3-Semester Pathway - Extended International Foundation Year - Engineering, Computing and Life Sciences - Transfer to Bachelor of Science (Honours) Computer Games Development

This program consists of a pathway program offered by StudyGroup at the International Study Centre at Liverpool John Moores University followed by entry into a university program offered at Liverpool John Moores University. In your international foundation year, you will study courses related to your intended field of study alongside English to develop and enhance your skills as a student. Advancement into your intended program depends upon the successful completion of the pathway program.

The International Foundation Year in Engineering, Computing and Life Sciences will familiarize you with a wide area of study. You will develop your critical thinking skills, creativity, analytical and team working skills, providing you with the most crucial skills required as a successful graduate.

This BSc course will prepare you to be a computer game developer ready to work and succeed in this challenging and exciting industry.

Computer games development is a very technically demanding process and developers are required to possess a wide range of technical skills including computer programming, computer graphics and mathematics. In addition, they are also expected to have strong knowledge of gaming console and PC hardware architecture.

The topics typically covered in this course include:

• C/C++ computer programming languages • Applied mathematics for game physics and computer graphics • Shader-based 3D graphics programming using industry standard API such as OpenGL and DirectX • Multi-platforms (PC and consoles) gameplay programming, including techniques such as game content pipelining, multi-threading, artificial intelligence, memory management and optimisation • Game design, level design, game production and digital game content production.

On this course you will have direct access to experts in the field as well as state-of-the-art facilities at the University. Our Games Technology Lab with its Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox consoles, and industry standard software, together with excellent technical support, mean that you will get plenty of hands-on experience and extensive opportunities to build up a portfolio to show and impress prospective employers.

The Department of Computer Science has strong links with many local, national and international games development companies, including SCEE, Atomicom, Lucid Games, Damibu, Setgo Games, Eutechnyx, and Jagex to name but a few. These employers work with us to ensure that the course is current and up-to-date, and that graduates are able to meet the demands of the games industry for skilled developers.

Our strong links also mean that you will have plenty of options when you come to choose your work placement. Students have worked in game development companies in many cities, from Liverpool to Kontich in Belgium as well as Cheng-Du in China.