The Advanced Diploma was developed in response to industry needs and driven by extensive consultation with local and international game development studios. The Advanced Diploma is a two-year full-time course, focused on preparing students to meet or exceed industry expectations to gain employment with a development studio or to develop their own independent games. Game programmers drive the game development process. They are responsible for creating development tools, the underlying framework and the primary mechanics that drive gameplay. As the essential ingredient in the development process, game programmers are highly valued and in demand.