Start your journey as a game programmer with training from industry pros

Learn how to plan, develop, and implement immersive and interactive games in Unreal Engine. Receive leadership and training from game development experts using industry software and practices, building the techniques and knowledge that will help you to succeed in the video game industry.

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Why study game programming at Bletchley Institute, powered by CG Spectrum:

• Gain the creative, technical, interpersonal, and conceptual skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the industry
  
• Study with more flexibility (100% online)
  
• Create industry-level work that recruiters will notice
  
• Graduate in less time than a typical degree - 2 years instead of 3
• Join a global community of 4000+ students, grads, and industry artists

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This degree is offered through CG Spectrum Institute. CG Spectrum Institute (Provider ID PRV12023) is registered with the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), ensuring students receive a high-quality education and graduate with reputable qualifications. Our film and game degrees and diplomas seamlessly blend academic excellence with practical industry methodologies to help students pave a steadfast pathway to a successful creative career.

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Game Programming Major

An industry-approved curriculum to help launch your creative career

The Bachelor of Game Development majoring in game programming will teach you how to program and implement game systems using industry-standard software, workflows and techniques. You'll also build essential interpersonal skills and industry knowledge.

• Create a playable game, including developing game mechanics, while also learning how to debug your gameplay.
• Explore AI, using it to build game worlds from scratch and look at complex behavior trees for more polished character animation.
• Discover industry-standard practices, procedures, and workflows.
• Build valuable interpersonal skills such as communication and problem-solving.
  
• Dedicated time to building your professional showreel and getting job-ready.

The below course outline reflects a full-time course load, which comprises three subjects per trimester and three trimesters per year over a two-year duration. Part-time study options are also available.

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Course Pathways

Develop industry foundations with our 6 month Diploma, or continue into the full Bachelor's Degree to build more comprehensive skills.

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Curriculum

By industry. For Industry.

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Trimester 01

Programming Foundations ‍

Master the essential concepts of logic and coding by deep diving into C++, a prominent object-oriented programming language. Starting with syntax exploration, you will engage in exercises to grasp vital coding elements like variables, operators, branching, functions, loops, and arrays, progressing from simple to complex tasks. You will explore advanced areas of logic and functionality, utilizing references, memory, classes, objects, and data structures.

Film and Games Principles, Concepts and Innovations: Learning from History

A firm grasp of the historical foundations, theories, innovations, and principles shaping contemporary practices is vital for film and game artists. This subject uses case studies and documented evidence to delve into the historical, social, technical, and theoretical factors impacting the creative industries. You will analyze how innovations and technologies from one sector (e.g., games) are applied to the other (e.g., film), driving continuous transformation and progress.

Industry Overview: Pipeline and Production Processes

3D modelers require a thorough understanding of production pipelines and processes to ensure efficient and timely project development. This subject introduces you to essential terminology, frameworks, and stages of these creative fields, emphasizing their interconnectedness. Examine the entire production journey, from inception to distribution, and delve into workflow frameworks unique to animation, VFX, and game studios, facilitating industry comparisons.

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Trimester 02

Game Engine Programming

Building on your scripting and logic foundations, explore how game editors manage code bases to increase user interactivity and playability. Create your own uniquely styled, playable game in Unreal Engine, crafting modular game assets using visual scripting or 'blueprints,' designing game mechanics, building levels, and incorporating features like player health, death, and respawning.

Art and Design Concepts and Principles

Delve into the theories and principles of color, light, and composition and their relevance in art movements, film, and video games. Analyze compositions and artworks, examining the integration of line, shape, space, depth, content, and style, recognizing their significance in creative endeavors. Through collaborative online discussions, you will get to explore and contrast historical and contemporary artworks, shedding light on the evolution of art and design theories and practices.

Communicate! Mode, Purpose and Context

This subject offers a broad overview of professional, ethical, and culturally sensitive communication in both oral and written contexts. Explore the significance of mode, context, and purpose, and delve into communication theories, models, and frameworks for facilitating interactions, transactions, and critiques. You'll gain insights into paralanguage, responsive listening, active collaboration, and delivering and receiving respectful feedback.

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Diploma Exit

Students can choose to exit the bachelor's degree after trimester 02 with a diploma or continue their studies through to trimester 06 and earn their bachelor's degree.

