Scholarships
The scholarships below are open to international students and those applying from England, Wales and Northern Ireland with a 2.1 or above for a postgraduate course.
Course detail
Start Date
SeptemberDuration
1 year (full-time)Award Title
MProfUCAS Code
Apply DirectProgramme Overview
The Centre for Excellence in Computer Games Education at Abertay offers this unique, world-renowned programme. It’ll give you a skillset that encompasses far more than basic technical excellence.
The result offers an unparalleled opportunity for subsequent employment in leading creative and technological industries - specifically within the fields of coding, digital art, game design and audio - as demanded by the multi-billion pound games industry.
Learn from experienced games industry practitioners
Get set to develop core skills through applied project work, supported by experienced games industry practitioners. Enhance your skills in interdisciplinary communication and collaboration through teamwork with students and staff from other areas of games development.
You’ll apply developing technologies and practices, specific to your own discipline, across projects that demonstrate your work to leading industry figures. In addition, you'll be encouraged to nurture relationships with fellow developers, industry professionals and companies through your demonstrable skill in the creation of games, mentorships and published research.
Entry Requirements
UK Entry
International Entry
Applicants must have a minimum of upper second class (2:1) honours degree in Art, Code, Design, Game Production or Audio. We will also consider applicants with a lower second class (2:2) in these subjects, if there is sufficient evidence of ability demonstrated in the Portfolio of Evidence supporting their application.
All applicants must submit a personal statement that includes a Portfolio of Evidence (PoE) for review as part of their application.
The purpose of the Portfolio of Evidence is to allow the Programme Team to determine whether there is satisfactory evidence of ability - or potential ability - within at least one key computer games development role. These key roles* are Programming, Game Design, Art and Animation (preferably digital), Software, Project or Team Management, Digital Audio and Sound Design.
Content provided must be digital, preferably directing the Programme Team to external websites, galleries, testimonials or other bodies of work that can be viewed remotely - rather than any physical submission.
Of particular interest are references to:
An academic or similar qualification in a game related area
Professional Industry experience
Professional Accreditation
Self-directed work in a game related discipline
Testimonials from professional developers
* Please note that experience in Quality Assurance (QA) or Marketing are not considered as key roles within this context, as there would be no appropriate opportunity to focus upon them in the programme.
How the Course Works
Produce Innovative Games Solutions
As a postgraduate student, you’ll work with other highly-talented individuals within games development teams towards the production of innovative computer games solutions.
Working closely with a team of full-time staff who are highly-experienced in both the games industry and academic teaching, and under the guidance and mentorship of computer games industry representatives, you’ll develop professional skills and knowledge relevant to key roles within the industry and beyond.
During the course of your studies, you’ll ultimately be expected to demonstrate applied excellence in your specialist area, as well as professionalism, flexibility, the ability to adapt in team working situations, and creativity and innovation towards product development.
Learning and Assessment
The goal of the MProf in Games Development is to turn you into a professional developer by placing you into a development team, with industry-relevant project goals and deliverables. Your team will enjoy a high level of independence in how it meets the game design briefs and how it approaches the development process.
Supervision, mentorship and academic support look to emphasise the consequences of your decisions and processes, allowing you to experience an organic and logical development and evolution of best practices.
In addition, you’ll develop your awareness in areas of potential innovation and research, and will be encouraged to publish your work.
The remaining core elements of the course seek to separate the myths from the realities of working in the games industry, and expand your awareness of design considerations with regards to the comparative importance and impact of narrative and gameplay theories.
Accreditation
Partnerships
Your Learning Space
We’ve developed a unique concept of learning environment and creative incubator, encompassing ways of teaching that focus on building general skills alongside the subject-specific knowledge to support your career and life objectives.
It’s designed to give you the edge in the global knowledge economy when you graduate.
This White Space environment is a thriving hub of activity, mixing the talents of undergraduates, postgraduates, lecturers, business people, artists and broadcasters, surrounding you with the buzz of a real working environment, allowing you to share real-world knowledge and experience.
Assessment methods throughout the core modules focus on formative (constant) assessment through regular meetings and discussion sessions, rather than exams. This is to allow you to improve in confidence, communication skills and core discipline skills as you progress, allowing you to try new working practices and approaches as and when they may be required.
An emphasis is placed on effective participation as a team player, and in correctly identifying and prioritising a project’s key requirements and challenges.
Modules
Game Prototyping and Critical Skills Development (DES510)
A series of lectures, tutorials, seminars, and studio-based supervision supports the transition of a student's technical, procedural, and behavioural skills into alignment with at least one key role within the games industry.
Applied Games and Research Practice (DES511)
This practice-based module is designed to enhance and develop a postgraduate students’ knowledge and abilities in the field of applied games and their associated research methods. Key perspectives in this area (serious games, games for change) are covered in lectures, with practical sessions and projects aimed at applying theoretical concepts in practice through game development.
Studio Games and Research Practice (DES512)
This Module synthesises a professional game studio environment and project in order to allow a student to evidence their successful alignment with the technical, procedural, and behavioural expectations of industry.
Adobe Creative Cloud
As a student on this programme, you'll have full access to a comprehensive suite of over 20 applications designed to provide tools for graphic design, video editing, photography, and more. Key applications available include Photoshop, InDesign, Acrobat, and many others.
In late 2024, Abertay proudly became the first institution in Scotland to achieve the designation of Adobe Creative Campus.
Through our partnership, all Abertay students have access to Adobe Express, empowering them to enhance their digital skills with industry-leading tools.
Information for International Applicants
Learn more about Abertay's English language requirements, as well as visa information.
English Language Requirements
Explore English language requirements for entry to Abertay University.
Visa Information
All the information you need about visa requirements for studying here at Abertay University.
International Students
Find everything you need to know about applying to Abertay as an international student.
Fees & funding
The course fees you'll pay and the funding available to you depends on factors such as your nationality, location, personal circumstances and the course you are studying. Visit the links below and scroll down to find the Postgraduate section.
More information
Find out about grants, bursaries, maintenance loans and living costs in our postgraduate taught fees and funding section.
Abertay Postgraduate Taught rUK Scholarship
This £1,000 award is open to all prospective new postgraduate students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
International Postgraduate Abertay Scholarships
This £3,000 award is open to all prospective new international postgraduate students at Abertay University.
Careers
This programme prepares you for a career as a creative professional, typically within the games industry but not confined to it. The exact role will be determined by your own area of study and aspirations – such as Programmer, Artist or Producer.
The team-focussed multidisciplinary approach further ensures that successful graduates will have developed and displayed a very high degree of collaborative ability, a particularly valuable attribute that future projects and employment will certainly require.
Get inspired
Meet some of our Games Development graduates and find out what they've gone on to do.
Graduate School
Our Graduate School is a dedicated facility providing support, training and professional development opportunities to our vibrant postgraduate community. Specially designed to promote integration and inculcation of interdisciplinary working in our next generation of researchers, postgraduates study and learn together at Abertay – from Environmental Management to Law, Psychology, Bioscience, Economics and Business, Cybersecurity and Computer Games Development.
Explore our Dundee Campus
Abertay is conveniently located on a city centre campus, with all of its buildings within a quarter of a mile of each other. Shops, recreational facilities and the main bus and train stations are a short walk away.
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