MComp Games Software Development
Five years full-time (including one year work placement) or four years full-time
UCAS code • G612
Location • City Campus
Subject area • Computing
Related subjects • Media arts
By adding to My Courses you can compare courses and create a personalised prospectus.
View videos of work completed by students on our games software course.
Watch the trailer for Bounceback, Sheffield Hallam students' PSP Minis game title that won three out of four Game Republic awards in 2012.
Listen to final year students talking about Steel Minions, Sheffield Hallam's commercially licensed game development studio.
Videogame visionaries at Sumo Digital are mentoring our games development students through a series of placements at the Yorkshire studio.
Read profiles about the staff in our computing subject area.
Read about our final year and postgraduate games development students who won three first-prize awards in the North's biggest games industry-led awards.
View profiles of students on this course.
Our Digital Design Centre can print medium to large format high quality outputs on a range of different media. The laboratories have software supporting 2D and 3D engineering and creative design applications. Find out more.
Year one modules
• fundamentals of programming • fundamentals of computer architecture • introduction to game development • mathematics for graphics • professionalism and communication skills • introduction to requirements and systems modelling
Year two core modules
• object-oriented programming • software hardware optimisation techniques • mathematics for modelling and rendering • programming for games • web application development • professional development project
Year three
• optional work placement
Year three/four core modules
• research methods • professional development • 3D games prototyping • game software project management • real-time 3D techniques for games
Year three/four options
• effective C++ programming or animation and special effects • mobile applications or special techniques for graphics and animation or realistic animation
Final year core modules
• tools, libraries and frameworks • individual project • industrial practice • game development practice • games case studies
Final year options
• multiprocessing and parallel systems • asset creation
Find out more about studying MComp Games Software Development
 
You apply for this course through UCAS.
The course fee may be subject to annual inflationary increase. For further information on fees and funding see www.shu.ac.uk/study/ug/fees-and-funding
2013/14 academic year
Typically £10,680 a year
2014/15 academic year
Typically £11,250 a year
The course fee may be subject to annual inflationary increase. For further information on fees, scholarships and bursaries see www.shu.ac.uk/international/fees
• individual coursework • group work • examinations • dissertation
Find out about work placements and how we can support your placement experience.
Optional year-long work placements are normally gained by competitive interview and are not a guaranteed part of a course.
This course is accredited by Skillset and the British Computer Society.
It counts towards the academic requirements for registration as a Chartered IT Professional with Further Learning, and full Chartered Engineer.
This course is also a proud academic partner of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. We also work in partnership with other internationally recognised companies in the design, development and delivery of the course.
Cuboid (2.29)
Cuboid, by BSc (Hons) Games Software Development students.
Cuboid, by BSc (Hons) Games Software Development students.
Cuboid was produced by a small group of students for an undergraduate module called programming for games. The game was created using DirectX and visual studio.
The team members were • Simon Morris • Ashley Colin-Richardson • Gary Thomson • Ben Marshall.
Eden (2:31)
Eden was produced by students for a final year undergraduate module called games design. 3D assets and characters were created using 3dsMax while the environment and game mechanics were created using Epic's UDK.
The team won third place for game design at the Game Republic student showcase 2010.
The team members were • Ian Smith • Griffin Warner • Oliver Riley • Nicola Honey • Joseph Thompson.
More videos
Cuboid (2.29)
Cuboid, by BSc (Hons) Games Software Development students.
Eden (2:31)
Sheffield Hallam students' game 'Bounceback' wins three awards (0:47)
Steel Minions is Sheffield Hallam's own commercial game development studio providing workplace simulation to students on our games degrees. It is a licensed PlayStation Minis and iOS developer with a range of games in development.
Steel Minions' first title 'BounceBack' walked away with three out of four awards at the 2012 Game Republic student showcase. The PSP Minis title won the Four Door Lemon prize for best technology, the Sumo Digital prize for best game design and the Rockstar Leeds prize for best team.
Steel Minions games studio (2:34)
Steel Minions games studio
Final year students on the MComp Games Software Development degree talk about their experiences working in Steel Minions, our commercially licensed game development studio, as part of their course.
Sumo Digital placement opportunities

