Computing for Digital Media and Games (with an industrial placement year) BSc (Hons)

Key information

Duration:
4 years full time
Typical A-level offer:
ABB
View full entry requirements
UCAS code:
G46F
Start date:
September 2026
  • 100% of our research impact in Computer Science and Informatics was assessed to be world leading or internationally excellent (REF 2021) 
  • =1st in the UK for spend per student in Computer Science and Information Systems (The Guardian University Guide 2025)

The digital media and games industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in the UK. At Sussex, we have a long history of being at the forefront of digital media development – from the origins of computer graphics, to today’s game-engine-based development and cloud-based video production.

On this degree, you’ll explore the established core technologies of computer science alongside specialised digital media and game development technology. You’ll gain the fundamental computer science knowledge to be at the forefront of advances in:

  • game development
  • digital media production
  • video effects
  • computer graphics
  • audio technology.

During your studies, you’ll become familiar with industry-standard equipment and cloud-based production in our digital media production facility and video studios. You’ll benefit from our industry links with companies such as Electric Square, Hangar 13 and Mavis Broadcast, with offices in Brighton. This means you’ll not only gain fundamental skills, but also have the opportunity to experience real-world digital development and industry-initiated projects.

When you graduate, you’ll have a portfolio showing the range of your digital media skills and expertise to potential employers. In addition, the optional year in industry is a great opportunity to gain real-world work experience. And, in Brighton you’ll find excellent career opportunities with the many local game and digital media companies.

Accreditation

  • Accredited by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered IT Professional. Find out more

To help you gain experience and increase your employability, you can apply for an optional placement as part of your course. This can be a fantastic opportunity to gain real-life insight into industry as well as skills valued by employers. You’ll be responsible for applying for and securing your placement. Our dedicated careers team can help you:

  • find an employer
  • draft an application
  • prepare for interviews.

Don’t worry if you’re not successful, you’ll simply transfer to a non-placement version of your course.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities described in this prospectus. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to government or regulatory requirements, or unanticipated staff changes, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.

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Entry requirements

A-level

Typical offer

ABB

Contextual offerView contextual offer

Not everyone has the same support to get to higher education – we help you reach your potential. When we receive applications through UCAS, we consider all factors and will sometimes make contextual offers as part of our Access and Participation Plan

GCSEs

You will also need GCSE (or equivalent) Mathematics, with at least grade 6 (or grade B).

We will also consider applicants with grade 5 in Mathematics if you are taking A-level Computer Science, Chemistry, Maths or Physics.

You should also have a broad range of GCSEs grade 9-4 (A*-C), including good grades in relevant subjects. 

Additional requirements

We do not expect applicants to have previous programming experience. We encourage applications from anyone who enjoys the challenges of problem-solving and relishes the potential of new technology.

Extended Project Qualification

We take the EPQ into account when considering your application and it can be useful in the summer when your results are released if you have narrowly missed the conditions of your offer.  We do not routinely include the EPQ in the conditions of your offer but we sometimes offer alternative conditions that include the EPQ. If you wish to discuss this further please contact us

Other UK qualifications

International Baccalaureate

Typical offer

32 points overall from the full IB Diploma.

Additional requirements

We do not expect applicants to have previous programming experience. We encourage applications from anyone who enjoys the challenges of problem-solving and relishes the potential of new technology.

European Baccalaureate

Typical offer

Overall result of at least 77%.

Additional requirements

You must have a good level of Mathematics.

We do not expect applicants to have previous programming experience. We encourage applications from anyone who enjoys the challenges of problem-solving and relishes the potential of new technology.

Other international qualifications

English language requirements

IELTS (Academic)

6.0 overall, including at least 5.5 in each component

Check your IELTS qualification meets all of our language requirements

Find out more about IELTS

IELTS scores are valid for two years from the test date. You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course.

We accept IELTS One Skills Retake.

We do not accept IELTS Online.

Other English language requirements

Proficiency tests

English language qualifications

Country exceptions

Admissions information for applicants

Transfers into Year 2

Yes. Find out more about transferring into Year 2 of this course. We don’t accept transfers into the third or final year.

If your qualifications aren’t listed or you have a question about entry requirements, contact us

For details on any additional costs, check out the Fees and scholarships section.

Don’t meet our entry requirements?

If you don't meet our entry requirements, we recommend our in-house Foundation Year course to prepare you for Year 1 of your chosen degree:

If you don't have the required language skills for this course you could consider the International Study Centre. The ISC offers a range of foundation courses in combination with English language teaching.

Modules

This is a single-honours course, allowing you to focus in depth on your core subject.

