Games Design and Art (BA)

Got a question?

Please contact our enquiries team if you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.

Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000

You'll study 6 studio practice modules – one per semester. These are the building blocks of your games practice and will help to develop your research, making and individual games specialism. Alongside these modules you'll undertake 6 smaller modules which frame the context of your game-making in terms of history, theory, contemporary practice, the business of games and professional contexts. 

In year 2, you’ll choose 1 module from a range of exciting options designed to enhance your own individual games practice. The course structure will encourage you to develop a dynamic and fast-paced process of thinking through making, while gaining lots of product creation and idea testing experience. You’ll work as part of a team as you progress through the course and take on increasingly ambitious projects.

Want more detail? See all the modules in the course.

The learning activities for this course include the following:

• lectures
• classes and tutorials
• coursework
• individual and group projects

Course time

How you'll spend your course time:

Course leader

Adam Procter is the course leader.

You can use this degree to work in any area of the games industry, or create and market your own games. Thanks to the reputation of our course and our strong links with industry, companies often approach us and offer internships to our students.

 Recent examples include:

• a games designer and artist internship at the Royal Society of Public Health - for a prototype of a gamified healthcare app
• an internship with the education technology startup MangaHigh - which led to full-time employment after the student’s game idea was commissioned
• an internship - followed by employment as a games designer and developer on AlphaPutt, an iOS game
• a number of games designer roles within University of Southampton research bids and projects, such as the Southampton General Hospital and Aspire Awards

Your degree can lead to a variety of roles, including:

• games designer
• 2D or 3D games artist
• games maker
• user experience/user interaction designer
• mobile and app designer
• project manager

 We focus on your employability throughout your studies by offering:

• ongoing advice from tutors with extensive design experience
• careers events to introduce you to potential employers

Careers services at Southampton

We are a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022). Our Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise team will support you. This support includes:

• work experience schemes
• CV and interview skills and workshops
• networking events
• careers fairs attended by top employers
• a wealth of volunteering opportunities
• study abroad and summer school opportunities

We have a vibrant entrepreneurship culture and our dedicated start-up supporter, Futureworlds, is open to every student.

Work in industry

As part of your course, you can choose to take a year-long paid placement within the games and creative industries.

During your placement, you can apply the knowledge and skills you’ve developed during your degree, and gain vital professional experience.

Tuition fees

Fees for a year's study:

• UK students pay £9,250.
• EU and international students pay £22,300.

What your fees pay for

Your tuition fees pay for the full cost of tuition and all examinations.

Find out how to:

• pay your tuition fees
• calculate your student finances

Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. Explore:

• accommodation costs
• living costs
• budgeting advice

Bursaries, scholarships and other funding

If you're a UK or EU student and your household income is under £25,000 a year, you may be able to get a University of Southampton bursary to help with your living costs. Find out about bursaries and other funding we offer at Southampton.

If you're a care leaver or estranged from your parents, you may be able to get a specific bursary.

Get in touch for advice about student money matters.

Scholarships and grants

You may be able to get a scholarship or grant to help fund your studies.

We award scholarships and grants for travel, academic excellence, or to students from under-represented backgrounds.

Support during your course

The Student Services Centre offers support and advice on money to students. You may be able to access our Student Support fund and other sources of financial support during your course.

Funding for EU and international students

Find out about funding you could get as an international student.

When you apply use:

• UCAS course code: 1L6F
• UCAS institution code: S27

Apply for this course

What happens after you apply?

We will assess your application on the strength of your:

• predicted grades
• academic achievements
• personal statement
• academic reference

Applicants will receive an invitation to submit their portfolio whilst their academic qualifications are being reviewed. Download our portfolio advice for games design and art (PDF, 152.74 KB).

We'll aim to process your application within 2 to 6 weeks, but this will depend on when it is submitted. Applications submitted in January, particularly near to the UCAS equal consideration deadline, might take substantially longer to be processed due to the high volume received at that time.

Equality and diversity

We treat and select everyone in line with our Equality and Diversity Statement.

Got a question?

Please contact our enquiries team if you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.

Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000