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The Msc in Computer Science (Interactive Entertainment Technology) is a one-year course, directed by Dr Steven Collins (co-founder of Havok) and has been designed in collaboration with Microsoft, Demonware, Radical Entertainment and other leading game industry companies. The programme immerses students in a state of the art learning environment, including the Microsoft © sponsored XNATM Gamelab, featuring Xbox360TM systems and multi-core PCs with DX10TM GPUs per-student, with classes given by leading researchers in computer graphics, vision, networking and distributed systems, where students use the latest hardware, software tools and technologies, as used by professional game development companies.

The modules making up the first half of the year cover topics including:

• Software Engineering for Concurrent and Distributed Systems
• Data Communications and Networks
• Graphics and Console Hardware and Real-time Rendering
• Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Agents
• Real-time Animation and Physics
• Vision Systems and Augmented Reality
• Numerical Methods and Mathematical Modelling

During the second half of the year students put theory into practice in a significant group project, and individual research dissertation. In addition students are exposed to practical aspects of the games industry through a weekly series of Industry Seminars. In 2008-09 seminars were presented by guest speakers from various companies including Avalanche Studios, Havok, Natural Motion, Activision Ireland, Microsoft, Wilson Gunn, Microsoft Game Studios Ireland, Movidia Corp, Rebellion Game Studios, Playfirst Games and others.