Entry requirements

General entry requirements for first-cycle (Bachelor's level) studies in Sweden. Also required is intermediate level mathematics (equivalent of Swedish courses Mathematics 2a or 2b or 2c).

Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6. This requirement can be met either by achieving the required score on an internationally recognised test, or by previous upper secondary or university studies in some countries. Detailed instructions on how to provide evidence of your English proficiency are available at universityadmissions.se.

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: Industrial Engineering

The overarching goal with the courses in project management (within the supplemental field of industrial engineering) in the Bachelor programme in game design and project management is to contribute to the knowledge and ability of the students to develop skills in planning, administering and leading projects with a focus on technology-intensive industries. After completing the courses in project management the students are expected to have theoretical and practical knowledge of project management and associated leadership and group dynamic aspects.

The supplemental field of industrial engineering contains courses offering students knowledge and understanding of skills associated with project management such as planning and controlling time schedules and costs in projects, quality leadership in projects and risk management as well as monitoring human resources in the form of group dynamics, communication, conflict resolution and diversity.

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 - Level Design, 7.5 credits

Supplemental field of study, 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 in Game Design