Games Development and Design | MSc | University of Lincoln

Dr Patrick Dickinson - Programme Leader

Dr Patrick Dickinson's specialisms include computer games, virtual reality, and computer vision. After completing an MSc in 1995, Patrick worked as a programmer in the computer games industry until 2002. He was employed at Rebellion Developments in Oxford, and then at Awesome Developments Ltd, and worked on published game titles including Aliens Vs Predator (PC, 2000), Jimmy White's 2: Cueball (1999, PC, Playstation), and Jimmy White's Cueball World (2002, PC, Dreamcast). He returned academia in 2004 and studied for a PhD in Computer Vision at the University of Lincoln, before becoming a lecturer in 2008.

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Welcome to MSc Games Development and Design

MSc Games Development and Design is designed to build on students' existing computer programming skills, providing them with the knowledge and expertise to develop contemporary video games using a variety of advanced tools and platforms such as virtual reality.

Industry context is an important aspect of this programme, and students can study game design topics that are applicable to working within the sector and to independent game creation, as well as familiarise themselves with research techniques that are appropriate for further postgraduate study.

The course is informed by the work and research of academic staff who specialise in games, with a combination of industry experience and research backgrounds in relevant areas. This environment provides a rich source of inputs and perspectives, as well as many opportunities for constructive and creative multidisciplinary interactions.

Guest speakers from games companies and other related areas contribute to the Frontiers of Games Research module. This is designed to help students develop industry perspectives, and better prepare them for employment or further study.

How You Study

This course comprises a range of core modules, including Advanced Programming; Virtual and Augmented Reality for Games; Frontiers of Games Research, Prototyping and Evaluation for Games; Advanced Graphics; and Games Design Methods and Approaches. Students can also select from a number of optional modules covering a range of specialist subject areas.

The Research Methods module is designed to cover the fundamental skills and background knowledge needed to undertake research in this area. Students are then able to undertake a substantial research project focusing on an area of particular personal and professional interest, through substantive software implementation and the development of a dissertation.

Postgraduate level study involves a significant proportion of independent study, exploring the material covered in lectures and seminars. As a general guide, for every hour spent in class students are expected to spend at least two to three hours in independent study.

For more detailed information, please contact the programme leader.

An Introduction to Your Modules

† Some courses may offer optional modules. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by staff availability.

Advanced Programming 2023-24CMP9133MLevel 72023-24This module aims to explore advanced topics using a contemporary object-oriented programming language. The objective is to prepare students for professional-level programming in scientific and commercial computing, and to support programming tasks in other modules of this award. Students can explore a range of programming topics through a series of lectures and practical workshops, and will work on producing an individual programming assignment.CoreFrontiers of Games Research 2023-24CGP9021MLevel 72023-24This module provides an introduction to cutting-edge topics in games research, including both theoretical and practical applications relevant to industry practice. The module will follow a research seminar format, involving input from colleagues within the games delivery team at Lincoln, colleagues from other schools, guest lectures from industry, international researchers in the field.CorePrototyping and Evaluation for Games 2023-24CGP9022MLevel 72023-24This module is guided by the industry experience of lecturing staff, and underpinned by theoretical considerations from game design and player experience, to deliver an industry-relevant experience of building and evaluate game concepts.CoreResearch Methods (MSc Computer Science) 2023-24CMP9139MLevel 72023-24This module is designed to cover the fundamental skills and background knowledge that students need to undertake research related to the title of the award being studied, including: surveying literature; selecting and justifying a research topic; planning of research; selection of appropriate research methods; evaluation of research; presentation and reporting of research; and legal, social, ethical and professional considerations.CoreResearch Project 2023-24CMP9140MLevel 72023-24This module gives students with the opportunity to carry out a significant project, focusing on an area of particular personal and professional interest, through the development of a dissertation and substantive software implementation. The research project is an individual piece of work, which gives students the chance to apply and integrate elements of study from a range of modules, centred on a specific research question. Students are expected to undertake work that is relevant to the ongoing research in one of the established research centres within the Lincoln School of Computer Science and will work closely under the supervision of a member of that research centre. Students are required to undertake the development of a software artefact that is non-trivial in scale and goals, and is supported by best-practice application of appropriate theoretical frameworks.CoreVirtual and Augmented Reality for Games 2023-24CGP9023MLevel 72023-24On this module students can learn about emerging Virtual and Augmented Reality platforms from both design and development perspective. Students will have the opportunity to design, build and evaluate their VR and AR apps using state-of-the-art platforms.CoreAdvanced Artificial Intelligence 2023-24CMP9794MLevel 72023-24This module aims to cover the theoretical fundamentals and practical applications of decision-making, problem-solving and learning abilities in software agents. Search is introduced as a unifying framework for Artificial Intelligence (AI), followed by key topics including blind and informed search algorithms, planning and reasoning, both with certain and uncertain (e.g. probabilistic) knowledge. Practical exercises in AI programming will complement and apply the theoretical knowledge acquired to real-world problems.OptionalAdvanced Machine Learning 2023-24CMP9137MLevel 72023-24This module aims to cover the theoretical fundamentals and practical application of machine learning algorithms, including supervised, unsupervised, reinforcement and evolutionary learning. Practical programming exercises complement and apply the theoretical knowledge acquired to real-world problems such as data mining.OptionalAdvanced Software Engineering 2023-24CMP9134MLevel 72023-24This module aims to provide students with an understanding of advanced concepts of software engineering principles and practices. Students can explore up-to-date methodologies and their application to real-world products and services will be covered. Indicative topics of study will include, but are not limited to: agile methods of software engineering; requirements engineering, design, software components, software reuse, verification and validation, maintenance and configuration management, software evolution; critical system development and the ethical implications of software engineering; and Fault Tree Analysis.OptionalCloud Development 2023-24CMP9785MLevel 72023-24This module explores core cloud computing patterns, services, and models to support technical development using cloud technologies. Students will have the opportunity to learn how to develop, deploy, and secure cloud native applications following a cloud-first systems development lifecycle. In particular, cloud services for identity access management, caching, storage, RESTful APIs, messaging, containers, and serverless computing are of interest. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to learn best practices for deploying cloud applications using DevOps approaches such as Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipelines, with appropriate deployment and testing strategies.OptionalInteraction Design 2023-24CMP9136MLevel 72023-24OptionalAdvanced Graphics 2023-24CGP9018MLevel 72023-24This module aims to enhance students understanding of concepts and theory around computer graphics, as well as enhancing their practical techniques. Advanced techniques available for graphics processing units (GPUs) are explored along with their practical implementation.CoreGame Design Methods and Approaches 2023-24CGP9020MLevel 72023-24This module explores the various conceptual tools that can be applied to the games design process. The module will be broadly split between theory and practical applications, contextualised against both commercial and academic applications. Students will be encouraged to develop as reflective design practitioners, through critiquing their own designs and those of their peers. There is a specific focus on the design pipeline, starting from requirements gathering, through conceptualisation and prototyping, to evaluation and iteration. Students will learn various methods to help them tackle the specific challenges at each stage in this process. The module is grounded in practical experimentation, and student-centered exploration of the module themes. Through this module students will develop an understanding of the interplay between the different components and mechanics of a game, and how small changes can impact the gameplay experience.CoreCross-Platform Development (M) 2023-24CMP9062MLevel 72023-24OptionalCyber Security (M) 2023-24CMP9771MLevel 72023-24This module provides an understanding of the challenges in cyber security faced by society and industry. This includes an examination of the impact of threats and develops an understanding of mechanisms to reduce the risk of attack. The module examines a range of cyber threats and attack types and introduces strategies to mitigate these. It also prompts students to consider the legal, social, and ethical implications of cyber security. As a Master's level module students are also encouraged to consider current research in the field of cyber security.Optional