Our placement students at Sumo Digital
A group of students from Sheffield Hallam University's game development courses are being mentored by the videogame visionaries at Sumo Digital with a series of placements at the Yorkshire studio.
The company, which has produced hits such as Sonic and SEGA All Stars Racing, and the Dr Who games, asked Sheffield Hallam to supply them with 13 interns as part of their relationship with the University's new game development studio.
Dr Jacob Habgood, senior lecturer in games development, said: "The fact that the largest developer in the region is giving our students these opportunities is really exciting.
"Along with the chance of developing games in-house here at Sheffield Hallam, they now have the chance to be involved in developing major international releases and working with some really inspirational industry figures."
In December 2010 the University launched its own development studio, called Steel Minions, which has become a registered PlayStation Minis developer through its partnership with Sony. The University is currently one of very few in the UK to have the ability to bring games developed in-house to market.
Sumo Digital's studio manager, Paul Porter, said: "We're really impressed with the standard of Sheffield Hallam's students, and it's great that we can utilise their skills and talent through these placements.
"The games industry is a tough one to break into, so opportunities like this are key for students and graduates, as is being able to learn in an environment like the Steel Minions games studio."
Dr Peter O’Neill
Associate lecturer and acting module leader for programming for computing
I joined Sheffield Hallam University in 2008 as an associate lecturer in Visual Basic to first year undergraduates. In 2009 I extended my role and became the acting module leader for programming for computing, as well as supervising undergraduates with their final year BSc projects and postgraduates with their MSc projects.
In addition, I work at Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Sheffield and I also run my own company called Madhouse Software Productions Ltd, developing software applications in the domain of electronic assistive technology (EAT), for the elderly and disabled, the research areas I obtained my PhD.
Prior to the above employment, I worked for the Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering Department at Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, undertaking research in the enhancement of the prescription of integrated EAT (IEAT). For example, communication aids (speaking on behalf of the users), environmental controls (turning the television, lights etc., on and off in the users home) and mobility (driving an electric wheelchair), all of which were controlled by a single personal computer. During this time I also lectured at Barnsley College, teaching students to program in C / C++.
My main area of interest and focus is single switch-based EAT) That is the creation of software applications, to improve the prescription of assistive technology (AT) and the use of these technologies, to enhance the user's quality of life.
Peter Mulvihill

Senior lecturer
I teach on the managing business finance and supporting entrepreneurial ventures modules taken by BSc Business and ICT, BSc IT with Business Studies and BSc IT Management students.
After studying for a BA (Hons) in Business Studies at Nottingham Trent, I went on to work in accounting in industry for around five years. I then spent nearly three years as a professional drummer. After this, I returned to study a PGCE in Business and Finance at the Bolton Institute of Higher Education. I then went on to work in further education for the next six years.
I came to Sheffield Hallam in 1990 as a senior lecturer, teaching various accounting modules on professional, degree and higher national courses. I am currently the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) course leader.
My area of expertise is financial accounting, with a particular interest in small businesses. Although I have been involved in some research during my academic career, I am principally a lecturer and teacher.
Dr Paul Parry
Subject group leader in business computing
Until very recently I was the postgraduate study area leader in the area of art, design, media and computer games where I was responsible for the strategic planning of postgraduate courses, quality and procedures, resourcing and operational issues. As such I have been instrumental in setting up many of the links between the PG and UG Game Software Development courses.
I deliver core teaching on the games courses in the areas of programming and games, including C++ programming, project management, DirectX and 3D graphics. In my teaching I have promoted the collaboration of students from the disciplines of games programming and digital animation, allowing them to work together on shared projects in an attempt to mirror the way the game industry works.
I have developed working relationships with computer games companies such as Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Sumo, as well as with the regional computer games company's trade association, Game Republic.
Alongside my teaching and course management responsibilities, I continue to conduct research in the area of computer graphics and software requirements engineering. I have published and presented several refereed conference and journal papers.
Mike Heselton
Senior lecturer and admissions tutor
Mike is a senior lecturer in information systems, and is also an admissions tutor.
Mike joined Sheffield Hallam University in 2003 and has worked on final year undergraduate modules of the business information systems (BIS) degree and postgraduate modules in IT project management.
His specialist area is project management and he spent 13 years as a senior project manager in large organisations such as British Steel, Cap Gemini and Royal Mail. The bulk of his time was spent managing large, complex projects that were often multinational and with multi-million pound budgets.
Outside the University Mike sits on the Information Systems Examination Board (ISEB) panel for IT project management and is also an examiner for project management on the British Computer Society's Professional Diploma. As an approved membership assessor he is involved in process of awarding CITP recognition to those applying to become chartered IT practitioners.
Mike is passionate about the role of BIS in preparing young people for careers as managers within the IT departments of large organisations. He has led a programme of promoting BIS to schools and colleges and works with employers to help shape improvements to the BIS degree.
Graham Coyne

