Games Art BA (Hons)
Course Code
UCAS Code: W280
International Code: ADU191
Location
Coventry University (Coventry)
Study mode
Full-time
Part-time
Sandwich
Duration
3 years full-time
4 years full-time with study abroad / professional placement
Flexible part-time
Start date
September 2022
Course overview
Study level: Undergraduate
As a games artist, you can work in one of the largest and agile creative industries in the world.
- You have the opportunity to develop games art skills such as storytelling, narrative, sociology, spatial design, architecture to anatomy, and character/environment design.
- We teach you about industry practices in a simulated games studio environment, so you can gain a solid grounding in visualisation techniques, character, environment and concept design.
- This exciting course is developed in conjunction with games industry employers like Radiant Worlds and shows you the skillset you need to be a successful games artist.

Global Ready
An international outlook, with global opportunities
Teaching excellence
Taught by lecturers who are experts in their field
Employability
Career ready graduates, with the skills to succeedWhy you should study this course
The aim of this course is to develop your understanding of coders’ and game developers’ needs, while addressing the visual needs of games development. This course offers you opportunities to work with animators and illustrators to develop your core skills in drawing, perspective and concept development. You will also be taught the trends and technical developments within the games industry.
When you have successfully completed this course, you should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- The representation of human and animal form, anatomy and motion, natural environments, architecture and artefacts.
- The aesthetics of photography, film and narrative animation and your impact upon games art KU3.
- The communicative and immersive role of design for user interfaces.
- A broad range of image manipulation technologies including 2D and 3D design and rendering applications.
- Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality using HTC Vive/Oculus Rift, Game Engines such as Unreal Engine and Unity.
- Technical requirements of art assets produced for integration into programmed elements of games.
- Working processes and cross-disciplinary roles in the games and related industries.
- Ethical dimensions relevant to the representation of interpersonal and social interactions.
- During your course of study, you may be invited to take part in regular study trips to exhibitions and events (availability and additional costs may apply).
More than just a degree
The course definitely prepared me for the work I am doing right now. It taught me a lot, creating assets and environments. I can comfortably create my own scenes from my imagination.

What you'll study
The course responds to the growth in the games art sector and the expansion of animation and computer graphics training from the fields of film and television to include the highly-rendered environments within games, with their increased focus on character driven narratives.
Based around professional studio culture, we will teach you high level art skills relevant to the games industry, encompassing visual design and practical games production, immersing yourself in 3D environments and developing in-game content using industry standard 3D modelling, mapping, materials, rigging and dynamic effects.
We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.
How you'll learn
The School of Art and Design often provides opportunities to engage in external or collaborative activities such as competition/industry briefs and speakers beyond your course studies. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities to support your learning journey.
This studio-based course can be studied full-time over three years, starting in September. In a typical teaching week, you will have approximately 13 contact hours of teaching. This includes a combination of:
- Medium group teaching: workshops, seminars and lectures
- Small group teaching: seminar, critiques and tutorials
- Studio practice and bookable workshop access
The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online activities. As an innovative and enterprising institution, the university may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.
Assessment
100% coursework: various practical and written projects in each module.
Job ready
On successful completion, you can:
- Generate original visual solutions or responses to a client design brief.
- Apply informed critical judgment demonstrating the capacity for self and peer evaluation.
- Conceptualise designs for game formats exploring two and three-dimensional space, time and user interaction.
- Resolve creative design and technical problems arising from multiple constraints, limitations and demands of professional production.
- Engage in practice with a range of specialist media to communicate a coherent visual language for the expression of ideas and concepts.
- Demonstrate sound practice in the use of technical knowledge, skills and processes and an awareness of health and safety issues.
- Explore the interface between traditional and innovative media and processes within the context of games art practice.
International experience opportunities
You have the option of extending your studies by a year and undertaking study abroad or a professional placement. (Subject to availability, application, meeting visa requirements and additional costs.)
You will study alongside you and staff from many different countries, providing you with the opportunity to enhance your global perspective and intercultural competence. You can also undertake a sandwich year of study or work abroad (subject to availability, competitive application, meeting visa requirements and additional costs).
We currently have exchange agreements with Accademia di Belle Arti Bologna, Universidad Europea de Madrid and Hanzehogeschool Groningen.
Entry requirements
Fees and funding
2022/23 Tuition fees
Student | Full time | Part time |
---|---|---|
UK | £9,250 per year | Not available |
International | £18,050 per year | Not available |
For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.
We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.
Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.
Facilities
The Faculty of Arts and Humanities is joining two of our school’s completely refurbished Art and Design buildings and adding a range of new facilities in 2022. These will include a hyper studio designed for cross-disciplinary projects; immersive studios with cutting-edge virtual reality and mixed-reality technologies. Our aim is to offer you sector-leading facilities in a unique environment.
Our current digital and industrial workshops are of industry-standard quality and house 3D rapid prototyping, laser cutters and milling machines. These facilities are available to all students on our courses at no extra cost, subject to availability.
We have a ceramic and small-metal-working workshop, a large digital print bureau, and clay modelling studios where you can realise your creative artistic and design solutions.
The fashion workshops have digital embroidery machines, digital printers and a printmaking workshop that includes etching, screen printing and a rare, one of only three in existence in the UK, letterpress studio.
In our Mac and PC CAD labs, you can become digitally literate in presentation and design skills using the Adobe suite of software. You can also get Adobe accreditation as part of an Add+vantage module and learn other software packages including Alias, Toom Boom, Revit, and Maya.
Fashion studios
You will have access all kinds of industry-grade equipment* for a range of textiles: from laser cutting, digital embroidery, sonic wielding and screen printing, to manufacturing tools for accessories, embroidery and garments.
Clay studio
In our clay studio*, your ideas become realised by using technological software and clay. Here you can create whatever you imagine, whether that’s an animated character, a sleek car design or theatre props.

