Computer Games Art BA (Hons)

Course overview

Are you creative and love computer games? Want to combine your traditional art skills with cutting-edge creative technology? A computer games artist creates a game's characters, assets, environments, creatures and vehicles, as well as producing concept art and storyboards at the planning stages. This course includes an optional work placement year, at no extra cost.

The popularity of computer games shows no signs of slowing down with the regular release of new sophisticated and innovative products – many are developed in the UK. The appeal of games has also broadened with the increasing popularity of exercise and educational releases. Smartphone apps are also another growth area. We help you develop your artistic skills and explore specialized areas including:

• 3D character sculpting
• Photo-real texturing and surfaces
• Hard surface modelling
• Shaders, material, lighting and effects
• Game engine implementation
• Concept Art
• Environment art
• Character art.

Alongside the optional work placement year, you can gain valuable experience and engagement with the sector through our shorter work placements, internships and work experience opportunities. Find out more

Take part in Animex our annual international festival of games and animation which brings together experts from world-renowned studios including Rockstar, Pixar, Aardman, Disney, ILM, Sony Interactive and Supermassive Games.

You also have the chance to enter our local, national and international GameJam events, take part in our industry competitions, attend industry events, and Beta test some upcoming games before they are released.

Career opportunities

This highly specialist degree offers the skills you need for a career in the games industry and also provides generic skills which open up numerous career paths in digital media – typically areas of film, TV, advertising and multimedia – through to architectural and product visualization.

Graduates from our games degrees have gone on to work as artists, level designers, 3D modellers and texture artists at a wide range of games companies including 3rd Dimensions, Atomic Planet, Bizarre Creations, Creative Assembly, Electronic Arts, Eutechnyx, Halch, Media Molecule, Microsoft Rare, Naughty Dog, Ninja Theory, Rebellion, Rockstar North and Rockstar San Diego, Sega, Sony, Streamline, Supermassive Games, Traveller's Tales, Ubisoft, Venom, Weta Digital and many more.