Games Computing
Games Computing is the technical discipline that underpins the interactive software systems on which video games depend. While Games Art focuses on the visual content of games, Games Computing is concerned with how games actually work: the code that runs the game engine, manages physics simulations, handles player input, implements artificial intelligence for non-player characters, renders graphics in real time, and ensures that networked multiplayer experiences are synchronised across different devices. It is a computing discipline with a specialised application, but the technical skills it develops are rooted in core computer science and transfer well to software development more broadly.
At the University of Northumbria at Newcastle, this three-year full-time programme develops programming and software engineering skills specifically in the context of game development. You will study algorithms, data structures, software design, graphics programming, physics simulation, artificial intelligence, and the architecture of game engines, working in the languages and environments used in the games industry. The programme includes a sandwich year and a year abroad, giving you professional experience in a games studio or related technical environment and the opportunity to study computing in a different national context.
Work placements are embedded throughout, connecting your academic learning to industry practice and helping you build the portfolio and professional relationships that matter for entry into the sector.
Newcastle has a growing games industry presence, and the university's connections with studios and technology companies in the region provide practical context for the programme.
Graduates pursue careers as games programmers, gameplay engineers, engine developers, AI programmers, and tools engineers in studios of varying sizes. Some move into adjacent technical fields including simulation, virtual reality, visual effects, and software engineering. Others go on to postgraduate study in games technology, computer graphics, or software engineering.