Successful game dev course closed at University of Wales
Degree which saw up to 71% of graduates join industry closed for financial reasons
The University of Wales at Newport has closed its degree level Games Development & A.I. programme, effective immediately - citing financial and political reasons.
The course was expected to see an increase in applications in the 2011 academic year, thanks to exposure from events such as the Global Game Jam and coverage in specialist press, recruitment for any this year and beyond has been halted. The university claims that between 35 and 71 per cent of graduates from the course found relevant industry jobs each year.
Emergency cuts imposed by the government, and filtered down via the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, meant that a 5 per cent reduction in student numbers was necessary for the 2011 academic year - on top of a 50 per cent cut in clearing admissions. All Computing Awards, excluding Forensic Computing, have been proposed for permanent withdrawal at Newport.
The Games Development & A.I. BSc was a casualty of these cuts, but hope does perhaps lie on the horizon in the refocusing of some of the country's funding for school leavers.
These cuts apply to undergraduate programs, but Newport has a been encouraged to apply for funding in the area of foundation degrees, with the heavily vocational Games Development & A.I. course being seen as a solid applicant for this status, especially in the light of the shortfalls identified by the Livingstone Hope review.
The plan is currently in the hands of the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, with the new Creative Technology and Games foundation degree due to start in 2012 if funding is granted. If it is, the new course would see a higher level of integration with relevant local business and potentially a much more focused approach to game development.
It is important to note that the highly thought of BA Computer Games Design course, currently run by the School of Art Media and Design, is unaffected by these changes. Both courses worked well together, meeting most, if not all, of the criteria Alex Hope outlined for the "best" courses, with the programmin students definitely benefiting from working side-by-side with the artists. Such collaborations, and involvement with extra-curricular activities, paid off with three teams applying to Dare last year, two interviewed, and one Angry Mango, winning. This, if nothing else, shows the level of talent, dedication and determination of our graduates.
It is sad that some of our alumni have joined the Canadian brain drain, and oneof our best, who I hope won't mind me naming (Carlos Massiah late at Frontier) has been a victim, like many, of layoffs. In an overly secretive Industry where incomplete projects are not allowed to be put on the CV, where does that leave Carlos, a gifted graduate with nothing to show for years of work?
Dr. Mike Reddy
Posted:2 years ago