Who is this course for?
The Level 3 Extended Diploma in Digital Games/Game Design is a work-related course with strong links to the creative digital and computer game development industry.
What are the entry requirements for the course?
Minimum of five GCSEs at grade 4 (grade C) or higher, one of these must be either Maths or English Language.
How long is this course?
A two-year full-time course starting September and ending in June.
What will I study on this course?
You will complete assignments that will develop the skills and knowledge that lead to creative digital and/or computing careers, or higher education.
Units studied include:
Media Representations – learners will consider how different media representations are constructed by media producers to create meaning, messages and values.
Working in the Creative Media Industry – learners will explore employment and job opportunities in the creative digital media sector. They will produce material to support a career and be able to network effectively.
Digital Media Skills – looking at the creative digital media technical skills required to produce a product to a prescribed brief.
Pre Production Portfolio – study the requirements of planning and delivering a digital media product, carrying out essential pre-production tasks and creating a pre-production portfolio.
Specialist Subject Investigation – gain an understanding of research methods and techniques in relation to a specialist media subject, undertaking research of key issues and investigation of related debates.
Media Campaigns – explore media campaigns to identify their purpose and features, and develop skills in campaign production to produce a cross-platform media campaign.
Responding to a Commission – this unit considers the commissioning process and how media producers respond to clients by generating ideas using a range of skills.
App Production – develop skills to build apps and will gain an understanding of the tools, principles and practices that underpin modern app development.
Website Production – introduction to the fundamental technologies, principles and practices that underpin contemporary website production.
Concept Art for Computer Games – learners investigate and explore drawing and visualisation techniques to create conceptual art for computer games.
2D Animation – explore the purposes and technical characteristics of 2D animation, developing skills in these techniques and creating a final 2D animated product.
Games Engine Scripting – understand core concepts in scripting languages, artificial intelligence (AI) and physics. Learners plan the scripting of a digital game before creating it in a game engine.
3D Modelling – understand how 3D models for games are structured, used and produced before planning and creating 3D models for use in a 3D game engine.
3D Environments – understand the components of 3D environments and texture types. They will plan a 3D environment, make textures for it and build it in a 3D game engine.
Games Testing – understand quality assurance (QA) in the games industry, testing games using a bug tracking system and developing their own test cases.
3D Digital Animation – explore the purposes, development and technical characteristics of 3D animation while developing the appropriate skills themselves.
What Qualification will I gain?
BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Creative Digital Media Production (Digital Games).
Will I go out on work experience?
Courses at Highlands College are about preparing you for the world of work. As part of your course, you will learn how to go about presenting yourself to an employer to stand the best chance of getting the job you are looking for.
You will spend at least one week in a work placement.
What does this course lead on to?
The final qualification is equivalent to 3 A Levels, giving you the skills to either move on to University or go straight into employment.
BTEC Level 3 Diplomas are valued by employers and lead to career opportunities in business such as:
Web Development | App Production (Software-Development) | Computing and Game Development (usually in a Trainee position with opportunities for progression).
How much will it cost?
- There are no fees for this course.
- All students are required to bring their own laptop to participate on the course.
How can I find out more?
For further information, please contact Highlands College Admissions team on 608582 or email fulltimeapplications@highlands.ac.uk.
Additional Information
All 6th form courses are subject to minimum enrolment numbers. Where a course does not meet the required number, it will be reluctantly cancelled for that academic year. Applicants affected will be contacted and offered a transfer to another course if a suitable one is available.
Anyone who has been out of education for longer than 6 months will be invited for interview. Following interview, the application will be referred to a review panel.
International students should contact Jersey immigration on immigration@gov.je before making an application.