Game Art
Learn how to bring worlds and characters to life and understand how our graduates progress into some of the world’s top games studios.
How to apply Apply through UCAS Book an Open Day Chat to us/filters:format(webp)/prod01/channel_2/media/university-of-south-wales/site-assets/images/03-courses/animation-and-games/ba-game-art-course-masthead.png)
UCAS Code
W281
Start Date
September 2027
Location
Cardiff
Campus Code
B
UCAS Points
96
International students: £17,600*
Course overview
Working on live projects across various gaming media, you will have the opportunities to master industry standard tools such as Unreal Engine.
You’ll develop the technical, creative and 'soft’ skills demanded by the world’s top computer game studios, setting you up for your dream role in game art.
If you have a background in art and love video games, this course helps you combine those passions in a varied, dynamic and rewarding career. You’ll see the quality of your work improve and your knowledge of the industry grow until you’re ready for a role at a top studio.
Why study this course?
What you'll study
Get an introduction to core game art skills such as drawing, sculpting, 3D modelling and texturing, before progressing to technical software.
You’ll study comparative anatomy, architecture, environmental art and vehicle modelling through a range of projects.
Understand the game art process as you learn how to interpret briefs, generate ideas and organise projects. Get to grips with game engine software and content creation tools.
Learn a range of 2D and 3D game creation software, using industry-standard processes and critically analysing your own and others’ work.
Explore the evolution of art and games while building essential research, writing, and analytical skills to help you succeed academically.
Real world simulation is introduced and allows teams to be built and worlds to be created within industry practices and processes.
Develop your visual language and representation skills with both traditional and digital drawing, enhancing your understanding of form. This module runs throughout the year.
Start to simulate industry practice and methods as you develop skills in concept art, advanced modelling and sculpting, 3D printing, motion capture and more.
Identify your preferred skill sets and develop these through competitions, live briefs and professional placement within the industry.
Step it up a level as you apply more advanced skills and principles to environments, vehicles, characters and props for different platforms, developing effective workflows.
Explore game art and research varied concepts underpinning practical modules, such as architecture, engineering, character and narrative in computer games.
Begin to specialise as you develop a body of work demonstrating skill in a specific set of digital techniques, and professionally plan a project in response to a brief.
Get real-world experience, work in collaborative teams and identify gaps in your development as you undertake an industry placement, live brief or enter a competition.
This is the year when you open doors to your dream career in game art.
You’ll have the space and support to produce a specialised portfolio and collaborate with students from other disciplines, just as you’ll need to do in the real world. A range of guest speakers offer insights into the industry.
As you return for your final year, this immersive module will sharpen up your skills to a professional standard, build your portfolio and prepare you for the major project ahead.
Design, research and plan a body of work that highlights your expertise in your chosen specialism, outlining the ideas and workflows that will shape your final year.
Prove you’re industry-ready by completing your project with polished assets for your portfolio, ready to share online.
Prepare for the industry by exploring career paths, building your CV, portfolio, and network, and learning to market yourself like a pro.
Dive deep into a key issue in your game art specialism with your research project , using independent research to support your arguments.
We regularly review our courses to keep pace with changing skills and employer needs. If a review leads to significant changes, we’ll contact you to explain what’s changing for the coming year.
Teaching and Assessment
You'll learn from industry experts who have a track record working for big studios in the video game industry such as Codemasters, and adjacent fields such as animation, TV and Film with the likes of Nickelodeon and the BBC - They know what studios are looking for and use their industry experience to identify your strengths and guide you down a path where you can thrive.
Assessment is entirely coursework-based, with no exams. You will complete practical projects that build your portfolio, including concept art, 2D and 3D assets and game-ready work. You will learn through workshops, seminars and studio projects that reflect industry practice. You will also produce sketchbooks, development journals and research work to show your ideas and process. Some projects involve teamwork, helping you develop collaboration skills. You will receive regular feedback from tutors and peers to improve your work. In your final year, you will complete major portfolio projects that prepare you for a career in game art and related industries
To get you industry-ready, we make sure everything you do reflects working in a real studio. In Year 2, you’ll take part in a live project alongside a big-name studio, where you’ll do all the things professionally expected of a game artist. You’ll also have opportunities for placements – our partners include Tiny Rebel Games, Cloth Cat and Painting Practice. Industry pros deliver masterclasses and share industry insights, and you’ll see digital art in practice on a range of field trips. All the work you do on campus uses industry-standard tech and methods, so you’ll be able to dive straight into your first role after graduating.
