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Computer Games Courses
Abertay University is the TOP International School for Video Games (Princeton Review, 2026)
Abertay University is the TOP International School for Video Games (Princeton Review, 2026)
In 1997, Abertay did something no university had done before: it launched the world's first computer games degree. Sony's PlayStation had just introduced real-time 3D gaming, and the industry desperately needed programmers who could handle the maths and code behind it. Abertay, sitting in the middle of Dundee's exploding games scene, built the degree the industry was asking for.
Nearly three decades later, the results speak for themselves. Abertay has been ranked #1 in Europe for undergraduate games courses for eight consecutive years by the Princeton Review. In 2025, it was named the top international school for video games worldwide. Postgraduate courses consistently rank inside the global top 10.
This isn't a university that bolted a games programme onto an existing computer science department. Games education is in Abertay's DNA.
Dundee isn't just a university city. It's one of the world's most important games cities. DMA Design (now Rockstar North) created both Lemmings and the original Grand Theft Auto here. 4J Studios built the console editions of Minecraft here. The company founder, Dave Jones, was instrumental in helping Abertay develop its first games degrees.
That legacy is alive today. Dundee is home to one of the UK's largest clusters of games studios, and it's the only UK city with UNESCO City of Design status. When you study at Abertay, you're not learning about the games industry from a distance, you're embedded in it.
This isn't years of theory before you touch an engine. Abertay students build real, playable games from the start, working in cross-disciplinary teams — programmers alongside artists, designers alongside producers — just like a real studio.
Abertay is a leading partner in Sony's PlayStation First initiative and is home to one of Europe's largest PlayStation 5 development labs. Specialist facilities include a motion capture studio, a professional sound recording studio, a VR/AR lab, and dedicated game development studios. In late 2024, Abertay became the first institution in Scotland to be designated an Adobe Creative Campus.
Each year, student teams compete in Dare Academy, Abertay's flagship game development competition. Finalists have showcased their games at EGX, the UK's biggest games expo, and winning teams receive investment to develop their prototypes further. Dare has launched real studios: Bit Loom Games, whose Phogs! started as a Dare entry, went on to a commercial release and has been featured in national exhibitions.
Six of Abertay's games degrees hold TIGA accreditation. Courses are also accredited by Screen Skills, BCS (The Chartered Institute for IT), and JAMES. A BCS-accredited degree entitles you to professional membership and puts you on the path to Chartered IT Professional status. Some employers recruit preferentially from accredited programmes.
Computer Game Applications Development
Visual Effects for Games and Real-Time Media
Technical Art and Visual Effects
Abertay alumni are at Rockstar, Sony, Ubisoft, EA, Naughty Dog, Microsoft, 4J Studios, and studios across the world. Typical roles include game designer, game programmer, technical artist, VFX artist, project manager, creative director, and software engineer.
Michael Barclay, a Computer Games Technology graduate, went on to become a Game Designer at Naughty Dog — the studio behind The Last of Us and Uncharted. He's not an outlier. Abertay consistently produces graduates who end up at the top of the industry.
Many students also gain work experience at Dundee's studios during their studies, and Abertay's alumni network actively supports graduates making the transition into the industry through mentoring, portfolio reviews, and job referrals.
Dundee is compact, affordable, and well-connected, but what sets it apart is the density of its games ecosystem. With over 300 game developers and creators across Scotland, and Dundee as the historic epicentre, the networking opportunities are unmatched for a city of its size. It's a city where you can bump into the people who made the games you grew up playing.
Abertay's campus is fully city centre, with every building within a stone's throw of each other. Shops, bars, the V&A Dundee design museum, and the main transport links are all walkable.