How you are assessed

Students on the programme may be assessed through a variety of means, including in-class tests, coursework, projects, and examinations.

The final stage research project enables students to further specialise and complete a piece of work of significant complexity.

The University of Lincoln's policy on assessment feedback aims to ensure that academics will return in-course assessments to students promptly - usually within 15 working days of the submission date.

Research Informed

Students in the School of Computer Science are taught by academics with specialist experience in areas including computer vision and medical imaging, autonomous systems and robotics, cloud computing, data science, and games computing.

The School of Computer Science's highly active research centres are focused on world-leading developments in computer vision, robotics and autonomous systems, and agri-food technologies, with strong links to many industrial collaborators and other universities around the world. We aim to incorporate as much of our research as possible into our taught curriculum and we provide students with opportunities to get involved in our exciting cutting-edge research activity.

Special Features

At Lincoln, we constantly invest in our campus as we aim to provide the best learning environment for our students. Whatever the area of study, the University strives to ensure students have access to specialist equipment and resources, to develop the skills, which they may need in their future career.

Technical resources for Computer Science include research facilities and laboratories, workstations with full development software platforms, and a range of equipment for loan including, Oculus Quest and other VR platforms, smartphones, and robots.

Fees and Funding

For eligible students, there are more ways than ever before to fund your postgraduate study, whether you want to do a taught or research course. For those wishing to undertake a Master's course, UK students can apply for a loan as a contribution towards the course and living costs. Loans are also available to those who wish to undertake doctoral study. The University offers a number of scholarships and funded studentships for those interested in postgraduate study. Learn how Master's and PhD loans, scholarships, and studentships can help you fund your studies on our Postgraduate Fees and Funding pages.

Programme Fees

Programme-Specific Additional Costs

For each course you may find that there are additional costs. These may be with regard to the specific clothing, materials or equipment required. Some courses provide opportunities for you to undertake field work or field trips. Where these are compulsory, the cost for travel and accommodation will be covered by the University and so is included in your fee. Where these are optional, you will normally be required to pay your own transport, accommodation, and general living costs.

With regards to text books, the University provides students who enrol with a comprehensive reading list and you will find that our extensive library holds either material or virtual versions of the core texts that you are required to read. However, you may prefer to purchase some of these for yourself and you will be responsible for this cost.

Entry Requirements 2023-24

First or second class honours degree in a discipline involving a significant element of computer programming, such as computer science, engineering, or other science and technology subjects.

If you have studied outside of the UK, and are unsure whether your qualification meets the above requirements, please visit our country pages for information on equivalent qualifications.

https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/entryrequirementsandyourcountry/

Overseas students will be required to demonstrate English language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. For information regarding other English language qualifications we accept, please visit the English Requirements page.

https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/englishlanguagerequirementsandsupport/englishlanguagerequirements/

If you do not meet the above IELTS requirements, you may be able to take part in one of our Pre-session English and Academic Study Skills courses. These specialist courses are designed to help students meet the English language requirements for their intended programme of study.

https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/englishlanguagerequirementsandsupport/pre-sessionalenglishandacademicstudyskills/

Career Opportunities

As one of the world’s largest entertainment industries, the games sector can provide a rewarding and stimulating career. Students on this programme have the chance to develop skills needed by the industry, and the course aims to develop versatile professionals capable of thriving in a wide range of areas and employment destinations.

Postgraduate Events

Find out more about how postgraduate study can help further your career, develop your knowledge, or even prepare you to start your own business at one of our postgraduate events.

Find out More

Key Information

MSc Games Development and Design