Why study this subject?

The global gaming market is one that continues to expand, and with this so do job opportunities. Gaming offers a world of opportunity and with the right skills and abilities, a degree in 3D Game Art can help you boost a rewarding and creative career.

You could work for companies like Epic Games, Nintendo or Sony, or perhaps set up your own independent company to pursue your passion. Your love of gaming together with your creative and modelling skills could see you in numerous roles - from 3D Artist and Animator to Environmental Artist or Technical Animator.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

This course will offer you the chance to focus on creating high quality game art. During your time with us you will be supported by knowledgeable lecturers and industry professionals while also taking advantage of our excellent resources.

The standard of animation and game art at BNU is very high and this is reflected in the proportion of our students who go on to work successfully in the industry afterwards. We also run small classes which ensures that students gain meaningful access to our tutors.

You’ll also be invited to join additional online groups where you will be able to meet the other students taking our animation, visual effects, game art and visualisation courses, both MA and BA, online and attendance. These help to foster a sense of community and are also places where extra-curricular collaborative projects, such as game jams, take place. You will also be able to meet our alumni in these broader forums. All forums are moderated by the lecturers.

What will I study?

On this degree you will cover abroad range of topics, from researching into the field of game art, looking at both historical and contemporary practice to generating ideas derived from your findings, we will help you grow your skillset.

After your initial research, you’ll create a small original sample game art of your own derived from your research work which will help to establish and personalise the overall direction of your studies and practice. You’ll then look in depth at character creation and game environments which make up the bulk of the artwork of a 3D game.

This degree is aimed at learners who have already mastered animation tools to a good extent, and are looking to focus their efforts on creating professional standard work that is highly creative and expressive.

Preproducing and producing a completed game art project comprises the rest of the course. This will cover areas such as:

• modelling
• rigging
• animation
• texturing
• lighting
• game engines

The preproduction phase will help you to explore technical and artistic challenges and prepare to enter the production phase in which you will create your final major project. This may be a continuation of some of your early ideas or something new and may be done individually or in a group.

Modules

This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.

Year 1
Core Modules

• Research
• Experimentation
• Character Creation: Preproduction
• Character Creation: Production
• Game Environments: Preproduction
• Game Environments: Production
• Production Project

* Scholarships available for international students.