Games Technology laboratory
Our gaming lab is a technological paradise, equipped with high-end gaming PCs that have all of the industry-standard software necessary for your course*. It also houses virtual reality game development and motion capture technology.
Careers and opportunities
The course prepares you for the rigours of the professional world by simulating the challenges that you may face as a practitioner. It aims to develop your independent thought, innovation, imagination, critical reflection and confidence in your practice, as well as transferrable skills suitable for employment across the full breadth of the creative industries.
This course models itself on the professional expectations of industry, with a strong emphasis on time management, good communication and self-sufficiency. Professional practice is embedded into the learning experience; we will prepare you for the rigours of the professional world by simulating the challenges that you may face as a practitioner, aiming to develop independent thought, innovation, imagination, critical reflection and confidence in your practice, as well as transferrable skills suitable for employment across the full breadth of the creative industries.
Our Talent Team is on hand to offer tailored career and enterprise support if you wish to gain employment or take advantage of professional practice opportunities within course specific industries. It provides a programme of workshops, embedded learning, lectures, professional experience and one-to-one guidance with the aim to help you develop transferable skills and enterprising habits commonly required for a successful career. Our dedicated enterprise officers also offer valuable assistance on how to begin as a freelancer/entrepreneur.
Where our graduates work
As a graduate, you may find employment as a character designer, animator, environment designer or concept artist. Notable alumni who are already successful in the gaming industry include Alex Underhill, senior VFX Artist at Rocksteady Studios, and James Biddulph, design lead at Applio.
Some students may choose to enter the teaching profession after PGCE study and others go into further study: into our own postgraduate programmes or elsewhere within the UK or internationally.
How to apply
-
UK Students
Full-time students applying to start in September should apply for this course through UCAS. Part-time students should apply directly to the university. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.
For further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.
Chat with our admissions team
Complete our contact form.
-
International Students
Full-time students applying to start in September should apply directly to the university. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.
How to applyFor further support for international applicants applying for an undergraduate degree view our International hub.
You can also download our International guide which contains lots of useful information about our courses, accommodation and tips for travel.
Get in touch with us today for further advice and guidance.
Chat with our admissions team.
Complete our contact form.
Discover Uni stats
-
Disclaimer
Student Contract
By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the 2021/22 Contract can be found here. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.
Tuition fees
The tuition fee for the course that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For UK and EU students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, EU students should be aware that there may be a change to UK laws following the UK’s exit, this may change their student status, their eligibility to study part time, and/or their eligibility for student finance. We will act in accordance with the UK’s laws in force in relation to student tuition fees and finance from time to time.
For International students the tuition fee that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For international students, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation.
Accreditations
The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.
Facilities
Facilities mentioned on this page may not be relevant for every course. Due to the ongoing restrictions relating to COVID-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) and some non-academic offerings (particularly in relation to international experiences), may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.
Placements and study abroad opportunities
Please note that we are unable to guarantee any placement or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
Additional costs
This course may incur additional costs associated with any field trips, placements or work experience, study abroad opportunities or any other opportunity (whether required or optional), which could include (but is not limited to), equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas).