Masters in Computer Games programming

I'm wondering this myself. There is an organisation called Skillset that accredit games based courses. At the moment they only do this for undergraduate courses, but that may change. If they start accrediting masters courses we'll know which courses are the best.

In the mean time, this might be worth a read http://www.developmag.com/news/28094/Yorkshire-unis-create-UK-Game-Academy

Reply 2

OP

I havnt started my course yet but if I go for my insurance choice of Staffs then they have an option to do an extra year at the end of the course and get a Masters instead. My 1st choice uni UWE only has a honors degree.

That games academy looks cool but its too late now.

Reply 3

Have you applied for computer games undergraduate courses? I was going under the assumption you were doing regular computer science then considering a bachelors afterwards.

If you'll be doing a games undergrad course, doing an extra year for the masters is better than just a regular honours degree. But in terms of job prospects I don't think it would be significantly higher. On the other hand, why not spend another year at uni? You won't need to get extra funding for it, the regular loan covers it.

Reply 4

OP

Yes I applied for undergraduate courses. You sure that the loan covers me for an extra year, Im 22 so I dont wanna stay there for too long if it wont help me much job wise. Im looking to go to the USA and get a job there. So anyone know if masters over there will be better then a degree?

Reply 5

sarbruis

8

XBR

Yes I applied for undergraduate courses. You sure that the loan covers me for an extra year, Im 22 so I dont wanna stay there for too long if it wont help me much job wise. Im looking to go to the USA and get a job there. So anyone know if masters over there will be better then a degree?

I think, in the games industry, experience is what matters. I doubt there are many jobs that require a Master's (all the listings I've seen require a Bachelor's) and while it may put you ahead of other candidates on the educational front, that doesn't automatically mean you're more skilled than the others, and they may have job experience, etc. I think you'd be better off spending that year working.

Reply 6

OP

Ok thanks for the advice.
Il see what my uni says when im in my final year cause no point worrying about it now.

Reply 7

XBR

Yes I applied for undergraduate courses. You sure that the loan covers me for an extra year, Im 22 so I dont wanna stay there for too long if it wont help me much job wise. Im looking to go to the USA and get a job there. So anyone know if masters over there will be better then a degree?

I'm doing a 4 year course and my loan covers it so that's not a problem. There are a lot of 4 year "masters" courses around. I'll point out that the masters you get from a 4 year undergraduate course isn't as highly regarded as a postgraduate masters qualification.

Reply 8

OP

I thought the extra Masters year is a postgraduate course as you can only apply after u get your honours.

Reply 9

Well there are actually two types of master courses. One is the traditional postgrad course which you apply for after getting a bachelors. But now there are also 4 year courses which skips the bachelors step and just get a masters. But they aren't quite the same qualification. For example an MSc is a postgrad masters but an MEng is an undergrad one.

Reply 10

OP

At staffs for example you can do the normal honours degree which is 4 years with a idustrial placement or 3 years without and then there is also a option to get a masters by doing an extra 2 years with placement or a year without. Is that a postgrad masters or not?

Reply 11

Do you have to do that specific course to do the masters year? If you do then it's probably an undergrad one. Do you know what degree title it is. Like MEng, MSc, etc?

Reply 12