Games Design and Art
University of Southampton
UCAS Code: 1L6F | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
including an art, design, media, humanities or creative IT based subject Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking.
60 credits overall in an art related subject with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3. Out of the 45 credits at level 3, Distinction in 24 credits and Merit in 21 credits
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
M2 M2 M2 in three principal subjects including an art, design, media, humanities or creative IT based subject
GCSE/National 4/National 5
Applicants must hold GCSE English language (or GCSE English) (minimum grade 4/C) and mathematics (minimum grade 4/C)
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Pass, with 30 points overall with 15 points at Higher Level Applications where Higher Level subjects have been studied without the full Diploma, will also be considered on a case by case basis. International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP): Offers will be made on the individual Diploma Course subject(s) and the career-related study qualification. The CP core will not form part of the offer. Where there is a subject pre-requisite(s), applicants will be required to study the subject(s) at Higher Level in the Diploma course subject and/or take a specified unit in the career-related study qualification. Applicants may also be asked to achieve a specific grade in those elements. Please see the University of Southampton International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H2 H2 H3 H3 H3 H3 including an art, design, media, humanities or creative IT based subject
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC National Diploma plus B in an A level including an art, design, media, humanities or creative IT based subject
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
Distinction in the BTEC National Extended Certificate plus BB in two A levels including an art, design, media, humanities or creative IT based subject
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Distinction, Distinction, Merit in the BTEC National Extended Diploma in an art, design, media, humanities or creative IT based subject
Offers will be based on exams being taken at the end of S6. Subjects taken and qualifications achieved in S5 will be reviewed. Careful consideration will be given to an individual’s academic achievement, taking in to account the context and circumstances of their pre-university education. Please see the University of Southampton’s Curriculum for Excellence Scotland Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact Admissions for more information.
We normally consider applicants who offer at least 1 Advanced Higher. Applicants presenting with only Highers will be considered on a case by case basis. Where Highers are taken over two years it might be expected that higher grades are achieved, particularly in any specific subjects required. For example, S5 – S6 (2 years): AABBB (A in specific subject) or S6 (1 year): ABBBB (A in specific subject). Unless a more advanced level (Higher or Advanced Higher) is specified in the stated entry requirements, all applicants will be required to have achieved a pass in Mathematics and English at Standard Grade, Grade 3 or National 5, Grade C, the equivalent of GCSE Grade C/ Grade 4" We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner's potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
BBB from three A levels including an art, design, media, humanities or creative IT based subject or BB from two A levels including an art, design, media, humanities or creative IT based subject and B from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking.
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About this course
Explore our specialist arts campus:
One of only a few specialist art schools in the Russell Group, you’ll be inspired to create in our purpose built studios and workshops and learn with expert creative practitioners at Winchester School of Art (WSA), part our University of Southampton community and just one hour from London. You’ll have industry exposure through guest lectures, work on live briefs with companies, explore work placements and internships where graduates have gone on to set up their own design labels or work at prestigious brands across the globe including Selfridges, Saatchi & Saatchi, Alexander McQueen, Burberry, ASOS, Nike and Apple. You’ll be prepared for a wide range of creative careers where 93% of Arts graduates were in employment or further study 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes 2020/2021, published in 2023).
Study BA Games Design and Art:
If you want to make unique new games and take your ambitious ideas into emerging games markets, platforms and spaces, this is the programme for you. You’ll cover design, illustration, character creation, animation and storytelling, as well as coding and digital production. Unlike many games design courses, BA Games Design and Art is based in an art school rather than a computer science department, allowing you to work creatively while gaining essential technical skills.
You’ll explore the full spectrum of gaming, from screen-based (video) games to board games and escape rooms. You’ll also cover the emerging fields of purposeful games and serious games, and explore how games can be designed to have social impact and cultural significance.
You’ll work in your own studios on campus as part of a vibrant, creative environment designed to mirror the collaborative practices of games companies and the creative industries. Working closely with your peers in a close-knit class, you’ll collaborate, inspire one another and explore concepts you are passionate about.
As part of your degree you’ll be able to visit innovative games studios and conferences, and pitch your ideas and prototypes to industry. You can also choose to spend a year in employment or study abroad for a year.
Modules
You will study a variety of topics that cover the fundamental aspects of Games Design and you will have the opportunity to tailor your course to your interests by choosing some of your modules.
Some of the modules you may study include Critical, Cultural and Contextual Studies; Game Changers; Iterate and Prototype; Business Planning for Games; Playful Thinking.
For further module information visit https://www.southampton.ac.uk/courses/games-design-and-art-degree-ba#modules
Assessment methods
The course is mainly studio-based, with an emphasis on hands-on collaborative project work. In addition you’ll learn through practical workshops, lectures, seminars and one-to-one tutorials. Guest lectures and visits to games design studios will give you additional insights into industry issues, while visits to museums such as the Design Museum in London offer new perspectives on design thinking. Regular feedback from your tutors and peers will help you to keep your studies on track.
Digital learning tools are embedded into the course; for example we use online collaboration platforms, polling software and instant message systems to work collaboratively and feedback, we capture videos of seminars and workshops to support learning. You’ll also create your own web-based portfolio.
You’ll be assessed on your coursework, which will include portfolios showing evidence of the development of your studio work and final project, and written assignments such as reflective and journalistic pieces.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Winchester School of Art
Winchester School of Art
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.
Media studies
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)
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.
Media studies
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
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.
Media studies
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£17k
£21k
£23k
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.
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.
£33k
£47k
£53k
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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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.
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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.
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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
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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?
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