Do you live and breathe video games? Dream of turning your creative ideas into reality? Our Level 3 Diploma in Game Design at Buckinghamshire College Group Aylesbury is your launchpad into the exciting world of game development. This dynamic course is designed to ignite your imagination, explore the creative and technical aspects of producing games, and equip you with the skills needed to create captivating and immersive games.
From day one, youll get hands-on with industry-standard tools like Autodesk Maya, Unreal Engine, and Unity, mastering the art of game design - from fun and engaging mechanics to immersive gameplay. You'll also gain essential project management skills using GitHub, just like the pros.
Each project delivers professional techniques and skills, acquired through lectures, tutorials and workshops, that you will use to build up a killer portfolio that leads to your Final Major Project your chance to showcase your talent and stand out in the industry.
But we don't just teach game design we connect you to it. Through industry connections and stakeholders, we ensure our course content is relevant, offering industry talks, live projects and enrichment trips for real-world insights and skill enhancement.
Whether youre interested in gameplay, narratives, level design or world building, this course sets you on the path to an exciting future in the UK games industry.
Are you ready to level up?
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Example modules
First Year:
Introduction to Games Design
This project introduces students to Games Design through research, analysis and design of a range of games and genres to interpret information for idea generation and development. Using industry standard methods, skills and techniques, the students will learn how to develop ideas and create Game Design Documents to communicate their ideas for production.
Introduction to Visual Scripting
Students will learn how to create game mechanics and levels using Visual Scripting and Level Design skills in Unreal Engine. This project will further students understanding of game design concepts by providing them with an opportunity to learn how to plan, communicate and implement core concepts such as game loops, to create fun, engaging, and interactive playable prototypes.
Professional Practice
Students will explore the exciting world of game design and its diverse roles, responsibilities, and career opportunities. This project introduces professional working practices and essential skills needed for success within the industry.
You will identify various progression paths, learn key industry skills, and gain hands-on experience by interviewing for a role through an interactive VR scenario that will prepare you for career opportunities in games design.
Interactive Experience
This project provides students with an opportunity to create their first independent project that explores the skills and knowledge acquired through previous projects. This is delivered via a live brief that provides the students with a theme, which they will have to interpret and develop creative solutions for, to produce an interactive experience. This project will also cover production methodologies and project planning to manage and ensure the success of your production.
Second Year:
Progression
Get ready to prepare for your future in games design! This unit guides you through a variety of workshops and field trips to identify and prepare for Higher Education or employment opportunities that align with your ambitions. Youll explore the pros and cons of different progression routes, a range of marketing and business aspects, as well as develop essential communication skills to make applications to your identified progression routes. This project also provides an excellent opportunity to refine and develop an online portfolio to be used for interviews and applications.
Adventure
Learn how to create a game for an audience. Through this project, you will be learning advanced level and game design skills and concepts to make a vertical slice of a game. You will be provided with a client brief that specifies an established audience for you to develop for. This project provides an excellent opportunity for students to develop an outstanding piece of work for their portfolio, demonstrating key concepts, skills, and knowledge of game design for progression applications and interviews.
Specialist Study
TBC Case Studies / Essay demonstrating understanding of a specific discipline within games design to study in further depth that may be related to their career ambitions.
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How will I be assessed?
The University of the Arts London (UAL) Level 3 Diploma in Creative Media Production & Technology; Game Development, is assessed through a series of projects that are designed to broaden students skills, experience and expertise. In your first year, the first 7 units are delivered with a Pass or Fail outcome. A final project (The FMP) decides the students overall grade for the year which is graded at: Pass, Merit or Distinction.
The second year (Extended Diploma) is made up of 5 units, with the first 4 units delivered with a Pass or Fail outcome and the final unit making up the FMP for year 2, with the overall grade being either a Pass, Merit or Distinction. Student work is externally assessed and scrutinised by External Verifiers from the University of the Arts London to ensure that academic standards are adhered maintained.
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Entry Requirements
To join this programme you will need 5 GCSEs at Grade 4 (or equivalent) including Maths and English.
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Progression & Career Opportunities
There is potential for the qualification to prepare learners for appropriate direct entry to University or employment in a vocationally relevant profession/industry sector.
Successful completion will provide access to a wide range of university courses or employment.
Career Opportunities include: Game Designe, Gameplay Designer, Technical Designer, Level Designer, System Designer, Narrative Designer, UX Designer and Associate Producer.
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Additional Information
A portfolio of creative work must be brought to interview.
A studio fee to pay for course materials is required, a bursary is available to help with costs if required. We strive to support our student learning through termly trips, these will be charged per trip, bursary is available to support where needed.
Your course will be timetabled over 3 or 4 days, with approximately 6-12 hours work of directed homework per week depending on the level of course. Our days run from 9am to 4.45pm. Attendance to all aspects of your study programme is mandatory.