Find out about our types of undergraduate degrees, their structure, modules and credits

Core modules

Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2025/26. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

We’ll do our best to provide as much optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown here.

Check back in January 2026 for more details of the modules running in the academic year 2026/27.

Core modules

Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

Options

Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.

While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2025/26. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

We’ll do our best to provide as much optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown here.

Check back in January 2026 for more details of the modules running in the academic year 2026/27.

An industrial placement gives you the chance to spend a year working with an organisation, in an area relevant to your course, while being paid. It’s a proven way to fast-track your career.

Recent Informatics students have gone on placements at:

  • Curo Talent
  • Feral Interactive
  • Brandwatch.

You develop your technical, team-working and transferable skills, and apply what you have learnt in your studies to a business environment.

Find out more about placements and internships

Our careers team offers dedicated support to help you obtain a placement, including:

  • finding an employer
  • drafting an application
  • preparing for interviews
  • ongoing help throughout a placement.

Don’t worry if you’re not successful in securing a placement, you’ll simply transfer to a non-placement version of your course.

Please note that if you’re receiving – or applying for – USA federal Direct Loan funds, you can’t undertake your placement in the USA if the number of credits for the placement/internship exceeds 25% of the total credits for your course. Find out more about American Student Loans and Federal Student Aid

Core modules

Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

Options

Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.

While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2025/26. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

We’ll do our best to provide as much optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown here.

Check back in January 2026 for more details of the modules running in the academic year 2026/27.

TEF 2023 silver

Silver

The student experience and student outcomes are typically very high quality.
This rating was awarded in 2023, for four years.
(Teaching Excellence Framework 2023)

Find out more about our approach to teaching and supporting you to thrive

Our staff

We worked with a leading motion capture company to integrate motion capture into game development – and our research is recognised internationally.Dr Paul Newbury
Senior Lecturer in Multimedia Systems

Fees

Fees are not yet set for the academic year 2026/27 – please check back in September 2025. Note that your fees, once they’re set, may be subject to an increase on an annual basis.

Find out about typical living costs for studying at Sussex

Find out about our terms and conditions

Scholarships

Details of our scholarships are not yet set for entry in the academic year 2026/27.

Careers

IT skills are highly valued in many sectors. Your degree also provides skills in flexibility, critical thinking, problem solving and attention to detail.

Our graduates find employment in a diverse range of fields, including:

  • advertising
  • marketing and PR
  • banking
  • telecommunications
  • media production.

You benefit from our links with industry, which are as diverse as American Express, Demos (the think-tank) and the V&A Museum. Our curriculum is informed by sector experts who sit on an advisory board, ensuring that what we teach is what industry needs.

Leading companies such as Creative Assembly, IBM, Microsoft and Thales have visited recently to talk to our students.

Graduate destinations

<p>Recent graduates have gone on to jobs such as:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>full stack internal apps developer</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Unity software developer</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>computer science teacher</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>programmer</p>
</li>
<li>software engineer.</li>
</ul>
<p>Our recent graduates are employed at companies including Unity Technologies, Electric Square, Tripadvisor, American Express, The Software Institute, Sitel Group, The Lego Group and Capita.</p>
<p><em>(Department of Informatics careers database)</em></p>

What to do with a Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence degree

Explore the careers you might be interested in after studying for a degree in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence

Working while you study

Our Careers and Entrepreneurship team can help you find part-time work while you study. Find out more about career development and part-time work

Design your future at Sussex

Taking the next step in your career can feel daunting, but we’ll help you to explore, connect and flourish throughout your studies and beyond.

As a Sussex student, you’ll learn how to tackle real-world challenges and have access to tailored programmes of careers support:

  • our Career Lab helps you to explore your options, build key skills and connect with employers. Take part in internships, community consultancy projects and insight visits, where you can learn about life at organisations including Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, Gatwick Airport and the Knepp Rewilding Project
  • one-to-one coaching with your Faculty Careers Consultant can enable you to identify your career goals, write an effective CV and prepare for future interviews
  • entrepreneurship initiatives like StartUp Sussex and Ideas Lab can empower you to turn your concepts into reality.

Explore how our Careers and Entrepreneurship team can support you

National Enterprise Educator Awards logo

Winner
Entrepreneurship Catalyst Award
National Enterprise Educator Awards 2024

The Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services logo

Winner
Supporting Student and Graduate Employability Award
AGCAS Awards for Excellence 2024

Rate My Placement Awards - Celebrating the Best Student Employers and Universities for Work Experience

Top 50
Best Universities for Work Experience in the UK
2025 RateMyPlacement Awards

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