Senior lecturer
I teach on five modules - computer technology for business; ICT infrastructure, information systems, information systems methods and organisations, and web-based information systems.
My academic background is in physics and computing. I mainly worked in the area of information systems for the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK and Eire in roles covering the whole of the software development life cycle. The NHS is a rich, complex and interesting domain which is often underestimated by suppliers of information systems.
For the last ten years or so I have been teaching mostly undergraduates at Sheffield Hallam, on courses covering information systems, analysis and design, computing fundamentals, and communications in a business and organisational context.
I hope that the internet and other emerging technologies may be used to promote an inclusive and healthy society.
Lynne Dawson

Senior lecturer
I have a BSc Mathematics with Computing from the University of Bath (1989), a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Warwick (2005) and am a Chartered Mathematician with the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.
I teach on the BSc Computing and BSc IT Management routes. I have worked at Sheffield Hallam for ten years and teach across all undergraduate levels. My main area of expertise is IT service management (based around the ITIL Framework), and I am certified in ITIL at Foundation and Intermediate level. I also teach topics such as computer technology, and architectures for enterprise applications, as well as being the co-ordinator for final year projects.
My industrial experience includes working as a front-line IT support analyst for a variety of financial institutions in the City of London, and as an IT consultant, specialising in designing and implementing highly available IT solutions for clients such as Vodafone, Transco (British Gas), Telewest, Walkers Crisps, and local governments.
Dr Andrew Hirst

Senior lecturer in enterprise and business development
I teach on three modules - new venture creation, managing a growing business, and supporting entrepreneurial ventures (taken by BSc Business and ICT, BSc IT with Business Studies and BSc IT Management students).
I gained a PhD from Loughborough University in marketing research. I specialised in multivariate data analysis which include techniques such as conjoint analysis, regression/discriminant analysis, factor/cluster analysis and was a post-doctoral researcher in relationship management and new product development.
My academic career has so far resulted in publications in prestigious marketing journals and conference proceedings, such as European Journal of Marketing, Marketing Letters and the proceedings of the European Marketing Academy. I have practical research experience in marketing research and this work included focus group, interviews, data analysis, eye tracking studies, location planning and forecasting.
I also have a blue chip career background working at companies such as British Aerospace, Experian, Tesco, Gala Group, IDmagasin and Business Link. I have worked with over 200 SMEs and been a consultant to a range of market sectors that involved project working for Coca Cola, Warburton's, KwikSave, TSB, Orange Telecomms, and major banks.
Paul Henderson

Senior lecturer
My main teaching areas are project management, system design, and database implementation (Microsoft Access)
I teach preparatory year, first year and second year students, both foundation degree and named degree. I am interested in the analysis and design processes that lead to database implementation and am keen to show students the usefulness of Microsoft Access.
I worked for many years in various roles in the computer industry and try to use that experience in my teaching, where appropriate.
Bob Steele

Principal Lecturer
I have a long teaching and research career at Sheffield Hallam, working in the areas of concurrent processes, human computer interaction, multi-media systems and, more latterly, interaction design in computer games.
Together with Paul Parry, I have led the development of the MSc Game Software Development courses and has taken an active role in establishing working relationships with games companies and the regional trade association, Game Republic. I took the lead in the creation of the Academic Game Network as an academic arm of Game Republic, with the aim of creating more formal academic/company relationships in the region. I also developed the initial proposal for a national accreditation scheme for computer games courses and undertook the research and development work on behalf of Skillset for the creation of the accreditation criteria.
I have acted as external academic adviser on validation panels for computer games courses at several UK Universities, including Abertay, Portsmouth, Coventry, UCLAN and Hull. I am an external examiner at the Universities of Coventry and Lancaster.
In 2010 I instigated the proposal for the creation of the Steel Minions studio and negotiated with the University on its establishment.
I continue to deliver teaching in the areas of interaction design and approaches to games design. I have a particular interest in the development of innovation in teaching involving getting programming and arts students to collaborate on joint project work.
Kiefer Lee

