Bachelor in Video Game Development

Key Points

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The computer games industry program is an exciting field, currently outpacing the film industry worldwide. Computer game development is innovative and exciting from a technological and creative perspective, providing career opportunities for imaginative, logical and energetic students. Graduates will have the satisfaction of seeing their work enjoyed by a global audience. You will learn the art and science of computer game programming and design. The entry route to Computer Games Development at UL is through the Computer Science Common Entrance LM121.

This program will equip you with the skills and technological capability to develop systems related to computer games and graphics, You will study Computer Science, with special emphasis on topics relevant to Game Design such as software development, mobile devices, computer graphics and artificial intelligence and gain skills in:

Understand the basics of computer graphics software
Work in teams and liaise with other professionals to complete complex software-based game projects.
You will work creatively and problem solving
Communication (written and verbal)
You will develop skills in cinematography and story writing.
Cultural awareness: developing games appropriate for international markets
Strong technical capability and software development skills
Object-oriented design
Mobile applications
Data structures and algorithms

Program structure

In the first year, the entry route to computer games development will have emphasis in Year 1 is programming, is an appreciation of its basis in the study of the physical machine on which programs run. In Year 2, and in the first semester of Year 3, the programme will expand your knowledge in general software development.

In the second semester of the third year, you will have the opportunity to apply the knowledge you have learnt and increase your awareness of the computer games workplace and at the same time allow you to develop your social and business skills.

In the fourth year, you will undertake a major independent project in the area. Typically, this will involve the development of one or more software components of a computer game, or the development of a complete game using existing software components.

YEAR 1

Semester 1

Representation and modeling
Introduction to programming
Fundamentals of Computer Science 1
Fundamentals of IT organization
Discrete Mathematics

Semester 2

Game modeling design
Software development
Fundamentals of Computer Science 2
Organization of the computer system
Computer Mathematics 2

YEAR 2

Semester 3

Object-oriented development
Operating systems
Database systems
Software testing and inspection
Games for global markets

Semester 4

Intelligent systems
Event-driven scheduling
Data structures and algorithms
Computer Graphics
Statistics for Computing

YEAR 3

Semester 5

Project management and practice
Professional problems in computer science
Mobile application development
Artificial intelligence for games
Machine learning: methods and applications

Semester 6

Cooperative education

YEAR 4

Semester 7

Computer systems project 1
System analysis and design
Neural Computation
Computer Graphics II: Tools and Techniques
Simultaneity and parallelism in software development

Semester 8

Computer systems project 2 (double weighting)
Software Design and Architecture
Analysis of writing games
Data processing

Admission requirements

Applicants must possess at the time of enrolment the prescribed Certificate of Completion (or an approved equivalent) with a minimum of six subjects which must include: two H5 (Higher Level) grades and four O6 (Ordinary Level) grades or four H7 (Higher Level) grades. Subjects must include Mathematics, Irish or other language and English.
In the case of international candidates, the foreign equivalent is required. In addition, a degree officially translated into English will be required.
IELTS 6.5, with no less than 6 in any component (or its internationally recognised equivalent).