Game Design BA (Hons)

Tuition Fee

GBP 15,560

Per year

Start Date

2026-09-01

Medium of studying

On campus

Duration

3 years

Details

Program Details

Degree

Bachelors

Major

Animation | Digital Media | Game Design

Area of study

Arts | Information and Communication Technologies

Education type

On campus

Timing

Full time

Course Language

English

Tuition Fee

Average International Tuition Fee

GBP 15,560

Intakes

Program start date	Application deadline
2025-09-01	-
2026-09-01	-
2027-09-01	-

About Program

Program Overview

About our foundation years

Our Foundation Year courses are perfect for you if you...

are returning to education after a long time, or you don't have the qualifications for direct entry into our degree programmes
are thinking of re-training and would like an introduction to the area
are an international student wanting an additional year to adapt to the UK academic system
are still evaluating which degree pathway at UEL is the right one for you

Please note: Foundation years can only be studied full-time. However, you can transfer to part-time delivery once you have completed your foundation year. Please apply to the full-time option if you wish to study in this way.

Overview

In the ever-changing landscape of technology and entertainment, a degree in game design is an exciting choice for a future career. As the industry expands and diversifies, you will leave with a solid foundation in all aspects of modern game design. You can find opportunities in various industries including, of course, routes into game design jobs.

You will learn a variety of game-specific skills. This will equip you to be a pioneer in the industry and get into the game design career you love.

Course options

Game Design BA (Hons)

UCAS code: G
UCAS points: 112
Duration: 3 years
Start date: September 2025
Tuition fees:
- Home Applicant: £9,535 per year
- International Applicant: £15,560 per year

Game Design BA (Hons) with foundation year

UCAS code: G48164
UCAS points: 64
Duration: 4 years
Start date: September 2025
Tuition fees:
- Home Applicant: £9,535 per year
- International Applicant: £15,560 per year

Entry Requirements

Academic requirements

112 UCAS points from an equivalent Level 3 qualification listed on the UCAS tariff calculator, including:
- A Levels in at least two subjects
- BTEC Extended Diploma – DMM
- BTEC level 3 Diploma – DD
- Access to HE Diploma
- T Levels
- International Baccalaureate – 24 points including a minimum of 15 points at Higher Level
GCSE English Grade 4/C or Level 2 Functional Skills in English

International Qualifications

We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications.

English Language requirements

IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 6.0 in Writing and Speaking; 5.5 in Listening and Reading (or recognised equivalent).

Course modules

Year 1

Introduction to Game Design Core Module
Introduction to Game Art Core Module
Introduction to Game Programming Core Module
Expressive Game Design Core Module
Introduction to Game Scripting Core Module
Game Studio 1 (Mental Wealth) Core Module

Year 2

Game Concept Prototyping Core Module
Playful Experience Design Core Module
Professional Practice Core Module
Game studio 2 (Mental Wealth) Core Module
Level Design Optional Module
Narrative Design Optional Module
System Design Optional Module
Advanced Level Design Optional Module
Advanced Narrative Design Optional Module
Advanced System Design Optional Module

Year 3

Game Studio 3: Pitch Core Module
Games Beyond Entertainment Core Module
Final Project: Development Core Module
Final Project: Completion Core Module
Game Studio 3: Production (Mental Wealth) Core Module
Portfolio Core Module

Your future career

In the evolving landscape of technology and entertainment, studying a game design course promises an exciting choice for future careers. This will include, of course, video game designer and other related game design jobs. As the industry continues to expand and diversify, you will leave with a solid foundation in game design. You will learn a wide variety of game-specific skills to equip you to be a pioneer in the industry and get into the games career you love.

Industry links

We have links with those in the games industry like:

Women in Games
UKIE
Tranzfuser

Graduate employers

Our graduates have gone on to work in both AAA and indie game development inside and outside the UK and continue to play a key role in the shaping of the interactive entertainment and games industry.

Job roles

With our links to the games industry, you can go into roles such as game designers, narrative designers, level designers, and systems designers.

Further study

We run MA programmes in media and communications. These explore the intersection of gaming, game design courses, media, and cultural studies. This will give you a nuanced understanding of the broader socio-cultural impact of digital entertainment. These courses offer a comprehensive view, enhancing your potential as a graphic design games expert.

