The Interaction Technologies and Games (ITG) programme gives you the opportunity to become a professional, technical expert in the meeting between people and technology - and how to realize creative projects in interdisciplinary teams at any scale.

You will be well placed to help create the apps, games and digital solutions of the future in the Creative Industries and beyond - whether the goal is entertainment, learning, training, medical or educational.

From building a business to making a difference in the world, games and other interactive technologies are at the foreground of innovation. Be part of driving that innovation.

Why specialize in Interaction Technologies and Games

As a student in the Interaction Technologies and Games specialisation in the Software Engineering Master's Programme, you want to be an innovator where people meet technology. Games and play are one of the most powerful drivers of engagement and action and are utilized across the Creative Industries whether for entertainment or work.

You understand the need to be a technical expert and the need to learn the techniques and tools of design, development and research. You want to not only make games or other interactive technologies, but work with the latest innovations, and widen the horizon of what is possible.

You also understand that creating engaging experiences requires a variety of expertise, and that teamwork is the foundational engine of creation in the creative sector. You also understand that business skills are needed to create the opportunity to build the interactive products of your dreams.

The programme combines software engineering with hands-on experience in designing digital products and interactive systems, across web applications to virtual reality and smart devices. It prepares you to create innovative, user-centred technologies that enhance how people connect, learn, and interact with the digital world.

The programme offers excellent career opportunities - the competencies you acquire during your MSc in in Software Engineering following the ITG programme are highly applicable across the Creative Industries and beyond.

Specialisation courses

Just like all the specializations, the ITG programme covers four core modules across the 1st and 2nd semester, as well as a series of project courses, which orient games and interaction. In each of these, you develop a project for your professional portfolio:

• Modern Game Development (1St): Build 3D games and simulations in Unreal Engine using contemporary workflows.

  This course will introduce methods for modern game development, focusing on the Unreal Game Engine (UE), one of the two major game engines. The course will give you a practical introduction to the underlying C++ language used by the engine, via relating it to C# and Java, languages that you have been using in the GDLT bachelor's programme.

• Game AI in Practice (1St): Apply cutting-edge AI techniques in games and 3D applications.

  This course shows you how modern AI techniques can be used to build smarter, more dynamic games and interactive 3D applications. You will explore how AI can "play games" or "control characters", generate content (like levels, environments, or assets), and influence player experience, using tools like Python-based AI frameworks, Unity (C#) or the Unreal Game Engine (C++), though you are free to choose other frameworks if you prefer.

• Design of Metaverse Experiences (2nd): Design interactive experiences across realities and modalities.

  This course invites you to explore what "the Metaverse" really means by building real prototypes that use cutting-edge technologies. Think VR, AR, MR, digital twins, AI, robotics, embedded sensors - or a mix, depending on what you choose. In small groups, you will design and build a "metaverse experience," applied to fields like healthcare, games, education or simulation-based training.

• Advanced Interaction Design (2nd): Expand and professionalise future-ready design skills.

  The course is tailored for you who already have foundational knowledge in basic interaction design principles. The course delves deep into the intricacies of user experience (UX), from the cognitive psychology underpinning user behavior to the practicalities of designing for emerging technologies like Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR).

In addition, the project courses of the MSc provide the opportunity to create and develop additional portfolio projects:

• Engineering Research in Software (2nd): Creating advanced systems to solve problems across tech & games working with SDU Metaverse Lab experts.
• Engineering of Innovative Software (3rd): Introduction to entrepreneurship including agile startups, business models, prototyping and pitching - for the industry of the specialisation.

Electives provide the opportunity to specialise, and the Master's thesis on the 4th semester provides the opportunity to show your mastery in a significant, independent or group project.

What makes this specialization stand out?

The specialisation in ITG is about researching, making and understanding games and interactive technologies across contexts, as well as how games and other interactive products can create meaning for people, and how they can impact society in e.g. education or health.

• It builds directly on the Bachelor's programme in Game Development and Learning Technologies (GDLT), advancing your technical, design, research, management and project skills, adding entrepreneurship and foundational business skills on top of your existing skillset.

• You can learn how to use industry-standard design methods and technologies, AI tools, experimentation, analytical tools, critical thinking and scientific research to drive innovation, design and development.

• The programme adds expertise in leading creative teams and applying cutting-edge technologies to make games, digital products and solve real problems.

The programme aims to provide a solid understanding of the research, design and development process of building games and other interactive products across the Creative Industries, including education, health and culture.

The programme builds advanced skills on top of the solid foundational technical basis of the GDLT BSc programme (can also be taken by students from the bachelor's degree programme in Software Engineering). The programme also brings in extensive project work, where you will realize multiple products across games, playful experiences and beyond, from start to finish, building an expansive portfolio of proof of your competences.

The ITG programme is run by the SDU Metaverse Lab, a research section under the Maersk McKinney-Moeller Institute (MMMI) at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Southern Denmark, whose staff include some of the most highly ranked researchers in games, that actively work with the Creative Industries in Denmark and beyond (gdlt.sdu.dk).

Most have prior industry experience and have worked on games and other interactive products across startup companies to the largest technology companies in the world. They ensure that skills you learn during the programme are highly applicable within and outside the Creative Industries.

Career Opportunities

The competencies you acquire during your MSc in in Software Engineering following the ITG programme are highly applicable across the Creative Industries and beyond. Graduates can handle a range of positions across private and public companies and organisations (e.g. creative industries, medical industries, telecommunications, technology sector, robotics industry, educational industries, entertainment sector).

You will be able to seek a career in Denmark or internationally, working naturally across a range of business types and sizes. Your profile is suited for a wide range of jobs in private companies as well as public institutions and has a particular strength in its technical expertise combined with a keen understanding for design and how to engage users.

Graduates also have specific strengths in any positions related to education, health applications, public services, and can work across interactive platforms. The profile is also well placed for a wide range of jobs in application development, consultancy, and in public institutions. You will also have the skillset needed to pursue entrepreneurial ambitions.

There are a range of technical, design and research-related positions available for graduates, for example:

• Game programmer, gameplay programmer, engine programmer, AI engineer, data analyst, game designer, level designer, producer, QA-manager, games user researcher - as well as versions of these positions across the Creative Industries.

• Software designer, software developer, system designer & integrator, front-end IT architect. Interaction designer, system designer.

• Database programmer, web developer, 3D-programmer, graphical developer, medical technologies engineer, hardware designer, system designer.

• UX/UI engineer, product prototype engineer, VR/AR developer.

• Organisational functions such as project manager, software quality engineers, IT strategy responsible, or consulting functions such as IT consultant, design consultant or user researcher.

• Engineering research functions e.g. scientist, lecturer.

• Notably qualified applicants will have the option to continue as PhD-students.

Global Competitiveness and Demand

The MSc in Software Engineering with a specialization in Interactive Technologies and Games prepares you to design and build modern software and hardware that people actually want to use.

You will develop strong skills in user-centred design, programming, and interactive systems, the same skills driving today's biggest shifts in Industry 4.0, smart technologies, and immersive experiences like games and AR/VR. Across Europe and beyond, there is growing demand for engineers who understand interactive and digital systems: from games and virtual environments to robotics, IoT, and AI-powered applications.

You'll learn how to build adaptable systems, work with data, and make informed design and engineering decisions; all essential for creating the next generation of intelligent, responsive products in both entertainment and industry.

By the time you graduate, you will be well positioned for careers in a wide range of fields where digital transformation is happening fast. This degree gives you not just technical depth, but the ability to work across disciplines, think critically, and contribute to innovative teams in a competitive, global job market.