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Trimester 03

Gameplay and AI Techniques

Craft game worlds from scratch, focusing on the Three Cs: playable characters with complete models, texture, and animation; controllers for interactivity; and cameras for navigation. Design and refine digital characters, by applying theoretical concepts linked to kinematic equations of velocity and acceleration capable of fine-tuning character motion. You'll also incorporate elements like audio to enhance player experience during character-environment interactions.

Concepts and Principles of Story and Visual Narrative

Discover the ways stories are crafted through single, multiple, or moving images. Beginning with the origins of storytelling, you will examine the fundamental concepts and principles that underpin visual storytelling. Literary elements like story arcs, hero's journey, Aristotle's three-act structure, linear and non-linear plots, visual metaphors, motifs, and symbolism are explored, and you'll get to analyze plot structure and character development.

Identifying and Solving Problems

In Identifying and Solving Problems, you will tackle everyday challenges with a foundation in theoretically sound problem-solving. Delve into the principles of creative reasoning, encompassing argument presentation and addressing unconscious bias. You will also explore frameworks for analyzing and reviewing artistic works, along with identifying and resolving creative, technical, and ethical issues in creative projects.

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Trimester 04

Networking and Replication

Explore the concepts and principles associated with building multiplayer networks for games. Discover the core architecture for networking, including an understanding of authority, ownership, SyncVars, and spawning. You will also delve into replication and prediction concepts, ensuring consistent synchronous multiplayer experiences, and gain essential debugging skills to ensure your gameplay runs smoothly in complex environments.

Concepts and Principles of Lighting and Cinematography

Delve into two essential elements of compelling storytelling in film and games: cinematography and lighting. Cinematography and lighting are used to evoke specific moods or aesthetics; cinematography employs shot framing and camera angles, while lighting uses direction, quality, color, and environment. You will study the theoretical concepts and principles of lighting and cinematography, applying them to visual storytelling and photography in both real-world and digital contexts.

Managing Projects and Creative Assets

Realizing and delivering a film or game — on time and within budget — requires strategic thinking and strong organizational skills. Build your knowledge in complex management processes, asset pipelines, and project management systems that streamline the delivery of complex creative projects. You'll also study the processes and tools used to pass digital information through the pipeline, including how assets and shot sequences are managed.

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Trimester 05

Advanced AI, Animation and Game Mechanics

Discover how purpose-built character animation elevates game visuals and immerses users in a realistic experience. You will look at complex behavior trees and purpose-built animations for player interaction (e.g., variation in character motion while navigating non-uniform terrains). Extend these insights by investigating complex areas of artificial intelligence and applying animation concepts to non-playable opponents, providing them with the ability to traverse a complex world while seeking a target.

Leading with Integrity

This subject delves into self-assessment, team dynamics, conflict management, performance optimization, and effective leadership. With a creative business emphasis, examine ethical, inclusive practices and their impact on the performance of a business. You will also analyze case studies, hypothetical scenarios, and leadership strengths and weaknesses, learning from others' experiences to define success for individuals and companies.

Establishing and Sustaining Your Business

Gain valuable insights into the financial and legal obligations and responsibilities associated with running creative businesses and projects. Examine case studies and simulated scenarios representative of sole trading enterprises, partnerships, and large studios. You will also learn about budgeting and finance, taxation, superannuation, cashflows, profit and loss, bidding, IP, trademarking processes, and how to quantify your creative value.

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Trimester 06

Game Programming Capstone Portfolio

Throughout your degree, you will have built a comprehensive body of theoretical, technical, creative, and cognitive disciplinary knowledge and skills pertaining to game programming. In Capstone Portfolio, you'll reflect critically on and review your catalog of work to plan, edit, and curate your best pieces into a cohesive portfolio/showreel that showcases your professional, artistic, and technical abilities and helps you confidently prepare to apply for roles in the video game industry.

Stepping Into Industry: Becoming a Proactive Practitioner

Adaptability and openness to new technologies are crucial in the dynamic industry of film and games. In Stepping Into Industry, you will employ a PESTLE (political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental) analysis to explore current and future trends in the creative sector and identify potential career paths. You are encouraged to reflect on their strengths, values, and adaptability, helping shape your future career choices.

Marketing Yourself and Your Work

Learn essential marketing concepts and how to shape a personal brand that aligns with your beliefs and values in order to stand out in a global digital market, whether working as a freelancer or at a studio. Acquire an understanding of target markets, customer needs, integrated marketing, handling challenges, and exploring motivations for success. You will also gain insights into managing the diverse, cross-cultural landscape of film and games.