Entry requirements

General entry requirements for first-cycle (Bachelor's level) studies in Sweden. Also required is advanced+ level mathematics (equivalent of Swedish course Mathematics 3c).

All applicants need to verify English language proficiency that corresponds to English studies at upper secondary (high school) level in Sweden ("English 6"). This can be done in a number of ways, including through an internationally recognised test such as TOEFL or IELTS, or through previous upper secondary (high school) or university studies.

The minimum test scores are:

• IELTS: an overall mark of 6.5 and no section below 5.5
• TOEFL: Paper-based: Score of 4.5 (scale 1–6) in written test and a total score of 575. Internet-based: Score of 20 (scale 0–30) in written test and a total score of 90
• Cambridge: CAE, CPE

Aims

The programme aims at offering the students an education which prepares them for professional work in companies, organisations, authorities or as a private entrepreneur as well as continued academic work.

Learning outcomes

General knowledge and skills goals

After the programme students must be able to deal independently and critically with issues concerning the role of the game and game design for people and society and in these contexts make assessments based on relevant scientific, social and ethical aspects. In addition, students are expected to be able to analyse and conduct a critical discussion with scientifically based arguments concerning issues within the field of game design and prove ability to search for, collect, assess and critically interpret relevant information in an independent task as well as critically discuss phenomena, issues, and situations.

Specific knowledge goals

After the completed programme students are expected to be able to

• demonstrate solid knowledge and good understanding of the role of the game and game design as an interactive culture form and means of communication and to be able to put this in a broader scientific and societal perspective,
• demonstrate broad skills within scientific and professional areas that problematise the role of the game and game design in social and ethical contexts,
• explain and critically analyse factors in the surrounding world which influence developments in game design,
• present knowledge of available methods in game design and show progression in their scientific attitudes, and
• display ability to orient oneself within current research and professional issues.

Specific skills goals

After the completed programme students are expected to be able to

• independently identify, formulate, and solve problems as well as carry out tasks within stipulated time limits,
• cooperate in interdisciplinary project groups and evaluate their work,
• communicate orally and in writing in a comprehensible and clarifying way, with good transparency and with a high degree of problematisation,
• individually and in teams identify and formulate issues, seek out and collect information and critically evaluate scientific argumentation with the help of basic scientific theory and method, and
• in the form of a game give expression and form, technically and aesthetically, to a knowledge field in order to as strongly as possible arouse and keep the interest with a prospective receiving person.

Supplemental Field of Study: Computer Science

The overarching goal with the courses in game programming (within the supplemental field of computer science) in the Bachelor programme in game design and programming is to contribute to the knowledge and ability of the students to develop games in the digital format. After completing the courses in game programming the students are expected to have theoretical and practical knowledge of computer systems, methods in order to build and analyse computer programmes and to develop into time-critical real-time systems.

The supplemental field of computer science contains courses offering students knowledge and understanding of computer programmes and their syntax and semantics, data structures and algorithms suitable for the development of computer games,

knowledge of mathematics and of using libraries for rendering three-dimensional worlds as well as communication via networks and in artificial intelligence.

Layout of the programme

The programme comprises three years of full-time study (180 credits), of which 105 credits within the main field of game design according to the following:

Semester 1

Game Design 1 – Introduction, 15 credits (Introductory course of game design which includes an introduction to academic studies and scientific writing)

Supplemental field of study, 15 credits

Semester 2

Game Design 2 – Game Development, 7.5 credits

Game Production 1 – Arcade Game, 15 credits

Supplemental field of study, 7.5 credits

Semester 3

Game Design 3 – Systems Design, 15 credits

Supplemental field of study, 15 credits

Semester 4

Game Design 4 – Serious Games Design, 7.5 credits

Supplemental field of study, alternatively elective courses, 7.5 credits

Game Production 2 – Vertical Slice, 15 credits

Semester 5

Elective courses within main or supplemental field of study or within another discipline, alternatively study abroad, 30 credits

Semester 6

Game Design 5 – Theory and Method, 7.5 credits

Game Design 6 – Experimental Game Design, 7.5 credits

Degree Project, 15 credits

Progression

Progression within the main field of study consists both of successive in-depth disciplinary study and gradual development of skills in oral and written communication, problem solving and analysis as well as production.

Instruction

The teaching methods applied in courses within the programme are lectures, seminars, workshops and project work. Tutoring in groups takes place to a large extent within the production-oriented courses. As to the degree project work tutoring takes place both individually and in small groups. An essential component in the programme is the individual work by students, primarily in groups and, especially during the production courses, where students adopt different roles – producer/production leader, graphic artist, programmer, etc. – in order to get as close to a sharp milieu in a game company as possible.

Examination

The examination forms are dependent on the character of the course. The examination forms that take place are participation in compulsory examining seminars, writing and defence of reports, memoranda and design documents as well as accounting for productions. The degree project is examined by group inquiry and an oral opposition procedure according to the traditional arts and social sciences model.

Degree

Bachelor of Arts with Game Design as main field of study.