UCCA Announces Digital Games Design MA, Assistance

The UK-based University College for the Creative Arts has announced an MA in Digital Games Design now on offer at Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone, and Rochester and the opportunity to apply for an assisted place with the Business and Digital Media Training Initiative (BDMTI) starting in September 2006. Housed within one of the UK’s specialist art and design institutions, and offered in conjunction with funding from the European Social Fund, the course (based at Farnham, Surrey) aims to serve the future of an evolving and expanding computer games industry. The MA in Digital Games Design focus is on game design, and students are given the opportunity to develop their own game project from initial proposal to a fully realised game design document, culminating in the production of an advanced playable prototype. The programme offers the opportunity to acquire a deep understanding of all the main disciplines involved in the game development process, including master classes in all aspects of game design, story theory, character development, narrative environments, level design, event and behaviour scripting, game structure, control schemes, UI and interaction design. This is complemented by express courses in computer visualisation, 3D modelling and animation and an introduction to game programming and scripting languages. In addition, students are encouraged to consider the social, cultural, and demographic implications of the medium in general and their own work in particular, aided by a series of lectures in historical, theoretical and contextual studies, including analysis and presentation of current industry output and future trends. The BDMTI limited assisted places are specifically directed and minorities and aim to develop a more culturally diverse and gender balanced computer games talent base and workforce and are available for the September 2006 intake. For further information on assisted places and the BDMTI project, please contact Jenny Crawford and visit the BDMTI website.