You’ll have full access to all the software used by industry to bring worlds to life. These include Unreal Engine, Adobe, AutoDesk, SpeedTree, Marmoset, Maya, 3D Max and more. You’ll have full licenses at no extra cost. With four studios containing 100 PCs, you’ll have everything you need to deliver outstanding individual and collaborative game art projects. We have an IT support suite right next to our studios, so you’ll always have technical support on hand. Based at the creative hub of our Cardiff campus, you’re surrounded by all manner of creative students, including the Game Design students you'll collaborate with throughout the course.
Course Leader
Simon Reed
Simon Reed is Course Leader for BA (Hons) Game Art and brings almost 30 years of experience across the games, creative, and higher education sectors. Having held senior and lead roles on AAA and licensed game projects, Simon has expertise in game art production, digital content creation, and project leadership. He holds an MA, PgCertHE, PgDip, and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). Students benefit from teaching shaped by industry collaboration, helping them build professional portfolios, develop in-demand creative and technical skills, and prepare for careers in the games and wider creative industries.
“The course provided resources and help which allowed my skills to grow to industry standards.”
Siddharth Ravindran, Game Art student
Entry Requirements
Additional
The University normally requires a minimum of 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances.
Contextual offers
We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.
USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.
How to applyContextual admissions policyAsk us a question96 UCAS points or above
Typical qualification requirements
A Level:
CCC to include a relevant Art and Design subject
Welsh BACC:
Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales Grade C and CC at A Level with a relevant Art and Design subject
BTEC:
BTEC Extended Diploma Merit Merit Merit in a relevant Art and Design subject
Access to HE:
Pass an Access to HE Diploma in a relevant Art and Design subject with a minimum of 96 UCAS tariff points
T Level:
Pass (C and above) in a relevant art and design subject
International applications welcomed:
We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.
International studentsPre-Sessional EnglishEnglish language requirements
International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 4 overall and a minimum of 4 in each component or equivalent.
Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.
If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.
If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.
Fees and Funding
Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).
*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.
Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy. We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.
As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.
Extra curricular
We often organise social events and trips that some payment may be required for entry or travel.
Cost: Up to £20 per trip
Drawing equipment
Sketchbooks, pencils, pens are required
Cost: Up to £100
PC/Laptop
PC's are available in class. However, we do advise that students invest in a gaming PC but this is optional.
Cost: Up to £1000
Travel
Students may be expected to travel to master classes/ conferences / events/ performances at their own cost (all academic years).
Cost: Up to £10 per visit
Extra curricular
We often organise social events and trips that some payment may be required for.
Cost: Up to £20 per year
Wacom Tablet
Cost: £100
USB Hard drive
Cost: £60
Art Materials for Year 1
A3 Hardback Sketchbook £15, Black Fine Liner pen £2.99, Pro Marker Pen £3.65, Pro Marker Pen £3.65 and Pro Marker Pen
Cost: £3.65.
Public Transport for Year 2
Public Transport: Museums, Castles, Historical Venues and Art Exhibitions.
Cost: £20
per year
Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).
*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.
Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy. We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.
As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.
Extra curricular
We often organise social events and trips that some payment may be required for entry or travel.
Cost: Up to £20 per trip
Drawing equipment
Sketchbooks, pencils, pens are required
Cost: Up to £100
PC/Laptop
PC's are available in class. However, we do advise that students invest in a gaming PC but this is optional.
Cost: Up to £1000
Travel
Students may be expected to travel to master classes/ conferences / events/ performances at their own cost (all academic years).
Cost: Up to £10 per visit
Extra curricular
We often organise social events and trips that some payment may be required for.
Cost: Up to £20 per year
Wacom Tablet
Cost: £100
USB Hard drive
Cost: £60
Art Materials for Year 1
A3 Hardback Sketchbook £15, Black Fine Liner pen £2.99, Pro Marker Pen £3.65, Pro Marker Pen £3.65 and Pro Marker Pen
Cost: £3.65.
Public Transport for Year 2
Public Transport: Museums, Castles, Historical Venues and Art Exhibitions.
Cost: £20
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Explore our facilities
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Media Loans
Access industry-standard cameras, lighting, sound and recording gear, supported by free Media Loans and experienced technicians. We have everything you need to help you experiment, refine and bring your work to life with confidence.
How to apply
All applications for full-time undergraduate courses or foundation degrees should be made via UCAS. Take the next step: Apply through UCAS
You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time).
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Apply direct
Game Art
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Full-time, 3 years
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September
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Cardiff
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If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.
Applicants accepted through advanced entry may study a different combination of modules to those advertised, as they will be joining a course already in progress. You will be contacted and advised about these modules once your application has been processed and an offer made.
International applicants can apply to us directly. If the University has an in-country team in your region, your application will be assigned to them for assistance.
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