Games Art BA (Hons)

Undergraduate

Collage of student-created gaming characters and environments

The aim of this course is to develop your understanding of coders’ and game developers’ needs, while addressing the visual needs of games development.

Year of entry

2024-25 2025-26

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Sandwich

Duration

3 years full-time
4 years sandwich

Course code

W280

Start date

September 2024

How to apply

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A list of courses and tariff points

Course overview

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.

Rated Gold Overall

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

Top 5 Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2025

Why you should study this course

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.
A flexible approach enabling you to individually develop your creative practice and portfolio towards a wide range of potential career paths.
Opportunity to take a placement or study abroad year² (subject to availability and additional costs – see full disclaimer²).
The opportunity to learn about virtual and augmented reality using HTC Vive/Oculus Rift and game engines such as Unreal Engine and Unity.

1st

for Overall Satisfaction in Computer Games and Animation Compared to other HEI’s that offer this subject

National Student Survey (NSS) 2022

Coventry Degree Show 2023

The Coventry Degree Show is an annual event to celebrate and showcase our graduating students’ work.

Explore the work of our talented students

What you'll study

This course has a common first year.

The common first year enables you to work alongside students doing similar courses to you, to widen your knowledge and exposure to other subject areas and professions. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other students, so you can share your insights and experience which will help you to develop and learn.

If you discover an interest in a specific subject you have studied, upon successful completion of your first year, you could swap degrees with another course in your common first year (subject to meeting progression requirements).

Common first year courses

Animation BA (Hons)
Digital Media BA (Hons)
Games Art BA (Hons)
Games Design and Development BA (Hons)
Visual Effects (VFX) BA (Hons)

In the first year, the curriculum is shared across related courses allowing you to gain a broad grounding in the discipline before going on, in the second and third years, to specialist modules in your chosen field.

Modules

Hacklab and Creative Play – 20 credits

Creative play is the use of playful approaches to solve problems and develop solutions. This is an intensive real-world simulation module where you will be handed a live brief (either commercial, artistic, social or cultural) with a problem to solve. You will work collaboratively with students in the Creative Technologies cluster to create a ‘rapid prototype’ solution that can be presented to the client or wider public. Modelled on a ‘hackathon’, where coders, designers, project managers and others collaborate intensively on a project, this module is designed to enable you to develop skills across project management techniques, working to a creative brief, collaboration and problem-solving, as well as applying your subject specialist skills in an interdisciplinary team.

Compulsory

Narrative and Storytelling – 20 credits

This module aims to develop your skills in a range of specialist fields through applied practice. The module explores design principles and skills across a range of areas and you will apply your understanding of these design principles through the use of industry-standard software to respond to task briefs.

It will introduce you to analogue and digital tools and methods used to produce artefacts in the creative industries including but not limited to VFX, games art, animation, digital media, and virtual production. You will receive specialist skills training in your field of study and apply the learned skills in a series of task-based artefacts.

Compulsory

Skills Lab – 20 credits

Compulsory

From 2D to 3D: Developing Visual Skills – 20 credits

This module explores complex specialist skills development in the creative field of study, developing an understanding of professional approaches to processes through the application of skills. The focus of skills development will be on 2D and 3D visualisation and their application. In addition, you will be introduced to personal development planning and will be supported to become reflective learners through seminar and tutorial work.

Compulsory

Prototyping, Concept Development and Design – 20 credits

This module aims to encourage you to explore ideas development through practical exercises in concept development, prototyping, and design. This module will provide an introduction to problem analysis including brainstorming, the use of genres within the creative industries, concept sketching, prototyping, virtual production, design elements and the synthesis of these skills within visualisation techniques and the presentation of these concepts to the given audience.

You will engage with the perspectives, tools, and methods used within professional practice in the creative industries to develop initial concepts into testable prototypes for development and present these in a pitch presentation.

Compulsory

People, Pipelines, and Production – 20 credits

This module will introduce you to the contemporary creative industries landscape, exploring theoretical and professional foundations in the practice of digital design and development in games, digital media, animation, VFX, and related fields. It will engage with the changing production context and the impact of new and emerging technologies on people, pipelines, and processes across these media forms.

The module will explore approaches to production within the context of the creative industries, focusing on roles and responsibilities, production processes, and pipelines and workflows.

