Undergraduate
BSc (Hons) Games Design & Development (Top Up)
Achieve a full honours degree in games design and development by refining your specialist skills and producing a graduate-level professional portfolio.
Delivered by Milton Keynes College Group. Validated by The Open University.
Overview
The Games Design & Development Top-Up Degree is a one-year, full-time honours-level course for students who have already completed a Foundation Degree, HND or another relevant Level 5 qualification in games or a related digital subject.
This course allows you to build on your existing skills and develop advanced specialist knowledge aligned to modern games industry practice. Teaching is studio-based and practical, supported by workshops, research sessions, critiques and guided independent study.
At Level 6, you will work as an emerging professional, focusing on specialism, innovation and portfolio development within areas such as Game Art, Animation, Game Design, Programming or Technical Art. The year ends with a substantial Final Major Project, giving you the opportunity to demonstrate originality, technical depth and readiness for employment or postgraduate study.
Course highlights
- Advanced specialist development – focused pathway refinement aligned to industry roles
- Honours-level portfolio focus – including a substantial Final Major Project
- Small cohort, high support – regular supervision and detailed feedback
- Professional practice and industry awareness – workflows, pipelines and portfolio strategy
- Senior collaborative projects – leadership and responsibility in team environments
- Supportive higher-education community – inclusive and professional learning environment
What will I do?
You will refine advanced, pathway-specific skills through intensive studio learning that reflects graduate-level roles within the games and creative industries.
This Top-Up year is entirely Level 6 and is designed to help you strengthen your professional identity, deepen technical or creative expertise and produce work to honours-degree and industry standards.
You will work within your chosen specialist pathway while applying professional workflows, critical thinking and research-informed practice to increasingly complex projects.
Level 6 modules may include:
- Innovation in Games Development
- Pipeline Mastery and Technical Direction
- Professional Practice and Portfolio Strategy
- Critical Inquiry and Research
- Senior Collaborative Project
- Final Major Project
During the year you will:
- Develop advanced technical or creative skills in your specialist area
- Apply professional production pipelines and workflows
- Take part in senior-level collaborative studio projects
- Experiment with emerging tools and innovative practices
- Carry out independent research to inform your work
- Build a graduate-level professional portfolio
The course culminates in a Final Major Project, where you independently plan, produce and deliver a substantial piece of work aligned to your pathway. This project brings together research, technical skill and professional practice to demonstrate readiness for employment or postgraduate study.
Is it for me?
This course is designed for students who are ready to work at honours level, take ownership of their practice and refine a clear specialist direction within games design and development.
You should feel confident managing independent projects, making informed creative or technical decisions and contributing effectively to collaborative studio work. Strong communication, reflection and time-management skills are important at this level.
This course is well suited to students who:
- Have completed a relevant Level 5 qualification
- Want to achieve a full honours degree
- Are motivated to specialise in art, animation, design, programming or technical art
- Can manage a significant independent workload
- Are comfortable with critique and iterative improvement
- Want to produce a graduate-level portfolio aligned to industry expectations
This is not a beginner course. It is intended for learners who already have core skills and want to push their work further, develop professional confidence and operate with greater autonomy.
What’s next?
On successful completion of the Games Design & Development Top-Up Degree, you will graduate with a full honours degree and a professional portfolio suited to graduate and junior professional roles within the games and creative industries.
Typical progression routes include:
- Graduate Game Artist
- Technical Artist
- Animator
- Game Designer
- Programmer
- Production or Studio Support Roles
The advanced project management, research and professional communication skills developed during the Top-Up year also support progression into postgraduate study in areas such as Games Development, Digital Media, Interactive Technologies or Creative Computing.
Students interested in freelance or independent work can use their Final Major Project and portfolio to begin studio projects, contract work or self-employment within the digital creative sector.
Entry Requirements
You will need to have completed a Foundation Degree, HND or equivalent Level 5 qualification in games design, development or a related digital discipline that demonstrates recognised prior learning.
More information
How will my progress be monitored?
Your progress is reviewed through regular feedback, milestone reviews and one-to-one supervision to ensure clear direction throughout the Top-Up year.
Lecturers will:
- Provide ongoing feedback on practical work, portfolios and research activity
- Give clear written comments linked to honours-level assessment criteria
- Use critiques and presentations for verbal feedback during studio sessions
You will also attend scheduled supervision meetings, particularly for research modules and the Final Major Project, to:
- Review progress against milestones
- Identify strengths and development areas
- Support independent decision-making and workload management
Additional monitoring includes portfolio reviews, planned milestone checks and reflective evaluation tasks. This continuous approach supports steady improvement and professional growth.
How will I be assessed?
Assessment is entirely coursework-based with no formal written exams and is designed to reflect graduate-level professional practice.
You may be assessed through:
- Advanced practical projects and specialist outputs
- Professional portfolios demonstrating depth of specialism
- Research-informed written analysis and reflective evaluation
- Presentations and project defences
Most modules include two or three assessment components, allowing you to demonstrate both technical capability and critical understanding. Clear assessment criteria and detailed feedback are provided throughout.
How much will I have to study each week?
This is a full-time honours-level course designed to mirror the independence and responsibility expected in graduate employment.
- Attend college 3 days per week for workshops, lectures, studio sessions and tutorials
- Teaching days usually run 6–7 hours
- Independent study includes portfolio development, research and assessment preparation
Students are expected to commit up to 37.5 hours per week in total, combining timetabled teaching with independent work. This structure supports strong professional habits, autonomy and self-management.
Work Experience & Employers
Formal placements at honours level can be limited and competitive within the games industry. Instead, this Top-Up Degree prepares you for graduate employment by embedding professional practice and industry workflows directly into the curriculum.
You will gain experience through:
- Advanced portfolio-driven projects aligned to graduate standards
- Professional production pipelines and technical workflows
- Senior collaborative studio projects reflecting real team dynamics
- Research-informed decision-making similar to professional environments
- Guest lectures, specialist workshops and portfolio critiques
The Final Major Project provides a significant opportunity to demonstrate independent capability, specialist identity and readiness for employment, freelancing or postgraduate study. Students are also encouraged to pursue external opportunities such as game jams, freelance commissions and industry networking to further strengthen their graduate profile.