University of Northampton
UCAS Code: I620 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Accepted towards tariff/grade requirements
AQA Level 3 Technical Level (1080 glh)
Accepted towards tariff requirements
Accepted on its own at Distinction Distinction or towards tariff/grade requirements with other qualifications
Accepted towards tariff requirements
Access to HE Diploma
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
Accepted towards tariff/grade requirements
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Accepted towards tariff requirements
Accepted on its own at Distinction Distinction or towards tariff/grade requirements with other qualifications
Accepted towards tariff/grade requirements
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
Accepted towards tariff requirements
Accepted towards tariff/grade requirements
Accepted towards tariff requirements
Accepted towards tariff requirements
Accepted towards tariff requirements
Accepted on its own at Distinction Distinction or towards tariff/grade requirements with other qualifications
Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)
Accepted towards tariff requirements
Accepted on its own at Distinction Distinction or towards tariff/grade requirements with other qualifications
Accepted towards tariff/grade requirements
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Accepted towards tariff requirements
Accepted towards tariff/grade requirements
Scottish Advanced Higher
Individual Advanced Highers can be accepted with Scottish Highers towards tariff requirements
Scottish Higher
T Level
Pass (C and above)
UCAS Tariff
Accepted towards tariff/grade requirements
About this course
BA Games Design is a course created to give you the opportunity to develop the skills required to design and build games for multiple platforms. The program encourages you to explore what the market is looking for and build solutions which meet the market’s needs for the next big game.
Based at the University’s brand new state of the art campus, Waterside, you will be using some of the most up-to-date games development software like that of Substance, Unity3D, UE4, Z Brush, 3DS Max, and the Adobe Creative Suite.
The University of Northampton is an academic partner of Unreal Engine, this means we are an official training site for UE4.
You will be taught in a way that encourages creativity and give you the opportunity to learn from those with industry experience.
Through a series of practical modules, you will be given the chance to explore the theory of design through to the development of quality prototypes for mobile, PC, and console. Key topics which will be covered include: Narrative theory, UX/UI, Introduction to Programming, 2D & 3D Skills, Engine Development, Design Management, and Professional Practice.
This course also forms part of a game development suite of courses which work together to give its students the experience of working with different skills sets within a games environment. Working together with students from BSc Games Programming and BA Games Art, you will gain the experience of working through the whole development cycle from idea generation to publishing. 95% of final year Computer games and animation students at The University of Northampton agreed they were satisfied with the course, while 100% of students agreed that staff have made the subject interesting.*
**By studying at the University of Northampton, you can be sure that:**
- You will experience student life at the University’s £330 million Waterside Campus. Come along to an Open Day and find out more.
- Students enrolling on this course at Northampton will be provided with their own brand new laptop** to keep at no additional cost. All sports clubs and societies are free to join at Northampton and every essential course text book is available via the library, meaning you won’t have to purchase copies. For more information on this visit our website (northampton.ac.uk/benefits).
- At UON we guarantee a room in our Halls of Residence for all new full-time, first year students who apply and accept their room offer by June 2025 - and we won't ask for a deposit for September 2025***
- Our expert academics teach in small groups supported with one to one assistance. Our academics and students form a tight bond, providing individualised support and guidance whilst challenging students academically.
- Whatever your ambitions, we’re here to help you to achieve them. We’ll support you to identify the skills you’re learning during your course, find your strengths and secure practical experience so that when it comes to applying for jobs or further study you’ll feel confident in standing out from the crowd.
**The Northampton Employment Promise**
- We’re so confident in our careers and employability support that if you achieve at least a 2:2 degree and complete either our Employability Plus Gold programme or achieve a Changemaker Gold Certificate during your time studying with us, but still haven’t secured full-time employment 12 months after graduating, we will secure a three – six month paid internship for you or support you into postgraduate study.
✱ National Student Survey (NSS) 2023
✱✱ eligibility criteria and terms and conditions apply. See northampton.ac.uk/benefits for more information
✱✱✱ eligibility criteria apply. See northampton.ac.uk/student-life/accommodation/ for more information
Modules
**Stage 1**
• Scripting for Games (compulsory)
• Level Design Principles (compulsory)
• 3D Modelling for Game Prototypes (compulsory)
• User Interface Design for Games (compulsory)
• Group Game Project: Fundamentals (compulsory)
• 2D Game Asset Production (compulsory)
**Stage 2**
• Narrative for Games (compulsory)
• Design and Development for Games (compulsory)
• Human Computer Interaction for Games (compulsory)
• Group Game Project Advanced (compulsory)
• Games Production (compulsory)
• Interaction Design for Games (compulsory)
**Optional Placement Year**
• Learning Through Work (WBL) (designated)
**Stage 3**
• Art Director Portfolio, Final Major Project (compulsory)
• Design Innovation (compulsory)
• Professional Practice in Games (compulsory)
• Group Project 3 (Games) (compulsory)
Module information is quoted for 2024 entry. Please note that modules run subject to student numbers and staff availability, any changes will be communicated to applicants accordingly.
Assessment methods
Assessment is a mixture of studio based design projects (continual assessment), portfolio development, and written assignments.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Waterside Campus
Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology
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.
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
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
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 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.
£19k
£24k
£32k
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...
This 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