foundation Year option.

Entry Requirements

A-Level Grades DDD
UCAS Tariff Points 72 points
BTEC MMP

Career Prospects

Graduates from this course typically go into the following occupations. Click through for salaries, employment rates and other UK degrees that lead there:

Related Courses

Course Details

Qualification
Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Study Mode
Full-time
Duration
4 Years
Start Date
2025

2025-entry data — 2026 offers may differ

Academic Year
2025
Campus / Location
Derby
Scheme
Undergraduate
Subjects
Computer games and animation
Avg. Graduate Salary
£24,000