Bachelor's Programme in Game Design and Project Management

180 credits

Would you like to plan and lead game development projects from idea to launched productions? The Bachelor's Programme in Game Design and Project Management offers you the skills to become a professional team leader in the field, with the tools to plan and assess game projects. You will aquire the knowledge and practical skills to develop games, and raise your awareness on how games function and affect both the player and the surrounding society.

Autumn 2023 Autumn 2023, Visby, 100%, On-campus, English

Autumn 2024 Autumn 2024, Visby, 100%, On-campus, English

As a project manager, you will gain the skills and knowledge to plan and lead game production projects from inception to release. This includes methods to manage group dynamics, planning, time management and game-specific production methodology. In the programme, you will also practise practical production with students from other disciplines through several project courses.

The Bachelor's Programme in Game Design and Project Management provides skills in developing games for commercial production, as well as a deeper understanding of how games work and how they affect us.

The programme mixes practical game development and theoretical courses within the main subject area of Game Design in parallel with project management courses within the minor subject area in Industrial Engineering and Management. Throughout the programme, you will explore theories and methods in game design, game development and game analysis. Game developers need good communicative skills both to communicate with their team and to shape the game experience. To reflect this, the programme provides training in expression through text, imagery and games, as well as verbal communication.

The programme usually has a vast variety of nationalities among students, and thanks to the high level of our students' products, the education has a good reputation internationally. Invited professionals and academics come to the department to share their experiences and knowledge during recurring events. This provides opportunities for you to build a contact network for the future. Our students have a good track record when it comes to winning awards at the Swedish Game Awards, the largest Nordic competition for independent developers.

You will study at Uppsala University Campus Gotland, located in Visby on the island of Gotland, Sweden.

Degree

The programme leads to the degree of Bachelor of Arts with Game Design as the main field of study.

The Bachelor's Programme in Game Design and Project Management comprises three years of full-time studies. The major subject Game Design is studied in parallel with your profile Project Management, which belongs to the minor subject Industrial Engineering and Management, with both theoretical and practical project courses. Courses within game design are studied together with students from the other Game Design programmes. Students from all game design programmes collaborate to produce games. The project courses test and train game design and graphic skills as well as game programming and management.

In this way, the programme provides a continuous opportunity for you to test and utilise your skills in realistic scenarios since the project courses effectively model the challenges that can be faced when working in a diverse team of creative, artistic, organisational and technical individuals. The projects, like the theoretical courses, train academic writing and presentation in preparation for the degree project at the end of the third year.

The project management courses start from the basics; learning about group dynamics, project planning, leadership, risk management and conflict management. The courses then lead on to a small game development project, after which the projects increase in complexity and size.

In the final semester, students in all the Game Design Bachelor's programmes will read a course in theories and methods in Game Design before beginning their Degree Project.

Game Design makes up 105 out of the total 180 credits of the programme, while the minor subject makes up at least 30 credits. The programme also has 45 credits of elective courses, which can also be used to deepen or broaden your studies in the major or minor subject.

This programme offers project management as your profile which complements your main subject Game Design.

Other programmes in game design at the Department:

Study abroad

The autumn semester of year three is particularly well suited for studies abroad. You can either apply for the central partner universities or the partner universities with which the Department collaborates.

The Bachelor's Programme in Game Design and Project Management is offered at Campus Gotland in Visby on the island of Gotland. Visby is the best-preserved Medieval town in Scandinavia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The language of instruction is exclusively English. The main subject of Game Design is studied together with the students from the other Game Design programmes.

The theoretical courses in game design are taught through seminars, workshops and projects. Most of the courses require group work, which means you need to feel comfortable cooperating closely with other students. The courses in project management combine theoretical seminars with continuous practical training in relevant areas.

The first couple of years include one or two project courses, in which you work with your specific role in groups to produce complete games, as a programmer, graphic artist, or project leader, but also as a game designer. During the work process, each group will receive supervision and guidance.

The Bachelor's Programme in Game Design and Project Management prepares you, theoretically and practically, for a professional career within business, organisations, authorities or as a business owner. As a graduate of the programme, you will be able to continue your studies at the Master's level in or outside of Sweden.

Former students have gone on to become both business owners running their studios, and employees at some of the most successful game studios in the world. Notable examples of companies where graduates have found work include Massive Entertainment, CD Project Red, Starbreeze, Crytek, Fatshark, Frictional Games, Ubisoft, Avalanche, Bohemia Interactive, Funcom, CCP, DICE, Activision Blizzard and Might & Delight, King, Star Stable and Mojang. Several former students also work within the Swedish higher education sector, teaching and running game design programmes.

One of the programme's strengths is its well-established contact with the game industry. This is why graduates of the programme make up an especially useful network. At yearly recurring events arranged by the department, notable individuals from the international game industry, former students and academics are invited to judge student projects and share their experiences. This provides an excellent opportunity for you to build your contact network for the career ahead of you.

The game industry is the largest and fastest-growing business in the entertainment industry. It is in continuous development, which leads to a large demand for a broad spectrum of creative professionals with game development as the common denominator. Games are also increasingly being used in education, training and medicine.

Find out where our alumni work

"Visby is a wonderful place to study with a great environment and where your classmates become family. If you ever lack inspiration you could just take a walk through the charming medieval town and along the harbour to recharge and gather new ideas and thoughts. During my studies, I participated in many game development events where students got to meet developers from the industry. I believe networking today could be as important as having a strong portfolio when it comes to getting a job in the industry today."

- Lisa Wackenhuth Svanström, 3D Artist at Star Stable Entertainment

Career support

During your time as a student, UU Careers offers support and guidance. You have the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities and events that will prepare you for your future career. Learn more about UU Careers.

Contact

  • For questions about the programme, please contact the study counsellor at Campus Gotland:
  • studievagledning-cg@uu.se
  • For admissions-related or general information, please contact our applicant support team:
  • undergraduate@uu.se

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