Principal lecturer in marketing
I teach on the marketing planning and management module taken by final year BSc Business and ICT, BSc IT with Business Studies and BSc IT Management students.
I specialise in strategic marketing management, developing market innovations, international/global marketing and strategic alliances. I am currently programme leader for the undergraduate business and management courses. I am also an elected member of the Faculty Academic Board and the Academic Development Committee at the Business School.
As a practitioner, I am a professionally accredited Chartered Marketer, having spent a number of years in project management and business development roles in the healthcare sector, managing international marketing activities for a number of small and medium-sized companies. I am highly committed to publishing and disseminating good practice. I am the lead author of 'Global Marketing Management: Changes, New Challenges and Strategies' published by the Oxford University Press.
I am passionate about learning, teaching and assessment (LTA). I am particularly encouraged by the prospect of taking leadership and making contribution to enhancing LTA, enthusing and motivating others to do the same. I am highly committed to the development and delivery of innovative learning experiences that truly engage students in the process of constructing their own knowledge. I see this as a valuable opportunity to be exposed to the latest thinking in LTA development, and to engage in research-led reflection.
Sue Marriott

Principal lecturer, strategy and enterprise
I teach on the BA Business Studies, BA Business Studies and Enterprise Management, BSc Business, ICT, BSc IT with Business Studies and BSc IT Management courses.
Before joining Sheffield Hallam in 2002, I worked in a number of private and public sector organisations. Originally a civil servant in the Department of Employment, I worked on the Enterprise Allowance Scheme and on Business Growth Training Programmes monitoring the progress of small businesses. I then joined a private sector organisation that offered training for start-up businesses and also engaged in consultancy work in the public and private sectors.
Returning to the public sector in 1993, I worked for Sheffield Training and Enterprise Council managing their development team. This involved designing, piloting, and securing funding for a range of initiatives designed to encourage • enterprise in small businesses, and • individuals to engage in lifelong learning. From there I moved to Business Link South Yorkshire, developing a range of services for business start-ups.
My current interests are still firmly in the enterprise field, mainly focused on individual and organisational competitiveness, but I also have an interest in business ethics.
Nick Williams

Senior lecturer in enterprise and strategic management
I teach on the supporting entrepreneurial ventures module taken by BSc Business and ICT, BSc IT with Business Studies and BSc IT Management students.
Before joining Sheffield Hallam University I worked as a researcher, completing research and evaluation projects for central, regional and local government bodies as well as the private sector. My work included evaluations of enterprise policy (including cultural aspects such as enterprise education), business support and cluster strategy.
My interests are in entrepreneurship, competition and economic development. I am currently working on a number of research projects, mainly related to entrepreneurship in uncompetitive regions and in deprived urban neighbourhoods.
Graham Coyne
Senior lecturer
I teach on five modules - computer technology for business; ICT infrastructure, information systems, information systems methods and organisations, and web-based information systems.
My academic background is in physics and computing. I mainly worked in the area of information systems for the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK and Eire in roles covering the whole of the software development life cycle. The NHS is a rich, complex and interesting domain which is often underestimated by suppliers of information systems.
For the last ten years or so I have been teaching mostly undergraduates at Sheffield Hallam, on courses covering information systems, analysis and design, computing fundamentals, and communications in a business and organisational context.
I hope that the internet and other emerging technologies may be used to promote an inclusive and healthy society.
Anita Whitworth