Compulsory

In year two, you will continue to develop the skills and knowledge you’ve learnt. We do this by embedding the following four principles into the curriculum and developing your:

Technical skills – digital fluency, backed with the right academic knowledge
Study skills – to be an adaptive, independent and proactive learner
Professional skills – to have the behaviour and abilities to succeed in your career
Global awareness – the beliefs and abilities to be a resilient, confident and motivated global citizen

In year two, you will develop more advanced knowledge and skills to do with: designing game worlds, character design, and creature design, amongst others.

Modules

Designing Game Worlds – 20 credits

Game worlds are rich and diverse landscapes with physical, temporal, environmental, emotional, and ethical dimensions to support both storytelling and gameplay. This module is designed to introduce you to key tools and methodologies in the production of games art. You should develop your knowledge of a range of design software relevant to games art and explore professional creative approaches and working practices relating to their use in the context of creating and developing your game worlds.

You should develop the knowledge and skills involved in originating, capturing, combining and manipulating imagery using digital tools as your creative workspace in the production of 2D and 3D game elements. The module will introduce you to digital workflow, enabling you to gain an understanding of how your work is incorporated into games technologies.

Compulsory

Character Design and Animation – 20 credits

Bringing together best practice across VFX, animation and games, this module should advance your knowledge of 3D animation practices and character design. It builds on skills gained at Level 4 and examines fundamental techniques such as character sheets concept art and pre-visualisation, through to production, turntable renders, rigging, and walk cycles. You will also gain experience of working with different render engines to produce render passes, or AOVs (Arbitrary Output Variables) for compositing purposes. You may have the opportunity to collaborate with students from Games Art and Visual Effects (VFX).

Compulsory

The Creature Workshop – 20 credits

This module examines 3D character design techniques using sculpting platforms such as Mudbox or ZBrush from concept to development. You will create specific creatures (and relevant assets such as props or weapons) and rig them for animation in the context of games, film, and other creative formats. The module explores key animation skills in terms of breaking down the distinct stages of animation workflow such as testing, refining, and rigging. You will be expected to research anatomy and myology as the basis for their designs and produce characters that are broken down into manageable components for later use in the pipeline. You may have the opportunity to collaborate with students from Games Art and Visual Effects (VFX).

Compulsory

Experimental Games Project – 20 credits

Experimentation in concept development for digital games allows you to explore the creative application of your ideas and skills to better understand and assess your competencies in the broader games art context. This module provides you with the opportunity to refine your practice by developing and executing a response to a self-initiated brief. The terms of the brief will be negotiated with the tutor to establish an appropriate level of challenge. You will undertake a project that is relevant to your professional goals and will address issues including scheduling, turnaround times, verbal and visual presentation, budgeting and meeting the expectations of industry.

Emphasis will be on ideas generation, encouraging you to formulate and articulate solutions professionally and within strict deadlines. Having produced a range of solutions, you will then be required to realise your concept and produce a highly refined finished artefact for professional consideration, competition entry and/ or inclusion in your portfolio or for exhibition purposes.

Compulsory

Collaborative Practice – 20 credits

Working collaboratively is core to the games development process, and in this module you will work as part of a creative team to produce a completed games-related project, offering you the opportunity to experience first-hand the requirement for effective interpersonal engagement and professionalism across a number of disciplines. You will gain understanding of team dynamics and how to leverage your own and collaborators’ skills and abilities to the advantage of the overall team to successfully deliver the project.

You will be required to attend regular team briefings, keep an accurate production log, and maintain a high level of professional communication with your team for the duration of the module. You will have an opportunity to define your own area of specialist interest and to take ownership of your individual contribution to the team project.

Compulsory

Professional Practice in the Games Industry – 20 credits

Professional experience in the games industry either through project-led work or placement² allows you to develop an understanding of your role within industry and to reflect on your skills and competencies. This module provides you with the opportunity to develop your professional practice in contemporary games design through undertaking external briefs and/ or work placement opportunities².

On completion of this module, you should have developed a detailed awareness of working within a professional context and completed creative work that relates to your future goals. Elements include establishing clients, contacts, project and time management, working for clients, developing your own creative output in relation to marketplace opportunities, presentation and portfolio review and development. Projects must involve generating new creative work for an identified external body, company, or group.

Projects must be appropriate in scale and challenge and be realistic in terms of completion within the duration of the module. Projects should respect stylistic consistency, coherence, attention to detail, problem solving, appropriate and effective use of imagery, professional presentation standards and understanding of target audience and impact.

Compulsory

There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement² can often be beneficial. Work placements usually occur between your second and final year of study. They’re a great way to help you explore your potential career path and gain valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future.