Alternatively, our partner institution Metropolitan College in Greece offers an MSc programme in Game Design and Development, exploring game design principles and emerging technologies.

How we support your career ambitions

We offer dedicated careers support, and further opportunities to thrive, such as volunteering and industry networking. Our courses are created in collaboration with employers and industry to ensure they accurately reflect the real-life practices of your future career and provide you with the essential skills needed. You can focus on building interpersonal skills through group work and benefit from our investment in the latest cutting-edge technologies and facilities.

Career Zone

This digital platform provides you with careers and employability resources, including:

Jobs board for internships, placements, graduate opportunities, flexible part-time work
Mentoring programmes for insight with industry experts
1-2-1 career coaching services
Careers workshops and employer events
Learning pathways to gain new skills and industry insight

Mental Wealth programme

Our Professional Fitness and Mental Wealth programme issues you with a Careers Passport to track the skills you've mastered. Some of these are externally validated by corporations like Amazon and Microsoft.

How you'll learn

You'll be taught by a range of academics, many of whom are practitioners in the area they teach. Some of the assessments focus on practical skills and are presented as 'live or simulated briefs'. This ensures that practice-led teaching is relevant to the industry. Our staff are well placed to take advantage of a range of professional networks and industry contacts. Each module is designed with practical components informed by theoretical underpinnings, with the intention that you will develop an ability to have an informed approach when designing your practical game design assignments.

Guided independent study

When not attending timetabled lectures or workshops, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This will typically involve skills development through online study, reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects and preparing coursework assignments and presentations. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, and specialist facilities, such as game labs, the library, the full Microsoft Office software, including MS Teams, and Moodle: our Virtual Learning Environment.

Academic support

Our academic support team provides help in a range of areas - including learning and disability support.

Dedicated personal tutor

When you arrive, we'll introduce you to your personal tutor. This is the member of staff who will provide academic guidance, be a support throughout your time at UEL and who will show you how to make the best use of all the help and resources that we offer.

Workload

Each year you will spend around 276 hours of timetabled learning and teaching activities. These may be lectures, workshops, seminars and individual and group tutorials. Contact hours may vary depending on each module.

The approximate workload hours for this course are:

Scheduled teaching - 276 hours
Guided independent study - 924 hours

Your timetable

Your individualised timetable is normally available to students within 48 hours of enrolment. Whilst we make every effort to ensure timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week between 9.00am and 6.00pm. For undergraduate students, Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities, but there may be occasions when this is not possible. Timetables for part-time students will depend on the modules selected.

Class sizes

To give you an indication of class sizes, this course normally attracts 30-40 students a year. Lecture sizes are normally 30 plus students. In the classroom, you will be taught in groups of 18-30+ students. However, this can vary by academic year.

How you'll be assessed

Coursework will include practical outcomes, e.g. individual or group-based games, artefacts, presentations, written assignments.

You'll always receive detailed feedback outlining your strengths and how you can improve. We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 15 working days, although you will receive immediate feedback following many of our face-to- face assessments.

Campus and facilities

Our waterfront campus in the historic Royal Docks provides a modern, well- equipped learning environment.

Join us and you'll be able to make the most of our facilities including contemporary lecture theatres and seminar rooms, art studios and exhibition spaces, audio and visual labs and a multimedia production centre.

Features include our 24/7 Docklands library, our £21m SportsDock centre, a campus shop and bookstore, the Children's Garden Nursery, cafés, eateries, a late bar, plus Student Union facilities, including a student lounge.

The University of East London is one of the few London universities to provide on-campus accommodation. Our Docklands Campus Student Village houses close to 1,200 students from around the world. We are well connected to central London and Canary Wharf, with London City Airport just across the water. We also run a free bus service that connects Docklands with Stratford campuses.

Who teaches this course

This course is delivered by the School of Arts and Creative Industries.

The teaching team includes qualified academics, practitioners and industry experts as guest speakers. Full details of the academics will be provided in the student handbook and module guides.

Course leader: Milly Rose Gunn
Course leader: Patrick Girard Quinnell
Course leader: Imraan Younas
Course leader: Dan Welsh

Official student data from Discover Uni

The banner below displays some key factual data about this course (including different course combinations or delivery modes of this course where relevant).

79%say staff value students views and opinions about the course