Portfolio manager for BSc Business and ICT, IT with Business Studies and BSc IT Management
I am a non-teaching member of staff whose role is to support students in their studies. I have worked at the University for several years supporting students on computing and business and enterprise courses.
After gaining a degree in American studies/history I moved into the travel industry where she gained managerial experience before moving to Sheffield Hallam University in 2004. I have since gained a Masters degree in history from Sheffield Hallam.
My work interests lie in looking at ways of making students' experience at Sheffield Hallam as positive and enjoyable as possible. In order to facilitate this I have undergone training in counselling, coaching and mentoring and helping students with learning difficulties, particularly Aspergers syndrome.
Ann Norton
Subject leader, strategic management
I teach on the BA Business Studies, BSc Business and ICT and BSc IT with Business Studies courses.
The first part of my career was spent working for a major UK bank, primarily in the area of marketing. After 11 years in banking I moved on to work for a research and consultancy company, undertaking research for European financial service institutions.
In 1992 I joined Sheffield Hallam as a senior lecturer and course leader for the MBA Financial Services, and later as programme leader for the European MBA. I became a principal lecturer in 2002, taking on the role of subject leader for the strategic management subject group. My teaching is primarily in the field of strategic management, organisational change and strategic human resource management, delivering on postgraduate, undergraduate and professional programmes.
My expertise and research interest is in the contribution and relationship of human resources (HR) strategy with business strategy, and the impact on organisational performance. I have co-authored a number of text books on organisations and management, and have undertaken consultancy work on the design and implementation of HR strategy, policies and practices, both for blue chip companies and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
In addition to my University roles, I work for a number of professional bodies including the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, the Charted Institute of Bankers, the Institute of Directors and the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.
Steve Brierley

Senior lecturer and first year tutor for BSc Business and ICT, IT with Business Studies and IT Management
I teach on the information systems and ICT infrastructure modules.
I graduated from Sheffield University in electronic engineering in 1970 then took a Masters course in control systems. Following this, I worked in the steel industry for 26 years, and then ended up as the IT manager for the Stainless Division before leaving in 2000. I have extensive experience in management and technology.
I joined Sheffield Hallam in 2001 as an associate lecturer, and latterly as a full-time lecturer. My areas of expertise are knowledge management, business applications architecture, data modelling, information systems, online learning and database design.
Dr Peter Collingwood

Subject group leader in software engineering, graphics and multimedia
I have had a long academic career at Sheffield Hallam University, during which I have used my background in mathematics and control theory to underpin my lecturing and research activities in the areas of distributed computer systems and the behaviour of multiprocessor systems, mobile robotics, intelligent agents and genetic programming.
My main teaching input on the course is on programming (especially scripting languages such ActionScript and Python) and the technology of distributed systems for online gaming.
I currently occupy a senior role in the academic structures within the faculty of ACES, being the subject leader for the software engineering, graphics and multimedia group.
I was engaged as an external examiner for games courses at the University of Lincoln (Computing & Games related BSc/BA modules) and the University of Teeside (MSc/MA Games & Animation) and have also acted as an external moderator for the BSc/MComp in Computer Games Production at the University of Lincoln, and BSc in Games Application Development at the University of Abertay.
Fiona Hollis
Senior lecturer in management strategy
I teach on six modules - understanding organisations, managing resources, strategic planning, organisation management, work-based learning, and management project.
I originally studied French and Spanish at Sheffield University, and after gaining a Diploma in Education, taught for several years in secondary schools. In 1990, I studied here at Sheffield Hallam and was awarded a Certificate in Management.
I started lecturing at Sheffield Hallam in 1991 and am a member of the strategy group. I am currently module leader for the Level 4 module understanding organisations taken by first year BSc Business and ICT, BSc IT with Business Studies and BSc IT Management students.
Dr Adrian Oram

Senior lecturer in software engineering
I have a long and varied academic career in which I have studied in the fields of computing and civil engineering.
In computing I have been an active researcher in the areas of parallel and concurrent processing and held the post of Deputy Director of the National Transputer Centre, which was based at the University of Sheffield. My current research activities focus on grammatical inference techniques as applied in civil engineering.
I have more than 16 years lecturing experience in higher education across a range of computing and engineering areas and now concentrate on teaching computer and games console architectures and assembly level languages to games students at under and postgraduate levels.
In the game software development courses I lead the teaching of programming low level architecture and take main responsibility, along with Jake Habgood, Paul Parry and Pete Collingwood and for utilising the faculty's specialist PS2, GameCube, PSP and PS3 development console kits in their teaching.
Dr Jacob Habgood

