Curriculum Information

Document Version

QAA Benchmarks

Educational Aim

Learning Outcomes

Course Structure

Level 4 Modules

Level 5 Modules

Level 6 Modules

Teaching and Assessment

Learning and Teaching Methods

Employer Engagement

Visiting Speakers A range of speakers will be invited from related disciplines as well as cognate areas such as technology, animation, business and special effects.

The Game Art course is contained in the Design and Digital group within Faculty of Creative Industries. The Faculty regularly invites inspirational speakers from the worlds of TV, film, music, theatre, games and beyond, and all students are encouraged to attend these. In addition, faculties in the rest of USW often host speakers from a range of disciplines and in keeping with the spirit of engaged, interdisciplinary designers, we will pass on information regarding these as they come up.

Students are encouraged to keep any eye on announcements from the University, and to connect with the internal USWVAS network and use professional networks.

Volunteering We actively encourage the use of the USW careers service which includes volunteering.

Fieldwork The Visual Studies module has been written to give students an opportunity to engage with external organisations within fieldwork based exercises. This will be a key opportunity to engage with non-University personnel and build a broader network for future research.

Fieldtrips We plan a series of field trips to a range of destinations which have included Bristol Zoo, St Fagins, Cardiff University and a range of London museums and galleries related to the subject. These are generally free unless by exemption.

Induction week sees a visit for year 1 which has included EGX and Harry Potter world.

In addition, there are opportunities throughout the course to participate in international trips which are part of Faculty wide excursions.
Previous destinations have included Japan and Canada.

There is an additional fee for international trips, and they depend on uptake from students to proceed. In all cases, trips for which fees are required are not compulsory.

Work Placements We encourage students to explore opportunities for work placements, which can take a variety of forms, from vacation-based work to in-term activities which must be planned carefully to ensure they are able to fulfil the requirements of modules.

We have designed the Professional Project module to provide the use of a live brief and any form of work placement where possible, this will contribute towards learning on the course.

Work-based Learning The Professional Practice is written as a placement / live brief and allows for students to work within a simulated setting or within any placements if they organise this.

We welcome the chance to implement this for students that may have this as an option and encourage students to do so in year 2. Assessments are such that work produced externally can be used as evidence for the module. Staff are flexible to visit off site and record evidence of learning in these scenarios.

Sandwich Years The course does not offer a formal sandwich year at the time of writing but this will be kept under review.

Employer Forums The course team maintain a regular dialogue with a range of local and national employers, including from beyond the traditional design industry. The Faculty of Creative Industries has a formal employer forum which contributes to course and extra-curricular developments.

Other We make use of expertise from a range of practising game developers who contribute to the course either as part-time lecturers, or as guest speakers. This allows for topical expertise and insight from current industry practice.

In addition staff are engaged in scholarly activity and research that practises within related industries, or are practising artists for games themselves.

Means of Assessment

Core modules are those that students must study and cannot be compensated by Award Examination Boards
Specified modules are those that students must study but can be compensated by Award Examination Boards
Optional modules are those that students have a degree of choice over, usually within a limited range, and can be compensated by an Award Examination Board.

Learning Support

Induction Students will be given a full induction to the course in their first week to help them plan their studies and understand how the university works.

We aim to include the history of USW Games and the community it has fostered, alumni successes and the path they are about to embark on.

The first module forms an ‘immersive learning’ experience which aims to develop core skills for the rest of the course, and includes activities that help students become familiar with the course, university and city.

Personal tutor Students will be allocated a personal coach who follows their academic progress throughout the course, and gives pastoral guidance where appropriate.

Personal tutors may change to reflect changes in staffing, or to ensure the best support within the Personal Academic Coaching system.

Office hours The course team will inform students when they are available for drop-in tutorials to discuss course work or other issues. This will be aligned to the weekly time table.

Tutorials A tutorial is a one-to-one discussion with a tutor to discuss progress on the module. Each module may be delivered in different ways depending on the content. The nature of the creative process means that we aim to be flexible, so while tutorials may be scheduled at the start of the module, the timetable may adapt to suit students’ changing needs.

Seminars A seminar is normally a many-to-one discussion with a tutor in which a small group of students can discuss their progress together. This is often more beneficial as students get an opportunity to see what other students are doing, and build their confidence in providing constructive support to others.

Formative Assessment Some modules will provide the opportunity to submit work for feedback (e.g. a first draft of a piece of written work). However, the nature of the studio environment means that students will regularly receive formative feedback on their work in a less formal way – during seminars and workshops, for example.

Progress meetings A progress meeting may be arranged following a tutorial to check on progress on any issues that have arisen, rather than wait until the next scheduled tutorial. Team projects will use group milestone meetings.

Research Supervision For some modules, e.g. Dissertations and final projects, where students are expected to be working largely independently, they will be allocated a supervisor who will guide them throughout their research. Students and supervisor will keep in touch using a variety of methods including email and occasional face-to-face meetings. Some may operate ‘office hours’ for drop-in discussions while others may schedule meetings with students.

Online Resources As well as the course VLE (virtual learning environment) where we keep copies of briefs and module handbooks, the course team uses a variety of methods to provide and link to online resources including blogs, Twitter, and Instagram. Students are encouraged to develop their own online presence and to share useful resources with others.

Advice Centres The Student Advice Zone is in the Library on the ground floor of the Cardiff campus. Students can have most queries answered here, or make an appointment to see a specialist advisor on matters relating to finance, health and wellbeing, as well as support with study skills.

DDS Service The Disability and Dyslexia Support Service (DDS) provides a confidential and professional service where students can discuss individual requirements.

USW is committed to providing a quality support service.
Responsibility for their education remains with students, and their choices and preferences will be respected.

IT/Library IT and media resources are a common thread behind many of the activities which help to enhance students’ learning experience, such as their online student account (giving access to email, printing and payments and more), UniLearn (the online learning environment), open access to computers on each campus, printing services, and media equipment.

USW has a strong commitment to providing technology-based learning environments to support students. Whether studying on campus, at home or elsewhere, students have web access to their course materials anytime and anywhere.

The recently refurbished Library is where students can get the help of librarians who can offer advice on finding resources for their course. The library contains a wide range of books including copies of every set or recommended text for each of their modules. USW also provides access to journals related to the discipline so students can keep up to date with the latest thinking and developments.

There is also a periodicals collection with newspapers and magazines. Many of these resources are also available digitally.

Course Exit Points

Progression Route

Graduates will be able to progress into a range of graduate-level roles in game art and design, environment art, vehicle art, concept art and many 2D and 3D disciplines in game development studios.

The skill base allows for graduates to move into other art and design disciplines and include 3d interior design and realisation, product design, graphic design and illustration.

Freelance careers are a feature of this area of the creative industries.

Progression is common and allows further study onto the MA / MRes in Games and MA in Animation, other masters-level provision directly or following industry experience.

Entry Requirements

Admission to the course is typically through the following qualifications:

The standard entry requirements for BA(Hons) are:

A Levels: BCC
A Levels + Welsh Baccalaureate: BC+C@WB
BTEC: Distinction/Merit/Merit
Plus
GCSEs: Five GCSEs at grade C or above, including Mathematics and English language (or equivalent qualifications)

Inclusive Curriculum Statement

The University of South Wales operates a policy of inclusive learning, teaching and assessment to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to fulfil their educational potential. Course teams will have considered ways of designing out any potentially disadvantageous element of courses during the course design process. However some specific needs may remain, details about how to apply to have your needs assessed can be found at: http://unilife.southwales.ac.uk/pages/3040-disability-and-dyslexia-service/

Addendum for Delivery at a Partner Institution

N/A