High-Performance Graphics and Games Engineering MSc

By studying this Masters degree, you’ll be well placed to join one of the most performance-driven applications of computer science – the multi-billion pound global games industry. As a graduate, you will work at the top-end of the games industry and will develop computer graphics on high-performance platforms, or write engines for the next generation of games.

Developed in collaboration with a prestigious steering group, this course will build on your computer science knowledge to specialise in computer graphics, where programmers must push computing resources to the limit, using deep understanding of architecture and high-performance programming to generate new levels of graphical realism and visual effects on cutting-edge hardware platforms.

You’ll gain proficiency in low-level programming, a thorough understanding of multi-core and many-core programming techniques, game engine and tool development techniques, and fundamental insight into graphics and the practical techniques used in games.

Designed to meet the needs of industry

You can be sure that what you learn will be the technical skills required by industry as this course has been developed in collaboration with a prestigious steering group from industry comprising:
- Barog Game Labs
- Double Eleven
- Epic Games
- NVIDIA
- Team 17
- Sumo Digital
- Weaseltron.

Members of our steering group will contribute to the delivery of the course ensuring that you learn the latest industry developments. You’ll also have the opportunity to engage directly with the games industry, through:

• co-curricula industry lectures

• visits to games development companies

• attending UK games events.

We are also a member of Game Republic, which is an industry-led professional games network that supports and promotes the Yorkshire and Northern England games sector. We hope that students of this course will take part in the Game Republic student showcase.

Course highlights

• Our courses are shaped by our world-leading research in areas such as artificial intelligence, computational science and engineering, computational medicine and distributed systems.

• We’re a partner of the Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence.

• During your project work you will access specialist facilities and laboratories in the brand new Sir William Henry Bragg Building.

• Benefit from close links with the games industry, including input from our industrial steering group and the opportunity to participate in the annual Game Republic student showcase

Specialist facilities

You will use workstations with high-end GPUs to act as DirectX12 and Vulkan games development platforms and have access to other specialist hardware including the latest Virtual Reality headsets for experimenting on. For learning games engine design and exploring new rendering techniques, students will build their own game engine from scratch.

Programme team

You will be taught by a team of academics and researchers who are actively engaged in cutting-edge research and part of the Visualization and Computer Graphics research group.

Our course gives you the opportunity to study graphics in depth.

During the first half of the year you will study a range of modules which will develop your knowledge and skills in high-performance graphics and games engineering. By the end of this course, your technical skills – as demanded by the industry – will be second to none in the following areas:

• low-level programming (C++, Graphic and Compute shaders)

• multi-core and many core programming techniques

• computer graphics, from core principles to the practical techniques used in games, including geometric models; animation and simulation; advanced methods for visual realism

• game engine and tool development techniques

During the second half of the year, over the summer months, you’ll also work on your research project. This gives you the chance to work as an integral part of one of our active research groups, focusing on a specialist topic in computer science and selecting the appropriate research methods

To find out more about projects past students have completed, visit our Visualization and Computer Graphics group page

Want to find out more about your modules?

Take a look at the High-Performance Graphics and Games Engineering module descriptions for more detail on what you will study.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read High-Performance Graphics and Games Engineering MSc in the course catalogue

Modules

Year 1

Learning and teaching

We have an active research environment which feeds directly into our teaching. You’ll have regular contact with staff through lectures, seminars, tutorials, small group work and project meetings. Independent study is also important to the programme, as you develop your problem-solving and research skills as well as your subject knowledge.

Our close links with industry also mean that you have direct contact with industry and potential employers from an early stage in your course. Members of our steering group will contribute to the delivery of the course ensuring that you learn the latest industry developments. You’ll also have the opportunity to engage directly with the games industry through industry lectures, visits to games development companies and attending UK games events.

Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it’s a central place where you can find all the information and resources for the School, your programme and modules.

You can also benefit from support to develop your academic skills, within the curriculum and through online resources, workshops, one-to-one appointments and drop-in sessions.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

You’ll be assessed using a range of techniques including case studies, technical reports, presentations, in-class tests, assignments and exams.

Entry requirements

A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in computer science. Other Computing based degrees may be considered on a case by case basis.

We require all applicants to have studied a breadth of relevant modules including significant programming (including C++), systems development, data structures and algorithms, with strong marks across all these modules. Prior exposure to the mathematics relevant to computer graphics, in particular linear algebra, is strongly recommended.

Relevant work experience will also be considered.

We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications. For more information please contact the Admissions Team.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component.. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Engineering (6 weeks) and Language for Science: Engineering (10 weeks). 

If you need to study for longer than 10 weeks, read more about our postgraduate pre-sessional English course.

How to apply

Application deadlines

Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

29 July 2022 – International applicants

9 September 2022 - UK applicants

Apply

This link takes you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.

If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2022

Fees

• UK: £11,500 (total)
• International: £25,000 (total)

Additional cost information

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government.  Find out more at Masters funding overview.

A degree from Leeds and the experience you'll gain here will give you the edge to find the career you want. Your course will give you the experience and knowledge that employers are looking for to help you secure a job.

The University of Leeds is in the top five most targeted universities in the UK by graduate recruiters, according to High Fliers’ The Graduate Market in 2021 report.

There is a shortage of highly skilled graduates in this field, so once you’ve completed this course it’s highly likely that you will be in demand. You’ll be well placed to join the multi-billion pound global games industry, in positions such as a software developer, technology leader for graphics and rendering or a games development leader or a technical director. You’ll be expected to progress rapidly into leadership roles, becoming the ‘go to’ person for expertise in graphics technologies.

Outside the games industry, the programming skills you develop during this course would allow you to secure a position in other performance-driven industries, for example embedded systems. Your computer graphics expertise could lead to opportunities in the animation and visual production industries.

Our graduates have secured positions at companies such as:

• Apple

• Rockstar

• Frontier

• Red Kite

• Perfect World

Read profiles of our alumni to find out more about where some of our graduates are working.

Careers support

At Leeds we help you to prepare for your future from day one. Our Leeds for Life initiative is designed to help you develop and demonstrate the skills and experience you need for when you graduate. We will help you to access opportunities across the University and record your key achievements so you are able to articulate them clearly and confidently.

You’ll have access to the wide range of careers resources and support from your Careers Service. You’ll have the chance to attend industry presentations, book appointments with qualified careers consultants and take part in employability workshops and webinars. Our careers fairs provide further opportunities to explore your career options with some of the UKs leading employers.

You will also have full access to the University’s Careers Centre, which is one of the largest in the country.

There are also plenty of exciting ways you can volunteer during your time at Leeds. Find out more at the Leeds University Union website.