Senior Lecturer in Games Development
My background is in the games industry working as a programmer and project-manager for Gremlin, Infogrames and Sumo-Digital over a period of 14 years. During this time I worked on over a dozen published games for the PlayStation 1 and 2, XBox, Gamecube and DS.
I teach mainly on the third and fourth years of the game software development degrees in game-specific subjects relating to 3D graphics programming and console game development (all using C++). I'm also the author of a series of books on hobbyist game development using Game Maker, which I use in my teaching to explore game design concepts.
I am studio manager of the Steel Minions Game Studio based in Sheffield Hallam's Science Park. The studio is an official PlayStation minis developer and provides a commercially licensed environment in which students can bring games to market through the PlayStation Network (PSN). The studio currently has a couple of PSP titles in development, including a reworking of the classic 90's game Zool, which was originally created in Sheffield.
I have a PhD in game-based-learning and I conduct research into the effective integration of digital games and learning content. This research was originally presented at the International Game Developers Conference in San Francisco and has recently been published in the Journal of the Learning Sciences. I have also written various articles for Gamasutra and Develop magazine.
Pascale Vacher

Course leader for BSc/MComp Games Software Development
My interest and expertise lie in the field of programming, including object oriented design as well as implementation and programming for games. I specialise in teaching programming, especially C++ and DirectX, to students on all years of the game software development and software engineering courses, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
As the course leader for the game software development undergraduate degrees, I am the main academic contact for students on these courses. I am involved in teaching students from their first week, to the day they graduate and mentor them throughout the course. Whenever possible I aim to facilitate communication between groups of students across years and related courses and between students and staff teaching on the course.
I organise extra curriculum events such as industrial visits, student competitions and professional training courses, including Games Republic, Creative Spark and ADOBE ACA certifications courses (Flash, Dreamweaver). I coordinate activities related to the organisation, development and accreditation of these courses and have successfully led the validation (and subsequent revalidation) of these two courses.
Dr Simon Clark

Head of Business and Enterprise Group
I teach on the BSc Business and ICT, BSc IT with Business Studies and BSc IT Management courses.
After studying for a BSc at Reading University, I worked for several years as a product manager for a research company specialising in the development of communication technologies. I subsequently studied for a PhD at Cardiff University and then went on to be a research fellow at Barcelona University.
I came to Sheffield Hallam in 1994 as a senior and later principal lecturer. I currently lead the business and enterprise group.
My areas of expertise lie in the fundamental principles that underpin ICT and its strategic application to business, combined with the development of enterprise teaching and learning (see http://venturematrix.shu.ac.uk/). My research interests lie in nanotechnology, focused on developing the next generation of satellite, mobile communication and display systems.
I have authored over 60 research articles, supervised many PhD students and carried out research with a number of European universities, and telecoms, communications and automotive organisations in Germany, Japan, Taiwan, Korea and China.
Dr Rod Apps

Principal lecturer
I teach on the BA Business Studies, BSc Business and ICT, BSc IT with Business Studies and BSc IT Management courses.
After completing degrees in economics, I undertook research and teaching in economics at the Universities of Durham and Manchester. Since joining Sheffield Hallam, I have emphasised teaching in the areas of business strategy and financial services. I teach on a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and additionally supervise dissertations on many of these courses.
Most of my career has been within academic institutions, including periods in Switzerland and (more recently) in China. My research interests are in the areas of the strategy formation processes within organisations, and the development of the fund management industry.
Dr John Bunning

