Sheffield Hallam University's MSc Games Software Development is a general course which tackles 3D graphics, platform architecture, game design and project management.
University Of Abertay's MSc Computer Games Technology is very similar, joining its BSc Computer Games Technology, which was the first course to be Skillset accredited. It covers game design and development, the games marketplace, mathematics, console game development and artificial intelligence for games.
These two take the list of courses accredited by Skillset to just three this year, though the body’s computer games sector manager Saint John Walker told us earlier this year that he's been trying to communicate the benefits of being accredited to universities to extend its reach.
To mark this new announcement he said, “We are so pleased to be able to give this recognition to two more courses. This really is a victory for both these universities and the industry itself, as everybody wins when we are able to produce world-class, industry-ready graduates. We are now in the process of consulting with a number of other games courses across the country, and are confident that it will not be long before students have an even greater range of industry-approved courses to choose from.”
Skillset is a UK government-funded council designed to improve the interface between industry and education in the creative arts. Its dealings in videogames are guided by an advisory group of industry leaders which includes Eidos' Ian Livingstone, Frontier's David Braben, TIGA's Richard Wilson and ELSPA's Michael Rawlinson.