Course summary

The convergence of technologies, platforms and creative practices around virtual worldbuilding has gained considerable momentum in recent years. The so-called Metaverse is currently providing focus for new approaches to XR (extended reality), virtual production and digital twinning, which are becoming increasingly important to innovation in numerous social science, engineering, medical and economic applications. This programme is housed within the School of Arts, English and Languages not only because the School plays host to MediaLab, but because creativity, in addition to expected core competencies in computing, is critical to an ever-changing industry landscape that requires increasingly cross-disciplinary expertise. This is a preparatory degree that brings virtual worldbuilding, design and creativity together with game engine technologies to enable students to gain practical skills in game engine programming on platforms including Unity, Unreal and Blender. It will address specific skills gaps across industry both locally and internationally, where expertise and experience of the opportunities afforded by these new media tools will become increasingly important. The course is designed to create graduates that can secure roles across numerous industries, not only in games development but across other fields as well. Career Development This programme is aligned with industry to ensure the widest possible scope for employment for graduates from the course. This is borne out by our focus on games technology as a tool to be used across various fields, rather than purely for games development. Many graduates will take the skills they have learned on the course and apply them in other areas such as digital twins, simulations, virtual production, architecture visualisation and other diverse areas. World Class Facilities Dedicated facilities in the MediaLab include a motion capture studio with virtual production technologies and an LED volume, Human Computer Interaction Labs and a dedicated rendering facility for high-performance, real-time graphics which will be available to users both on and off campus. These facilities will enable students to implement advanced technologies into their final projects and perform comprehensive testing through use of the HCI labs. Internationally Renowned Experts The MediaLab sits within the School of Arts, English and Languages in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, though its reach is not only within cognate disciplines in the School and Faculty but also with areas such as heritage, architecture, civil and mechanical engineering, computer science, psychology, health and education.