If you choose to do a work placement year, you will pay a reduced tuition fee³ of £1,250. For more information, please go to the fees and funding section. During this time you will receive guidance from your employer or partner institution, along with your assigned academic mentor who will ensure you have the support you need to complete your placement.

Modules

UK Work Placement – 0 credits

This module² provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon and gain experience for an approved placement undertaken during your programme. A placement should usually be at least 26 weeks or equivalent; however, each placement will be considered on its own merits, having regard to the ability to achieve the learning outcomes.

Optional

International Study/Work Placement – 0 credits

This module² provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon and gain experience for an approved international study/work placement undertaken during your programme. A work/study placement should usually be at least 26 weeks or equivalent; however, each placement will be considered on its own merits, having regard to the ability to achieve the learning outcomes.

Optional

Year three aims to bring you to the level to enter the world of work by consolidating your knowledge and skills from year one and two. You could also work on a large final project in an area of your interest, with the support of a mentor.

Modules

Extending Games Art Contexts – 20 credits

In this module, you will build on the skills and reflection developed in earlier stages. You will collect and collate your work and reflect on the relations, interpretations, and context of your current games art practice. You will be expected to demonstrate/evidence your awareness and understanding of the particularities of your chosen career direction through focused research, and to place your career aims in a professional context/ marketplace(s). The module will provide the opportunity for you to consider your own body of work within the context of your chosen field. At the conclusion of your final year, you will be required to present your work in an appropriate form for distribution within a professional context.

Compulsory

Games Challenge and Experimentation – 20 credits

Building on skills and experience developed in Level 5, you will have the opportunity to engage in challenge projects driven by live briefs in a variety of contexts, core to practice in the games industry and the positioning of games artists within that professional landscape. Where the focus was on concept development at Level 5, the challenge project will extend your experimentation in aesthetics and concept into broader environment design. This module provides you with the opportunity to externalise your practice by executing and synthesising responses to a range of professional, live, competition and self-initiated briefs.

You will undertake projects that are relevant to your professional goals and will address issues including visual development, scheduling, turnaround times, verbal and visual presentation, budgeting and meeting the expectations of clients. Emphasis will be on ideas generation, encouraging you to formulate, articulate and produce solutions professionally and within strict deadlines. Having produced a range of solutions, you will refine them to identify the response that most accurately reflects the needs of your chosen area of practice.

Compulsory

Professional Practice Portfolio – 20 credits

Compulsory

Working in Collaboration – 20 credits

In this module you will develop your ability to negotiate the challenges of working as part of a creative and technical team within and across disciplines. Throughout this module, you will be expected to further develop appropriate levels of negotiation, reflection, technical and visual research, and idea development together with growing awareness of different approaches to practice. You will be expected to plan, record, and implement the creation of finished artefacts in collaborative teams.

This module addresses the collaborative culture of studio production across the animation and games art pipelines and responds to the need for collegiate communication in a professional working environment. Starting with a negotiated brief, you will aim to produce work that will demonstrate meaningful planning, time management and high-quality output. You will minute and action appropriate expectations negotiated during the daily scrum which will be presented in the form of a production report at the end of the module.

Compulsory

Final Major Project – 40 credits

This module provides you with an extended period of studio practice to allow you to consolidate and refine your practice and produce a substantial, sustained, and coherent body of work leading towards a relevant professional portfolio. You are guided to both conceive and manage complex and challenging projects, by responding to a variety of live externally set briefs, and/or by extending your own studio practice.

Projects may be hypothetical or personal, providing suitable context and purpose can be evidenced and supported in the proposal. You may choose to work collaboratively with clients, organisations, and audiences, or individually, establishing a realistic and externally tested personal practice (subject to availability). You will be expected to develop your skills in terms of managing complex, multi-dimensional challenges, integrating the skills and depth of knowledge acquired at Levels 4 and 5, whilst expanding your own discipline expertise. You will be expected to demonstrate the integration of analytical, theoretical, creative, and craft/ technological skills, explore/expand upon your personal philosophy, and evidence familiarity with the professional practices of the creative industry.

You will be expected to demonstrate a high order of professional and transferable skills (relevant to your chosen discipline) including, for example, presentation and pitching skills, written and visual documentation, client meeting, brief writing, self-reflection, and portfolio preparation and exhibiting.

Compulsory

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

Teaching contact hours

We understand that everyone learns differently, so each of our courses will consist of structured teaching sessions, which can include:

On campus lectures, seminars and workshops
Group work
Self-directed learning
Work placement opportunities².

