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Sheffield Hallam University

UCAS Code: A042 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

Entry requirements

Access to HE Diploma

M:15

An Access to HE Diploma with at least 45 credits at level 3 and 15 credits at level 2. At least 15 level 3 credits must be at merit grade or above from a QAA-recognised Access to HE course, or an equivalent Access to HE certificate.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE English Language or Literature at grade C or 4, and GCSE Maths at grade C or 4.

UCAS Tariff

80

With at least 32 points from one A level or equivalent BTEC National qualifications. For example: CDD at A Level, MMP in BTEC Extended Diploma, or a combination of qualifications which must include an A level grade C or BTEC grade M.

You may also need to…

Present a portfolio

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About this course

This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

4years

Full-time including foundation year | 2025

Other options

5 years | Sandwich including foundation year | 2025

Subjects

Computer games

Computer games design

**Please check the Sheffield Hallam University website for the latest information.**

**Course summary**

- Prepare for the degree with an extra foundation year at the start.

- Develop technical production skills through the creation of 2D and 3D artwork.

- Collaborate in creative projects alongside programmers.

- Work with cutting edge tools to produce various game art styles, and work to art limitations for use on different gaming platforms.

- Work in partnership with Sony within our commercial games studio, Steel Minions.

- Study at the only university in the UK to produce a game on a Sony platform.

This course will equip you with the practical skills required to work in the games industry ranging from concept to post-production, and you will graduate with a portfolio of projects.

**How you learn**

At Sheffield Hallam, all our courses are designed to engage you with the world and challenge you to think in new ways. You’ll get to collaborate with others, and you’ll be taught in a supportive environment where you can thrive.

The course is suitable if you don't meet the entry requirements for our BA (Hons) Games Art course, or you want extra preparation before starting degree-level study. You share the first year with other media arts and communication foundation year students, then move on to the degree.

Throughout this course you will build a professional quality portfolio that is aimed at meeting the requirements of potential employers. The teaching and learning on this course is designed to help you do this.

In the foundation year, you'll study wide-ranging media arts and communication topics, while also focussing on your particular subject area and completing assignments in that field. You'll grow as a creative, and begin developing a professional portfolio. You'll also become familiar with Hallam's exceptional facilities and staff, so you're fully prepared for undergraduate study.

**Applied learning**

**Work placements**

In year four, you have the opportunity to take a one-year paid work placement, which is an excellent way to enhance your graduate employment potential. Games design is a very competitive industry, and there are a limited number of placements available in games companies. You are supported in finding a placement by our experienced Placement and Employability Team who have a large range of employer contacts.

**Live projects**

You will have the opportunity to work on commercial opportunities with real-life clients. Previous students have designed game levels and concepts for Pixel Bullies and Sumo Digital, and worked with English Heritage to create a virtual tour of Conisbrough Castle.

**Networking opportunities**

During your degree you will have access to careers advisers, employability enhancing workshops and networking opportunities including guest speakers and master classes from the creative media industry. We also help you to master social media for networking and making contacts.

A number of industry days and events (Game Republic events, Pathways) are also held on campus where you can network with and attend talks and workshops run by creative media industry professionals and organisations.

Modules

Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.

You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.

**Year 1**

**Compulsory modules**

Creative Synergies In Media Production | Coursework (100%)
Media In Context | Coursework (100%)
Media Project | Coursework (100%)
Preparing For Independent Practice And Study | Coursework (100%)

**Year 2**

**Compulsory modules**

Game Art Development 1 | Coursework (100%)
Game Art Production | Coursework (100%)
Game Art Theory | Coursework (100%)
Game Project | Coursework (100%)

**Year 3**

**Compulsory modules**

Art Direction For Games | Coursework (100%)
Game Art Development 2 | Coursework (100%)
Game Art Pathways 1 | Coursework (100%)
Interactive Realities | Coursework (100%)

**Elective modules**

Study Abroad - Creative Industries | Coursework (100%)

**Year 4**

**Elective modules**

Game Studio Project | Coursework (100%)

**Optional modules**

Placement Year

**Final year**

Alternate Realities | Coursework (100%)
Final Game Project | Coursework (100%)
Game Art Pathways 2 | Coursework (100%)
Research And Development Proposal | Coursework (100%)

Assessment methods

Coursework | Practical

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£9,535
per year
England
£9,535
per year
EU
£17,155
per year
International
£17,155
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,535
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,535
per year
Scotland
£9,535
per year
Wales
£9,535
per year

Extra funding

Scholarships, discounts and bursaries may be available to students who study this course.

The Uni

Course location:

Sheffield Hallam University

Department:

College of Social Sciences and 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.

47%
Computer games
47%
Computer games 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.

Computer games and animation

Teaching and learning

61%
Staff make the subject interesting
68%
Staff are good at explaining things
56%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
71%
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

38%
Library resources
47%
IT resources
57%
Course specific equipment and facilities
33%
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?

93%
UK students
7%
International students
81%
Male students
19%
Female students
74%
2:1 or above
12%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
C

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 and animation

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.

£18,500
low
Average annual salary
82%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

26%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
12%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
9%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

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 and animation

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

£25k

£25k

£27k

£27k

£30k

£30k

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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UCAS Points: 64

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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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.

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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.

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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