Game Art MA

Work within multi-skilled teams to create innovative art for games.

Key details

Location

Penryn Campus

Course duration

1 year

Attendance

Full-time

Course overview

Are you an artist with a passion for games? Do you want to develop your skills to meet the challenges of the games industry?

Nurture your creativity as you collaborate with like-minded artists in an inspired and focused space. We’re looking for illustrators, fine artists, sculptors, graphic designers, or anyone with a passion for the visual dimensions of games. Ultimately, you’ll graduate as a workplace-ready professional with a strong insight into the games industry.

You will:

Showcase your skills in context by working on a game art project and learning to co-create as part of a team
Be supported by tutors with experience at companies like Rare, EA Games, Microprose and Square-Enix
Access industry-standard hardware and software, a well-equipped life drawing room, dedicated space in a game development studio and the same management tools and game engines used by the industry
Learn 2D and 3D art creation methods, including concept, environment and character art
Explore game development pipelines, techniques and processes such as Agile development and version control

Course details

We cover a range of areas to aid your growth both creatively and technically. By the second study block, you’ll already be putting your skills into context by working on a game art project, and learning to co-create in a team. This all leads up to a final submission where you’ll have the opportunity to build a game with coders and designers in a full development team, or if you prefer, craft your own standout portfolio piece.

You’ll learn:

2D and 3D art creation methods, including concept, environment and character art.
Core drawing skills.
Game development pipelines, techniques and processes (such as Agile development and version control).
What a game development career requires.
Teamwork skills across disciplines on live projects.

Modules

Development Synergies
Game Art: Concepts and Contexts

Modules

Group Game Development Project
Game Art 2: Crafting and Refining

Modules

Major Project

The modules above are those being studied by our students, or proposed new ones. Programme structures and modules can change as part of our curriculum enhancement and review processes. If a certain module is important to you, please discuss it with the Course Leader.

From module information to course aims and assessment criteria, discover the full course details.

How you'll learn

You’ll gain stylistic and technical skills through practical, hands-on learning. Including:

Lectures
Seminars
Workshops
Crit sessions
Tutorials
Guest speakers
Mentoring

How you'll be assessed

100% coursework in the form of projects, papers, pitches and portfolios

Staff

Our team is made up of industry leaders, professional artists and game art practitioners. You'll benefit from expert teaching and guidance from professionals who have worked on award-winning titles such as Project Gotham Racing, James Bond Bloodstone and World Rally Championship.

Some members of staff only teach on specific modules, and your course might not feature every staff member who teaches on the course.

Facilities

Dedicated space in a well-resourced game development studio, open late during term time.
Industry-standard studios.
VR/AR lab and cutting-edge hardware (Hololens, Hololens 2 and Oculus Quest 2).
Professionally-favoured software, management tools and game engines.
A well-equipped life drawing room.
Industry-standard hardware and software, including Cintiqs and Intuos Pros.

Take a virtual tour

Curly haired male games student with retro glasses and cap sat at computer

How to apply

Get in touch

To find out more about this course, how you'll learn and what funding is available, get in touch with our Course Advisors. Click below to submit a form and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

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About applying to this course

To make sure this is the best course for you, we’ll invite you down for an interview to discuss your qualifications, experience and goals. You’ll be required to bring a portfolio of appropriate work to a good standard. This could be 2D or 3D work, physical or digital. You don’t need a book full of game art – just a strong interest and artistic ability.

We welcome applicants with varied qualifications, but typically you'll need an undergraduate degree in a related discipline. Our typical applicants hold an undergraduate degree of 2:2 or above, or equivalent experience.

We'll also welcome your application if you have formal or 'certified' learning (such as training courses not run by universities or colleges) and learning from work experience or self-study. This is called Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL), and should have been gained within the last five years, and be equivalent to the learning outcomes of our minimum entry qualifications.

APL applicants using experience to apply should note there is a £200 application fee for entry with advanced standing or with exemption from specific modules or credit.

If English isn’t your first language, you'll need to demonstrate English language skills that are sufficiently developed for successful completion of your studies. We accept a range of recognised English language qualifications that are equivalent to the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic minimum score of 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening.

International applicants who require a student visa to study in the UK must take a recognised language test that is approved and vouched for by the University. Our Applicant Services Team can help with any questions you may have about study visas or suitable language tests.

Fees, costs & funding

Tuition fees

£8,950 per year - full-time UK (£250 acceptance fee payable. This is deducted from tuition fees.)

£17,460 - full-time EU/international (acceptance fee up to £1,000 payable, dependent on nationality. This is deducted from tuition fees)

£8,950 per year - full-time UK (£250 acceptance fee payable. This is deducted from tuition fees.)

£17,460 - full-time EU/international (acceptance fee up to £1,000 payable, dependent on nationality. This is deducted from tuition fees)

Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible.

The figures above don't include accommodation and living costs

Typical course costs

To complete your coursework, you’ll require a laptop at an expense of around £1,300
£30-£150 - Headset with microphone
£25-£100 - Webcam

If you need to bring other equipment or materials with you, these will be outlined in your Welcome Letter.

Postgraduate funding

There are loans, awards, graduate discounts and alternative funding sources for postgraduate studies. Read about them on our Postgraduate Funding page.

Find out about funding

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