Welcome to your course
Welcome to the Computer Games Development BSc course at the School of Computer Science and Engineering, and congratulations on being accepted! Our Computer Games Development course will develop your practical and theoretical knowledge in the major fields of the computer games industry and provide you with flexibility for your future career choices.
We have arranged several events as part of welcome week. These events will give you information about your course, familiarise you with the University, and help you gain the most from your life as a University of Westminster student.
Ahead of time, here are some of my favourite blogs/sites that I recommend you subscribing to:
- Our New Game Students Discord Channel - Once joined, switch your nickname to your full name (part of rules for using Westminster Game Discord channel), and then select your role-reactions to open further channels for communication to new game students, activities, and discussion board with the FANS.
- Join our BSc Computer Games Development YouTube channel to follow projects that you will be developing within the course and engage the community.
- Into–Games (UK) & PlayHire (EU) – Excellent for mentorship, networking, and industry insights.
- Hitmarker – Top site for career advice and job opportunities in the games industry.
Welcome to the School of Computer Science and Engineering
We are thrilled to have you on board and look forward to helping you achieve your academic goals.
As you begin your learning journey with us you will become part of a dynamic community of learners who share a passion for technology and innovation. Be assured that you have made an excellent choice by choosing Computer Science and Engineering as your field of study. This exciting field that is constantly evolving and has the potential to make a significant and positive impact on the world we live in.
We are committed to providing you with an excellent education that will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the ever-changing technology landscape. Our experienced staff are passionate about Computer Science and Engineering and are dedicated to helping you achieve your full potential.
You will start by undertaking a welcome week. It is advised that you attend all events to ensure that you receive all the required information prior to the start of teaching. You will also have opportunity to become familiar with the School environment, meet your course team, and also your fellow students.
We understand that starting a new degree programme can be both exciting and daunting. However, be assured you that you are not alone. We are here to guide you and provide you with the support you need to succeed.
Best wishes
Dr Philip Trwoga
Collecting your ID card and completing enrolment
As part of your induction and to complete your enrolment, you'll need to collect your student ID card.
Your time slot for collection is:
11am, Wednesday 16 September
Marylebone Campus
For more information about enrolment, including related FAQs, visit our Enrolment for new students page.
Course induction schedule
Your course induction events may take place online or on campus – check the details for each event below.
The timing and venue for events may change, so double check this page closer to the date.
Course Welcome and Talk
2–3.30pm
Room C1.03, Cavendish Campus
Treasure-Hunt activity
3.30–4pm
This activity will take place across various locations at Cavendish Campus
Meeting with FANS (Friends of Arriving New Students)
4–5pm
Room C1.03, Cavendish Campus
Games Fun Night
An opportunity to socialise with other new and current students, and explore both board and video games.
6–8pm
Room C1.03, Cavendish Campus
Students' Union Marylebone Welcome Fair (Optional)
10am–4pm, Ambika P3, Marylebone Campus
The fair will provide you with the opportunity to see what the Students' Union and University have to offer outside of your studies.
Please visit the UWSU Welcome website for full details.
Enrolment and ID card collection
Undergraduate Social Event
1.30–2.30pm
Peter Bonfield (Vice Chancellor), Catherine Dormor (Head of College) and Head of School for Computer and Engineering will be attending.
Room C1.15/16, Cavendish Campus
Students' Union Marylebone Welcome Fair (Optional)
10am–4pm, Ambika P3, Marylebone Campus
The fair will provide you with the opportunity to see what the Students' Union and University have to offer outside of your studies.
Please visit the UWSU Welcome website for full details.
Outdoor Film Screening (Optional)
6.30–9.30pm
All new students are invited to an outdoor cinema event at Harrow Campus. The college will be providing one free drink and a choice of snack for the first 500 attendees, as well as a paid bar during the screening.
Online Session - MS Teams
Discussion on:
- Timetable - Semester 1
- General Q&A session
12–1pm
Online, MS Teams Link
Students' Union Harrow Welcome Fair (Optional)
10am–4pm, The Den, Harrow Campus
Your one stop shop to finding out about your Students' Union and everything that we have to offer to make your time at Westminster as enjoyable as possible.
Please visit the UWSU Welcome website for full details.
Welcome Festival (Optional)
11am–5pm, Harrow Field, Harrow Campus
Food, drinks, entertainment, and music for students – registration required.
Please visit the UWSU Welcome website for tickets and full details.
Course resources
Blackboard
Blackboard is our online learning platform, which you'll be able to log in to after you've set up your University email address and password.
Teaching timetables
Teaching starts in the week commencing Monday 21 September and you can check your teaching timetable to see when and where your classes are being held.
Course handbook
Full details on the course structure, modules and course team are included in the course handbook, which can be found on Blackboard.
Reading list
Your main reading list can be found in the course handbook on Blackboard.
Equipment and materials
While you can borrow laptops through the University for 24 hours, it's better to have your own. If you're not sure what to buy, our technical support team can advise you one you've enrolled. You'll be eligible for a student discount on computer purchases.
As per requirements for this course there are couple of requirements taken under consideration. Since Unreal Engine is quite a demanding software and Unity’s Rendering Pipeline is becoming more advanced here are couple of points:
- Laptop must have a decent CPU performance.
- A dedicated GPU is a must have.
- At least 16GB of RAM.
- Storage 512GB+ considering all the related software that has to be installed on it, space for projects and windows install as well.
Unreal Engine MINIMUM Requirements:
- 64-bit Windows operating system (in reality no laptop or other machine will run on a 32bit operating system considering the RAM size).
- RAM 8GB – 32GB+.
- CPU 2.5 GHz (that’s for a quad core processor).
- GPU supporting DirectX 11/12 (preferably RTX 3070 or 4060).
- SSD has to be 100GB+ with a preference on NVMe style drive due to long load times for Unreal Engine.
Here are some recommendations below for laptop/PC that may benefit you:
Potential Tower PC:
Support and services
Welcome to Westminster
Visit our Welcome to Westminster page for everything you need to get started at Westminster.
Student Centre
If you need help with enrolment or have any questions, please use the live chat.
Academic English
If you'd like to hone your academic English skills, watch our Academic English for Disciplinary Study Module video for starters and consider joining one of our Academic English Modules. If you have any questions, get in touch with the Academic English team at [email protected].