BSc (Hons) Creative Computing
This degree will prepare you to take an active role in the creation of computational systems in arts, music, film, digital media, and other areas of the software industry that require creative individuals.
3 years full-time; 4 years full-time with the third year spent on industrial placement in a Computing, Digital Design or Information Technology field; 4-6 years part-time.
G452
BBB or equivalent; see entrance requirements for alternative qualifications.
If you do not have a Science- or Mathematics-based A-level, you should normally have at least Grade B at GCSE Mathematics. You should also be able to demonstrate a music or arts background, as shown for example by an arts foundation degree.
At interview stage you will be asked to present a portfolio of original digital works.
The Department has excellent computing facilities for teaching and laboratory work, supporting Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. There are three departmental laboratories, plus a laboratory for final year students working on specialised projects on networking and communications.
Our degrees are designed to equip you with a wide range of knowledge and skills to meet the current demands of the industry and increase your career prospects.
Film/television production and special effects companies; visual interface design; computer graphics; games and animation; music production and cataloguing services; multimedia systems analysis; research and development in media and entertainment. Employers increasingly demand that new recruits are able to add immediate value to their organisation. Because this programme offers the option of an industrial placement year, students can demonstrate that they have already achieved a certain level of professional competence and maturity, which could help you stand out in the job market.
Please see Undergraduate tuition fees.
Computing
This programme is designed to prepare you for a career as a technology led creative in the media industries. The degree will nurture your development not just as a technical expert, but also as a creative thinker, allowing you to learn and explore through a combination of technology and imagination. Creative Computing prepares you for a career in computation for media, games and related areas by giving you both the technical understanding and the creative freedom to develop your ideas.
What you Study
The programme has two core components. The first equips you with a range of key technical skills in programming for audio and visual media. These skills are delivered at the same level as traditional courses in computing, but form a specifically audiovisual perspective, giving you the tools you need to develop your ideas. The second core component gives you the freedom to use these skills in your own practical projects, creating games, applications, websites and interactive artworks that showcase your skills in creative technologies. In this way, you are encouraged to learn through experiencing the techniques of creative computation, whilst simultaneously developing your portfolio in technical arts practice.
The programme will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, workshops and laboratory sessions. These will cover the core elements of computing with a strong component of programming (both procedural and object oriented using a variety of programming language such as processing, Java and C++), as well as internet computing, software engineering and mathematical foundations. These elements will be enhanced by in-depth studies of a range of audiovisual computation techniques, including 2D graphics and interactive software, audio processing, digital signal processing, image processing, video processing and 3D graphics.
Finally, the programme will give you a thorough background of the issues surrounding the audiovisual arts, including cognition and perception, the history of multimedia, and continuing through to an appreciation of contemporary web, film and games design – backed by lectures from a host of industry experts from the BBC, ITV, and mainstream games companies, as well as high profile computer artists and filmmakers.
Assessment
Modular: assignments, tests, laboratory exercises, exams, final year project. If you opt for an industrial placement year, your placement tutor will assess your work. If you complete the placement year successfully, you earn the endorsement 'with work experience' on your degree certificate.
Application enquiries
Please see how to apply for information on applying to this programme.
Equivalent GCE A-level qualifications
| BTEC National Diploma |
Access courses |
Scottish qualifications |
European Baccalaureate |
International Baccalaureate |
Other requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMM | 60 Credits including 45 at level 3 | BBBBB (Higher)
BBB (Advanced Higher) |
75% | 6, 5, 5 at HL | You present a portfolio of work at interview |