Principal lecturer and placement tutor for BSc Business and ICT, IT with Business Studies and IT Management
After studying for a BSc at King's College, University of London, I obtained a teaching qualification and then worked in a secondary school for three years, before studying for a PhD at Leeds University. Following this, I worked as a post-doctoral research assistant at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, and after a short spell of teaching in further education, obtained a lecturing post at Nottingham Trent Polytechnic.
I came to Sheffield Hallam in 1989 and have been involved with degrees in the business and enterprise area for many years, particularly teaching the practical elements of the courses, along with year tutor duties, overseeing placement selection and visiting students on their industrial placements. In addition to these activities, I am the quality enhancement coordinator for the Department of Computing.
My areas of expertise lie in physics education and materials teaching. Research interests are in the field of liquid crystals, particularly their structural and physical properties. I have carried out research resulting in many publications and supervised and examined PhD students in this subject area over many years.
Profiles
Dr Peter O’Neill
Associate lecturer and acting module leader for programming for computing
Peter Mulvihill
Senior lecturer
Dr Paul Parry
Subject group leader in business computing
Mike Heselton
Senior lecturer and admissions tutor
Graham Coyne
Senior lecturer
Lynne Dawson
Senior lecturer
Dr Andrew Hirst
Senior lecturer in enterprise and business development
Paul Henderson
Senior lecturer
Bob Steele
Principal Lecturer
Kiefer Lee
Principal lecturer in marketing
Sue Marriott
Principal lecturer, strategy and enterprise
Nick Williams
Senior lecturer in enterprise and strategic management
Graham Coyne
Senior lecturer
Anita Whitworth
Portfolio manager for BSc Business and ICT, IT with Business Studies and BSc IT Management
Ann Norton
Subject leader, strategic management
Steve Brierley
Senior lecturer and first year tutor for BSc Business and ICT, IT with Business Studies and IT Management
Dr Peter Collingwood
Subject group leader in software engineering, graphics and multimedia
Fiona Hollis
Senior lecturer in management strategy
Dr Adrian Oram
Senior lecturer in software engineering
Dr Jacob Habgood
Senior Lecturer in Games Development
Pascale Vacher
Course leader for BSc/MComp Games Software Development
Dr Simon Clark
Head of Business and Enterprise Group
Dr Rod Apps
Principal lecturer
Dr John Bunning
Principal lecturer and placement tutor for BSc Business and ICT, IT with Business Studies and IT Management
Student game developers are celebrating after winning a host of awards
A team from the Steel Minions development studio at Sheffield Hallam stole the show with their Bounceback game for Sony's PlayStation minis format, winning first prize in the game design, game technology and best team categories.
Game Republic managing director Jamie Sefton said: "This year's Student Showcase was the biggest yet, with a very high standard of entries from all our educational partners.
"For Sheffield Hallam's Steel Minions studio to win three first prize awards against such competition was an incredible achievement."
The fifth Game Republic Student Showcase was judged by professionals from four Yorkshire games companies, and 25 projects were entered by more than 80 students from five universities and colleges in the region.
Senior lecturer in games development at the University, Dr Jake Habgood, said: "Initiatives like Sheffield Hallam's game studio provide a fantastic environment for nurturing new industry talent. How many students can claim to have a published console title to their name at the point of graduating?"
The award winning students have now got their sights set on exhibiting their game alongside Sheffield-based top games developers SUMO-Digital at the Games Britannia: REPLAYED expo at Magna on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 July.
Nick Abbott, the game's lead designer, said: "It's a real privilege for us to exhibit our game at a public games expo in the same space as the incredible games produced by companies like SUMO-Digital, SEGA, Nintendo and Namco-Bandai. The team is really excited about being a part of it."
The Bounceback game will be available to purchase on the PlayStation Network store later this summer.
Tom Sampson

MComp Games Software Development
`The level of interaction with the software development, and particularly the games industry throughout my time at Sheffield Hallam has been a real eye opener and has undoubtedly contributed to my employability upon graduating.
`I have been involved in a number of studio visits, national competitions and guest lectures which have all given me a key insight into the operations and demands of the games industry and the outside world in general.
`My work placement year was spent working for SN Systems (Sony Computer Entertainment Europe) in Bristol. SN Systems produce tools for the games industry, including compiler, debugger and profiling applications for the PC for use with PSP and PlayStation 3 hardware. This was an excellent experience as I was given the opportunity to work alongside some brilliant people and contribute directly to production level code. One of my placement year projects has been integrated into the latest version of the PlayStation 3 Tuner application, available to developers worldwide.
`I have now been offered a job with Sumo-Digital, this will primarily involve working with their internal technology team to support the development of an in-house cross platform game engine. I will also be involved with the development of tools and systems which assist the artists and gameplay programmers in building and producing high quality assets for Sumo’s games.'
Profiles
Tom Sampson
MComp Games Software Development
The Digital Design Centre

The Digital Design Centre comprises a suite of 6 IT laboratories (4 PC and 2 MAC) together with the Print Output room, an area for printing medium to large format high quality output on a range of different media. The laboratories have a wide range of software supporting 2D and 3D engineering and creative design applications.
The Digital Design Centre runs a high quality computer printing facility and has the ability to print sizes between A4 and A0 and wide format banners. A3, A2, A1, A0 and Banner photo quality printing is available on a range of papers, as well as AutoCAD type plans ( B & W ) on standard paper.




