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Game Development
Graduate Diploma of Game Development (Game Art or Game Programming specialisations) (NZQA Level 7, 260 credits)
Computer games are changing the world of entertainment and interactive learning. From simulation based games to role-playing games, puzzle games, advertising games and shoot’em ups, games have become pervasive in our lives.
Media Design School’s award winning Graduate Diploma of Game Development (NZQA Level 7) is a 2-year graduate qualification that is generally completed in a compressed 18-month timeframe. The game development training offered by Media Design School and subsequent qualification are unique in New Zealand and were developed in conjunction with the industry that continues to monitor and advise through the qualification’s Industry Panel. Students can choose to specialise in either game programming or game art. A unique part of the qualification is that during the last six months students work in a team(s) to develop a game with game artist and game programmers working collaboratively.
Final game projects previously developed by students at Media Design School have gone on to win numerous international and local awards.
Game Programming Stream Students studying game programming learn to develop and apply programming languages, mathematics and mechanical physics, artificial intelligence (AI), graphics programming with visual effects. Skills and experience are also gained through the project management and game production summative during the development of an original game for the final team project. The game programming students and game art students work together to produce the final team games with each student accepting a production or project development role within the team. Game Art Stream Students who choose to study game art focus on 3D modeling, rendering and animation for games (using the industry standard software of Autodesk Maya), interactive storytelling and the creative and production processes involved in game art. Game art students then collaborate with game programming students and apply their skills to the final class project developing critical design skills and valuable team project experience. Computer games are changing the world of entertainment and interactive learning. From simulation based games to role-playing games, puzzle games, advertising games and shoot’em ups, games have become pervasive in our lives.
Media Design School’s award winning Graduate Diploma of Game Development (NZQA Level 7) is a 2-year graduate qualification that is generally completed in a compressed 18-month timeframe. The game development training offered by Media Design School and subsequent qualification are unique in New Zealand and were developed in conjunction with the industry that continues to monitor and advise through the qualification’s Industry Panel. Students can choose to specialise in either game programming or game art. A unique part of the qualification is that during the last six months students work in a team(s) to develop a game with game artist and game programmers working collaboratively.
Final game projects previously developed by students at Media Design School have gone on to win numerous international and local awards.
As a graduate programme, applicants must be able to show they have the maturity and capability to take a systematic and coherent approach to their studies to study at a graduate level. Students work independently resolving issues, manage their workload and are an effective contributing team worker. New Zealand’s largest game development company, Sidhe Interactive, in partnership with the Media Design School, has offered one scholarship each intake to our Graduate Diploma of Game Development course. Click here to read more.
Click here to read about the achievements of New Zealand's first videogame graduates - 12 talented individual's from Media Design School's Graduate Diploma of Game Development.
Team Game Prototype Showcase
Click here to view game projects involving both artists and programmers, emulating industry practices and protocols.
Team Game Project Showcase
Graduate Outcomes
Graduates have the capability of entering the gaming industry as skilled game developers (game art or game programming) and are well able to show they have the necessary experience of working as a member of a team on a game production project.
Graduate employment prospects* include Game Artist, Game Programmer, Developer, Game Designer, Producer, Project Manager, Texture Artist, Character Animator, Concept Artist, Graphics Programmer, Level Designer, Physics Programmer, Animator, AI Programmer.
*Employment prospects are dependent on what stream (game art or game programming) is studied.
MDS game development graduates have been employed by a range of companies including Sidhe Interactive, Binary Star, Animal Logic, Virtual Spectator, Metia Interactive, Grinding Gears, and Pure Depth.
Media Design School reserves the right to modify or amend the curriculum and/or software applications without written notice.
