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TRAINING SPOTLIGHT This month: Abertay University


Abertay University is well renowned in the industry for offering the world’s first higher education game development degree back in 1997. Since then many other educational institutions have followed suit, but the university has the highest number of Skillset accreditations for computer games courses in the UK, as well as holding Skillset Media Academy status. It now offers courses covering


computer art, game audio, design and production management and programming and technology, as well as also offering postgraduate courses such as its professional masters program in games development, launched as recently as 2009. Academic director for Abertay’s


institute for Arts, Media and Computer Games Louis Natanson says there are many benefits open to students who study at the campus, beyond the university’s reputation as a leading industry education hub. “We’ve always worked very closely with the industry, to ensure our courses are developing the skills graduates need to get great jobs and be productive in a company from day one,” he says.


inComm +44 (0) 1489 556700 He adds that staff on the courses


have worked for companies including Codemasters, DMA Design, Denki and EA, whilst the University brings in companies to meet students, mentor them and also provide advice and set real commercial briefs for student projects to help bring them a step closer to the real thing.


We’ve always worked closely


with the industry to ensure our courses are developing the


skills needed. Louis Natanson, Abertay


He also says that Abertay has


“particularly close working relationships” with other companies such as Disney, Microsoft, Sony and Ubisoft, and has an industry advisory panel that helps keep Abertay up to date with the latest trends in the


industry and what studios are in most need of, as well as helping guide the curriculum it delivers. Natanson believes what sets the


Scottish university apart is that it allows students to make games as part of a team, providing them with the skills needed to work on big projects with many other developers.


www. incomm-europe.com MPG “Art, audio, game design and


programming students work together on real projects, building real games,” he says. “That’s how the industry works, so


that’s how we teach.” One student to have studied at the


university is Dave Jones, creator of Grand Theft Auto, and Natanson claims


www.mpg-universal.com


62 | APRIL 2012


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