University Education For A Creative Career

What Uni? Student Choice Awards 2020

BA (Hons) Game Art

BA (Hons) Game Art

GAME ART

Games development is an exciting and rewarding industry. Futureworks has developed a Game Art degree which will produce graduates who have a wide skill set, making them valuable as employees of either large game developers, or smaller independent game studios – or even as talented and in-demand freelancers.

Our experience in the industry made us realise that there was a clear need for a game art degree that merges traditional core art skills with 3D digital techniques.

We start by focusing on your existing traditional artistic abilities, covering areas such as life, still life and other observational art, including essentials such as proportion, anatomy and composition. This involves classes, projects, lectures and field trips and helps you to develop these non-digital aspects of your creative work.

At the same time, we start to bring your work into the digital arena, working with industry standard hardware and software. You will explore 3D digital art, environments, digital painting and game engines. You will also become competent in 3D modelling, learning the necessary skills including character animation, lighting and digital sculpting.

Alongside these practical skills, we will give you a thorough understanding of game design fundamentals and an appreciation of the game design process and accepted workflows. You will learn the optimal balance between technical efficiency and stunning graphics.

There is also a theory-strand that runs through the course which examines the historical, contemporary and future roles and influences of conceptual art.

By the time you reach your third year, you will be ready for the challenge of your honours project. You will work with your tutor to define a project that will make the most of the abilities you have developed, while keeping it focussed on the career and specialisms that you hope to pursue.

 

WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE THIS PROGRAMME?

If you’re an A level art student who wants to develop your traditional artistic skills while at the same time pursue your passion for games, then this is the course that is ideally suited to you.

You will gain a fantastic mix of traditional and digital art skills, while acquiring a detailed understanding of related professions and your potential role in the wider games industry.

You will benefit from the experience of our highly experienced tutor team who are all currently active within the industry. This means that they keep abreast of developments and ensure that the course content adapts every year to reflect the changing nature of industry. So you can be confident that the skills you are learning are relevant to the current games job market.

Our tutors also insist on smaller class sizes. This allows you to receive more individual time with tutors. It gives us the time and space to personalise the course around you and for us to develop suitable projects around your chosen specialisms.

 

FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

With such a broad range of artistic abilities under your belt, it is difficult to list all the roles in this growing industry that are available. However, successful graduates from the Game Art degree will be in pole position to become 2D Artists, 3D Environment Artists, 3D Character Artists and 3D Technical Artists. With opportunities becoming widely available both in the UK and overseas, this is the course that could allow you to become part of the next generation of inspirational Game Artists.

 

AWARDING BODY

The final qualification for this programme is awarded by the University of Central Lancashire.

Admissions

START DATES

All of our courses start in September and are full time, 3 year courses. More information on relevant dates can be found on the Term Dates page.

 

FEES

Tuition fees for UK and Home students who do not require a Student Visa are £9250 per year.

Tuition fees for International students who do require a Student Visa are £17000 per year. Please see International students for full details.

You may be eligible to apply for a student loan from Student Finance. Please see our Tuition Fees page for more information. You may find it beneficial to invest in additional equipment and/or study resources to support your learning. Additionally, there may be the option of attending events outside of Futureworks which would further enhance your studies. We recommend that you budget in the region of £300 to £600 over the duration of the course to cover these expenses.

 

ENTRY CRITERIA

To be considered for this course, you will require 104-120 UCAS points.

This could be gained via a number of qualifications, for example:

If you’re unsure how many points you have you can use the UCAS tariff calculator.

Remember that qualifications such as Graded Examinations in Music Performance and Arts Award (Gold) can also count towards your UCAS points – check the tariff calculator!

All applicants are expected to have at least a Level 4 or grade ‘C’ in GCSEs Maths and English Language or equivalent. Non-UK applicants will need to have an English Language qualification at International Level B2 or higher, such as an IELTS of 6.0 or better (with no component below 5.5). Students with equivalent qualifications will also be accepted. 

Entry criteria for International students will vary. Please see International Students for full details.

Futureworks is able to accept any applications from applicants who require a Student Visa (formerly called Tier 4 Visa) to study in the UK. Please see International Students  for full details.

 

HOW TO APPLY

You can apply for this course by submitting an application via the UCAS system. The UCAS codes for this course are as follows:-

UCAS Code: I620

Institution Code: F98

For information about applying in July and August, please see our Clearing page. Futureworks is currently unable to accept any applications from anyone who requires a Student Visa (formerly called Tier 4 Visa) to study in the UK.

If you have any questions about applying for a degree course please call us on 0161 214 4602, email [email protected] or look at our Admissions FAQs.

 

APPLICATION PROCESS

If your application is successful, you will be invited to an interview where you will have the opportunity to talk about your work, influences and interests. A guide will be sent with your interview details to help you prepare for your interview. Ideal applicants will have a keen interest in art, design, and video games. You will be asked to bring any relevant examples of work with you, in the form of a portfolio. The portfolio is required for this course and applications will not be considered without the provision of a portfolio.

For your portfolio we recommend including some observational drawing, ideally life drawings. For any work that is large format or difficult to scan please take clear well-lit photographs of the pieces.

As well as including work done for school or college we like to see personal art so feel free to include original character work, personal illustrations or original fan art (i.e. art not copied from something). Experience in digital drawing/painting or 3D is not necessary prior to starting the degree, but if you have explored any of these avenues already then we’d love to see them. We like to see 8 or more finished pieces and take the presentation of the work into account.

Structure

AWARD:         Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree

DURATION:   3 Years (Full Time)

AWARDED BY: University of Central Lancashire

 

MODULES:

HE LEVEL 4 (YEAR 1)

 

HE Level 5 (Year 2)

 

HE Level 6 (Year 3)

 

WHAT ARE CREDITS?

As a guide, 20 credits typically represents around 52 hours of tutor contact time (e.g. lectures/workshops/feedback) and 148 hours of self-study time (usually over the course of a semester). These numbers may increase or decrease depending on the nature, length and level of the module, especially towards the end of the course.