Abertay University in Dundee is at the forefront of computer games design and the institution prides itself in providing students with vocational training to enable them to enter the world of work on completing their studies. Jennifer Cosgrove takes a look at the impressive results of one of its most sucessful courses.
In 2009, Abertay launched a unique, industry-focused degree to help those interested in working in professional computer games design development gain useful employment skills. The first intake of students graduated in November 2010.
The 12-month professional masters (MProf) in games development allows students from different backgrounds including 3D art, animation, audio, programming and games production to work together in small teams, exactly as if they were running a small company.
Based in the Scottish Centre for Excellence in Computer Games Education at Abertay, the students are guided by a team of experienced academic staff and mentored by games industry professionals, and competition for places is challenging. As the first university in the world to offer a degree in computer games technology, demand is global.
The course trains students in the professional skills and knowledge needed for leadership roles in the computer games industry. Studies focus on both demonstrating excellence in a specialist area and on the broader skills of professionalism, adaptability, creativity and innovation that modern companies require to succeed.
Course tutor Ken Fee, who lectures in computer arts, said, “The first challenge we face is explaining to students that, while they may have achieved a high level of success in their previous courses, these may have been largely theory-led, or they may have had a high level of autonomy in what they produced or studied, possibly with little real-world emphasis or application.
“In this course, our prime concern is how they can translate these theoretical skills effectively. They do not have to prove to us that they are good artists or programmers they already have a degree in that, so they should be good. Rather, it can be surprising to the students that we are more interested in their communication and teamwork skills, their ability to follow schedules and direction, and their ability to explain their work and critical decision-making processes.”
Ken said there tends to be a misconception among the public that games are easy to make when, in fact, they are one of the most demanding kinds of software applications to produce.
“Some people have the idea the industry is easy and that it’s all about sitting and playing games all day it’s nothing like that at all. Computer games might also seem to suit solo isolationists working at home, and people can become very good at technical art or programming, but, actually, it’s done in rooms with lots of other people.
“We have to emphasise that if people have issues working in teams then this course or even the industry is not for them. It is possible to work as an individual but that’s only people who have got years of experience under their belt.
“One of the biggest challenges faced by the students is making the transition from creating their own games to working for someone else and keeping them happy.”
While the notion of professional masters and doctorates is quite new, it reflects how higher education institutions are aligning themselves with the needs and expectations of industry, rather than focusing purely on traditional teaching and learning methods.
Ken said Abertay is in the fortunate position of having excellent industry connections due to Dundee being a hub of computer games design.
“The university has many long-standing relationships with the industry, and many of the teaching staff are actually from the industry and continue to make games as contractors. So we are in an ideal position to help the local area retain its focus and provide a base for future games entrepreneurs and investment.
“Some of the staff have provided art for games in the Harry Potter, Medal of Honour, Grand Theft Auto and EA Sports series, amongst others.”
Ken also believes it’s more important than ever for Dundee to build on its excellent reputation, following the collapse of games company Realtime Worlds last year.
“Realtime Worlds was not the oldest or even the most famous games company to have come from Dundee, but it was a great focal point for graduate employment, industrial mentorship and support,” he explained.
So far, the students have worked very well and the most recent intake will graduate in November of this year.
“The problem we had with our first graduating cohort was trying to get them to attend graduation, as so many of them had got jobs in the two months between the course finishing and the graduation ceremony. The first course started out with 15 students, of whom 13 made it, and nine of them had jobs by the time graduation came.
“In the first few weeks after completing their final assignments, they were employed by Sony, Codemasters and Blitz, with others joining exciting new start-up companies.”
The computer games industry has changed beyond recognition since Ken became involved in the late 1980s. When he started out it was more like a hobby, whereas now it’s a full-blown profession for a global market.
Ken has two undergraduate degrees one in law and the other in illustration and design. He also has a postgraduate MSc in animation and visualisation.
He first got involved in 1986, going full-time at DMA Design in Dundee in 1992.
“The games industry has basically come from a niche market with a particular fan base to the world’s largest entertainment industry. You can see it happening on the Apple app store and all the big companies are moving in,” he said.
“When it started off in Dundee, there was far less of the management and the stress. If you wanted to make a game, you just had to get a few people in a room and have a few fun lively meetings. You didn’t have the hierarchy of management and the money-people breathing down your neck.
“The main difference was people like me in their early 40s when we started, we were artists who the games industry needed. Technology had improved and they couldn’t get by with black and white blocks, so they had to come and find people like us.
“This course is about getting students ready for industry and having them making games instead of reading about them or writing essays about them.”
Artwork above by Ryan Locke and Leyan Zhang.
Ken said Abertay is in the fortunate position of having excellent industry connections due to Dundee being a hub of computer games design.
“The university has many long-standing relationships with the industry, and many of the teaching staff are actually from the industry and continue to make games as contractors. So we are in an ideal position to help the local area retain its focus and provide a base for future games entrepreneurs and investment.
“Some of the staff have provided art for games in the Harry Potter, Medal of Honour, Grand Theft Auto and EA Sports series, amongst others.”
Ken also believes it’s more important than ever for Dundee to build on its excellent reputation, following the collapse of games company Realtime Worlds last year.
“Realtime Worlds was not the oldest or even the most famous games company to have come from Dundee, but it was a great focal point for graduate employment, industrial mentorship and support,” he explained.
So far, the students have worked very well and the most recent intake will graduate in November of this year.
“The problem we had with our first graduating cohort was trying to get them to attend graduation, as so many of them had got jobs in the two months between the course finishing and the graduation ceremony. The first course started out with 15 students, of whom 13 made it, and nine of them had jobs by the time graduation came.
