Escape Studios
UCAS Code: I631 | Master of Art - MArt
Entry requirements
A level
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE English Language at grade C or an equivalent qualification.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
UCAS Tariff
You may also need to…
Present a portfolio
About this course
Create the games you want to play
The UK consumer games market was worth a record £7.82bn in 2023 (source **Ukie, 2024**). Games tools and skills can also be applied to lots of other industries, including VFX, virtual production, architecture, real-time immersive media (theme parks and entertainment) or even the medical and engineering professions. The opportunities are endless.
This programme has been developed with video games experts to give you skills that are relevant and in demand in the industry. As well as software and creative skills, you’ll develop your experience and soft skills and start building your network of studio contacts. You’ll graduate with a portfolio of high-quality work, ready to apply to work on your dream game.
You’ll learn from experienced tutors who’ve worked at the likes of **EA, Rebellion** and **Codemasters**.
**Why choose this course**
+ Ranked **1st in the world for Production Excellence in Immersive Media** by **The Rookies**
+ Based in London - home of some to the best video games studios in the world
+ Partnership with **Epic Games** - the first **Unreal Engine Authorized Training Center** in the UK and an **Unreal Engine Academic Partner**. Our certified tutors also run short courses for studios who want their staff to be trained in **Unreal Engine**
+ We’re a member of **TIGA**, the trade association for the UK video games industry, with the vision to make the UK the best place in the world to develop video games.
+ Work on industry-standard briefs and experience real-life scenarios, just like in a professional studio
+ Successful alumni - you’ll join our community of thousands of Escapees, many of whom have gone on to work at some of the world’s top studios including Creative Assembly, Epic Games, Playground Games, Rare and Rockstar Games
+ Study in a studio environment that mirrors current industry practice, using professional software such as Unreal Engine
+ Professional input - our advisory board of experts, from the likes of **Creative Assembly** and **Improbable**, help develop and keep this degree up to date. You will also receive feedback on some of your work from industry professionals
+ Specialism - tutors will help you to choose from advanced modelling, advanced lighting, advanced texturing and materials, real-time FX and foliage.
Modules
First year (Level 4 - 120 credits)
Students on our BA/MArt Animation, Games, Visual Effects and Motion Graphics degrees study common modules in their first year. This will give you the all-round skills needed to become a professional, and a chance to choose a different specialism if you change your mind before your second year (subject to availability).
Creative foundations - craft (30 credits)
Creative foundations - project (30 credits)
Computer animation - core (15 credits)
Video game art - core (15 credits)
Compositing for VFX - core (15 credits)
3D for VFX - core (15 credits)
Second year (Level 5 - 120 credits)
You’ll start to specialise in the creation of video games and work in teams on industry-style projects.
Video game art - pro (30 credits)
Video game art - advanced (30 credits)
Specialism (15 credits) - options include:
Advanced modelling
Advanced lighting
Advanced texturing and materials
Real-time FX
Foliage
Industry studio project (45 credits)
Third year (Level 6 - 120 credits)
You’ll be working in a team just like a fully functioning independent studio, alongside developing an in-depth knowledge of your chosen specialisation.
Advanced specialism (30 credits)
Professional practice (30 credits)
Professional studio project (60 credits)
Fourth year – Integrated Masters students only (Level 7 - 120 credits)
You’ll develop entrepreneurship skills needed to manage your own studio as a real business. You will be asked to organise yourself to work as a digital studio, working on projects that are viable and to a commercial standard. The three modules of this final year will cover the crucial aspects that will define your studio's success.
Art and design (30 credits)
Craft (30 credits)
Process (30 credits)
Business (30 credits)
Assessment methods
Formative assessment
The majority of modules contain at least one piece of practice or ‘formative’ assessment for which you receive feedback. Formative assessments are developmental and do not count towards your overall module mark.
Summative assessment breakdown
Level 4 and 5:
For Level 4 and 5 modules, your assessment will be split into two parts:
• 75% product - you will be required to create a product (short computer animation, rendered image of a 3D object composited shot, etc) to a specified brief, then present it in front of a panel and demonstrate how you have met the learning outcomes in your work
• 25% retrospective - you will be required to write a reflective analysis and present it for moderation and assessment.
Level 6:
The professional studio project module will be assessed just like level 4 and 5 modules; for the two other modules (advanced specialism, professional practice), 100% of your mark will be based on a self-evaluative portfolio.
Level 7:
If you’re doing the four-year MArt programme, you will be required to complete level 7 modules. The assessment of these modules will be split into four parts corresponding to four stages of the project - explore, ideate, accelerate, and incubate. Each stage will be equal to 25% of your final mark.
Progression:
In order to progress to the next stage (from first to second year, and from second to third year), you will have to achieve 120 credits at the end of the academic year.
For further information, please see Escape Studios' website escapestudios.ac.uk.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
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.
Computer games and animation
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
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.
Computer games graphics
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.
Top job areas of graduates
This is a relatively new subject area for this kind of data, so we don’t currently have very much information to display or analyse yet. Gaming is a growing industry, and if it continues to grow we should see the rather high unemployment rate coming down over the next few years. Much the most common jobs for graduates who do get work after six months are in programming roles - but as things stand, be aware that jobs in the field are very competitive and personal contacts - either through family, friends or via specialist employment agencies - are a crucial way into the industry so be prepared to talk as well as code!
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Computer games graphics
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£24k
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.
Explore these similar courses...
Nearby University
Higher entry requirements
Lower entry requirements
Same UniversityThis is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Course location and department:
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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?
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
