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Games Design

Entry requirements


A level

B,C,C-B,B,C

Access to HE Diploma

D:15,M:30

60 credits, 45 must be graded at Level 3

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DMM

Scottish Higher

B,B,B,C-B,B,B,B

T Level

Pass (C and above)


All subjects are accepted however we recommend the T level Digital Production, Design and Development for entry to this course

UCAS Tariff

104-112

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Interactive and electronic design

Whether it's Nintendo's Super Mario Bros, Ion Storm's Deus Ex, or Rockstar's GTA V, all successful games throughout each generation are built on good game and level design, story-telling, 2D and 3D modelling and texturing.

This is the ideal games design course, tailored to prepare you for a career in the multi-billion pound games industry. Spark your imagination and let that creativity run riot at our dedicated arts campus.

**Course Overview**

Turn your ideas into exciting new games. Seventy-five percent of your course is practical – designing, developing and creating new game experiences to create a portfolio for future employers.

This games design degree is all about the art and design work related to video games, creating storyboard concepts and turning them into playable prototypes. You’ll gain the skills to compete in this growing industry.

Industry-standard 3D and games engine software will help you develop essential skills including drawing, modelling, texturing and using the games engine. Our dedicated arts campus will allow you to mix with other creatives, allowing you to work on joint projects and develop your own network of creative practitioners.

**On this course you will...**
- Have regular guest lectures with industry professionals.

- Study game design and development with access to dedicated games design labs and industry-standard software, providing a friendly, collegiate and supportive environment.

- Learn computer games-specific topics like drawing and concept art, character design, environment design, 3D modelling, texturing, level design, and game theory.

- Have the opportunity to take trips outside of the lab to gain inspiration and improve creative thinking. In previous years, they have included games expo - EGX and Develop: Brighton.

- Develop a wide range of transferable digital skills allowing you to take up a number of internships during your studies.

- Have access to borrow our motion capture software and VR headsets.

**What you will learn**

On this programme, you will learn to design, develop, and create new and unique gaming experiences. However, this is not a programming course; it is all about the art and design work related to video games. You will learn all about art and design, developing storyboards and concepts which you will later turn into playable prototypes (both 2D and 3D).

**Year One**

- Cultural Contexts

- Collaborative Practice

- Drawing, Visualisation and Concept Art

- 3D Modelling

- Gaming For Game Designers

**Year Two**

- Understanding the Creative Economy

- Working in the Creative Economy

- Concept To Prototype

- Concept Art & Visualisation 2

- Texturing

**Year Three**

- Theory and Research Methods in the Arts

- Dissertation

- Group Game Project

- Markets, Audiences & Exhibition

- Major Project

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

England
£9,250
per year
International
£13,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Carlisle - Brampton Road

Department:

Institute of the Arts

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

61%
Interactive and electronic design

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Design studies

Teaching and learning

71%
Staff make the subject interesting
75%
Staff are good at explaining things
64%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
68%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

64%
Library resources
79%
IT resources
75%
Course specific equipment and facilities
46%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

98%
UK students
2%
International students
65%
Male students
35%
Female students
51%
2:1 or above
8%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
E
D

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Design studies

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£16,088
low
Average annual salary
90%
low
Employed or in further education
52%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

30%
Design occupations
20%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
10%
Other elementary services occupations

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Design studies

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£13k

£13k

£16k

£16k

£19k

£19k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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