“In the first few weeks after completing their final assignments, they were employed by Sony, Codemasters and Blitz, with others joining exciting new start-up companies.”
The computer games industry has changed beyond recognition since Ken became involved in the late 1980s. When he started out it was more like a hobby, whereas now it’s a full-blown profession for a global market.
Ken has two undergraduate degrees one in law and the other in illustration and design. He also has a postgraduate MSc in animation and visualisation.
He first got involved in 1986, going full-time at DMA Design in Dundee in 1992.
“The games industry has basically come from a niche market with a particular fan base to the world’s largest entertainment industry. You can see it happening on the Apple app store and all the big companies are moving in,” he said.
“When it started off in Dundee, there was far less of the management and the stress. If you wanted to make a game, you just had to get a few people in a room and have a few fun lively meetings. You didn’t have the hierarchy of management and the money-people breathing down your neck.
“The main difference was people like me in their early 40s when we started, we were artists who the games industry needed. Technology had improved and they couldn’t get by with black and white blocks, so they had to come and find people like us.
“This course is about getting students ready for industry and having them making games instead of reading about them or writing essays about them.”
Artwork above by Ryan Locke and Leyan Zhang.
Ken said Abertay is in the fortunate position of having excellent industry connections due to Dundee being a hub of computer games design.
“The university has many long-standing relationships with the industry, and many of the teaching staff are actually from the industry and continue to make games as contractors. So we are in an ideal position to help the local area retain its focus and provide a base for future games entrepreneurs and investment.
“Some of the staff have provided art for games in the Harry Potter, Medal of Honour, Grand Theft Auto and EA Sports series, amongst others.”
Ken also believes it’s more important than ever for Dundee to build on its excellent reputation, following the collapse of games company Realtime Worlds last year.
“Realtime Worlds was not the oldest or even the most famous games company to have come from Dundee, but it was a great focal point for graduate employment, industrial mentorship and support,” he explained.
So far, the students have worked very well and the most recent intake will graduate in November of this year.
“The problem we had with our first graduating cohort was trying to get them to attend graduation, as so many of them had got jobs in the two months between the course finishing and the graduation ceremony. The first course started out with 15 students, of whom 13 made it, and nine of them had jobs by the time graduation came.
“In the first few weeks after completing their final assignments, they were employed by Sony, Codemasters and Blitz, with others joining exciting new start-up companies.”
The computer games industry has changed beyond recognition since Ken became involved in the late 1980s. When he started out it was more like a hobby, whereas now it’s a full-blown profession for a global market.
Ken has two undergraduate degrees one in law and the other in illustration and design. He also has a postgraduate MSc in animation and visualisation.
He first got involved in 1986, going full-time at DMA Design in Dundee in 1992.
“The games industry has basically come from a niche market with a particular fan base to the world’s largest entertainment industry. You can see it happening on the Apple app store and all the big companies are moving in,” he said.
“When it started off in Dundee, there was far less of the management and the stress. If you wanted to make a game, you just had to get a few people in a room and have a few fun lively meetings. You didn’t have the hierarchy of management and the money-people breathing down your neck.
“The main difference was people like me in their early 40s when we started, we were artists who the games industry needed. Technology had improved and they couldn’t get by with black and white blocks, so they had to come and find people like us.
“This course is about getting students ready for industry and having them making games instead of reading about them or writing essays about them.”
Artwork above by Ryan Locke and Leyan Zhang.
Ken said Abertay is in the fortunate position of having excellent industry connections due to Dundee being a hub of computer games design.
“The university has many long-standing relationships with the industry, and many of the teaching staff are actually from the industry and continue to make games as contractors. So we are in an ideal position to help the local area retain its focus and provide a base for future games entrepreneurs and investment.
“Some of the staff have provided art for games in the Harry Potter, Medal of Honour, Grand Theft Auto and EA Sports series, amongst others.”
Ken also believes it’s more important than ever for Dundee to build on its excellent reputation, following the collapse of games company Realtime Worlds last year.
“Realtime Worlds was not the oldest or even the most famous games company to have come from Dundee, but it was a great focal point for graduate employment, industrial mentorship and support,” he explained.
So far, the students have worked very well and the most recent intake will graduate in November of this year.
“The problem we had with our first graduating cohort was trying to get them to attend graduation, as so many of them had got jobs in the two months between the course finishing and the graduation ceremony. The first course started out with 15 students, of whom 13 made it, and nine of them had jobs by the time graduation came.
“In the first few weeks after completing their final assignments, they were employed by Sony, Codemasters and Blitz, with others joining exciting new start-up companies.”
The computer games industry has changed beyond recognition since Ken became involved in the late 1980s. When he started out it was more like a hobby, whereas now it’s a full-blown profession for a global market.
Ken has two undergraduate degrees one in law and the other in illustration and design. He also has a postgraduate MSc in animation and visualisation.
He first got involved in 1986, going full-time at DMA Design in Dundee in 1992.
“The games industry has basically come from a niche market with a particular fan base to the world’s largest entertainment industry. You can see it happening on the Apple app store and all the big companies are moving in,” he said.
“When it started off in Dundee, there was far less of the management and the stress. If you wanted to make a game, you just had to get a few people in a room and have a few fun lively meetings. You didn’t have the hierarchy of management and the money-people breathing down your neck.
“The main difference was people like me in their early 40s when we started, we were artists who the games industry needed. Technology had improved and they couldn’t get by with black and white blocks, so they had to come and find people like us.
“This course is about getting students ready for industry and having them making games instead of reading about them or writing essays about them.”
Artwork above by Ryan Locke and Leyan Zhang.