The number of full-time contact hours may vary from semester to semester, however, on average, it is likely to be around 12 contact hours per week in the first and second year dropping to around 10-12 contact hours per week in the third and final year as you become a more independent learner.

Additionally, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study of approximately 15 hours each week, depending on the demands of individual modules.

Part of university life is undertaking self-directed learning. During a typical week you will have time that allows you to work independently to apply the skills and knowledge you have learnt in taught or facilitated sessions to your projects or assignment briefs. This self-directed learning allows you to use your research skills, consolidate your knowledge or undertake collaborative group work.

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.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are prepared for courses due to start in or after the 2023/2024 academic year to be delivered in a variety of forms. The form of delivery will be determined in accordance with Government and Public Health guidance. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.

Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.

Assessment methods are 100% coursework based with various practical and written projects in each module.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

International experience opportunities

You have the option of extending your studies by a year and undertaking study abroad or a professional placement². (Subject to availability, application, meeting visa requirements and additional costs.) You may also be invited to take part in study trips to exhibitions and events.

Coventry is a multicultural university, so our typically diverse student and staff body helps to facilitate a multicultural learning environment.

Entry requirements

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UCAS details

1

Course name: Games Art BA (Hons)

2

Course code: W280

3

Course location: Coventry University (Coventry)

Typical offer for 2024/25 entry.

Fees and funding

2024/25 tuition fees.

Student	Full-time	Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man	£9,250 per year	Not available
EU	£9,250 per year with EU Support Bursary £19,850 per year without EU Support Bursary	Not available
International	£19,850 per year	Not available

If you choose to do a work placement², you should consider travel and living costs to cover this. There is also a tuition fee³ of £1,250 that will cover your academic support throughout your placement year.

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.

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

Any optional overseas ﬁeld trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**EU Support Bursary

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.

How do you know if you need to pay UK or international tuition fees?

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.

If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.

Facilities

Facilities⁴ 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.

In our Mac and PC CAD labs, you can become digitally literate in presentation and design skills using the Adobe suite of software. You may also have the opportunity to get Adobe accreditation and learn other software packages including Alias, Toom Boom, Revit, and Maya.

Hyperstudio – The Hyperstudio is designed to be an experimental space where staff, students, community, and industry can collaborate to solve real world problems. It is a cube with high-speed connectivity and power, that is both a making and showing space into which an array of physical and digital technologies can be brought to support project needs.
Immersive media studio – The immersive media studio is a studio space designed to allow design, collaboration and testing of immersive experiences that combine audiovisual elements in diverse ways. It is centred on performance capture and high-end XR capabilities and includes capability for immersive audio integration.

BAME male student working on multiple computer monitors

Games Technology lab

Our gaming lab is a technological paradise, equipped with high-end gaming PCs that have all of the industry-standard software necessary for your course⁴. It also houses virtual reality game development and motion capture technology.

Printing Studio

We have print pressers dating back to when we first started as Coventry School of Art and Design back in 1843. This studio consists of two studio spaces for all printing needs from screen printing to etching⁴.

Delia Derbyshire Building

The Delia Derbyshire complex includes a hyper studio designed for cross-disciplinary projects and immersive studios with cutting-edge virtual reality and mixed-reality technologies for students across all disciplines to collaborate on projects together, a gallery space and an events atrium.

Careers and opportunities

The course should prepare 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.

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 and 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.

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

View our courses on UCAS

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UK students

Full-time students applying to start in September 2024 can apply for this course through UCAS. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.

How to apply

Apply via UCAS

Part-time students should apply directly to the university.

Apply via the portal

If you'd like further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.

+44 (0)24 7765 2222

ukadmissions@coventry.ac.uk

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International students

International codes:
AHU098

How to apply

For further support for international applicants applying for an undergraduate degree view our International hub.

You can also download our International mini guide for an overview of study options and why you should study with us.

This course with foundation year is not currently available to international students. If you do not meet the entry requirements to directly join year 1 of the degree, please take a look at our International Pathways Programme for additional options.

Get in touch with us today for further advice and guidance.

+44 (0)24 7765 2152

ioadmissions@coventry.ac.uk

Chat with our admissions team

Complete our contact form

Disclaimers

Coventry University together with Coventry University London, Coventry University Wrocław, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough, and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the University) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University.

¹Accreditations

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.

²UK and international opportunities

Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or international opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be unpaid and/or subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel, public authority guidance, decisions or orders and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand any visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

³Tuition fees

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University 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.

For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

⁴Facilities

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

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 current 2024/2025 contract is available on the website. 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.