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Games Art BA (Hons)
Key Facts
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UCAS Code
BA: I630
BA with Foundation: I631 -
Duration
Full Time: 3 years
Full Time Foundation: 4 years
Part Time: 4 - 5 years
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BBC at A Level or,
DMM at BTEC -
Full Time: £9,535
Part Time: £1,585 (per 20 credits)
Integrated Foundation Year: £9,535
Updated 04/12/2025
Updated 04/12/2025
Get in touch
UK STUDENTS ENQUIRIES
study@northampton.ac.uk
0300 303 2772
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ENQUIRIES
Overview
The University of Northampton’s BA Games Art degree focuses on the visual side of the video game industry, including specialist areas such as concept art, UI, 3D modelling, environment and character design. You will be introduced to the key points in the creative process, from initial concepting through to the production of final assets, as well as the technical skills required to implement these into a working video game.
The Games Art University programme has a collaborative group project module with our Games Design and Games Programming courses, so students on the Games Art course can work with programmers and designers to produce commercial quality games.
Unreal Academic Partner Program
The University is a member of the Unreal Academic Partner Program.
The Unreal Academic Partner program helps degree-granting institutions accelerate their Unreal Engine-driven courses through exclusive benefits. These include enterprise software licenses, premium service subscriptions, co-marketing opportunities, and Marketplace credits for projects – class and research. It is only open to institutions that want to prepare the next generation of creators/developers for roles in interactive 3D.
Highlights
- Up to date workstation hardware and software, including Wacom Cintiqs and Wacom Intuos.
- Opportunities to take part in live projects and competitions in this Games Art degree.
- Guaranteed paid internship with the Northampton Employment Promise.
- HP Laptop and software included with this Games Art course. Terms and Conditions apply
Student using a virtual reality headset, as part of their class work during Animation or Games.
Class session, where academic is teaching class about animations with a visual demonstration.
Example of the computer suites for Game and Animation courses.
Entry Requirements
A typical offer for the BA Games Art degree is:
- BBC at A Level or,
- DMM at BTEC/Cambridge Technical, or
- Pass (C and above) at T Level
All selected applicants will be invited for a portfolio review and discussion.
We welcome applications from students with a mix of A levels and BTEC/Cambridge Technical qualifications.
For more information on how to make an application, please visit our How to Apply page.
If you are an International student and would like information on making an application, please see our How to Apply page.
Admission to this foundation Games Art course is normally:
- DEE at A Level or,
- MPP at BTEC or,
- Pass (D or E) at T Level
However, we would also like to hear from you if you have professional or industry experience instead, a range of other qualifications or self-developed subject knowledge that relates to the course you wish to study.
All International and EU students applying for a course with the University of Northampton must meet the following minimum English language requirements:
- IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent) with a minimum of 5.5 in all bands
for study at undergraduate level
For information regarding English language requirements at the University, please see our IELTS page.
What You'll Learn
On this Games Art BA course, you will focus on the production of professional standard art assets for video game development, but you will also be exposed to the whole life cycle of game production from the initial ideas process, through testing and iteration stages, to the final release stage. Students in this game art degree will work with programmers and designers from the Games Programming BSc and Games Design BA courses to ensure you understand the requirements of games development for specific platforms and markets.
We will give you the creative skills, technical software skills and industry knowledge about gaming art, required by leading games developers. You will produce a personal portfolio of your work to reflect industry and professional practice needs, informed by historical and contemporary references as well as cultural and social contexts. Take a look at some of our past Games Art students’ work on YouTube.
Compulsory Modules
This module introduces students to 2D and 3D visual communication, stimulating visual perception and idea generation. Students will be encouraged to be experimental in their approach to applying suitable media and techniques to communicate technical and aesthetic subjects.
This module introduces students to group working practices within the context of a computer game development project. The module encourages the development of key interpersonal skills needed for collaborative work, such as communication, problem solving, respect and consideration of others, and identifying roles and responsibilities within a multidisciplinary group project.
The purpose of this module is to introduce students to the principles and technical skills used to create 2D digital graphics for video games and other creative industries, and to explore the creative processes required to produce their own digital assets to professional standards.
This module introduces students to the technical 3D modelling skills and creative processes required to produce 3D digital assets within creative industry projects. The module will also introduce students to the study of professional developers and their product standards, to contextualise and understand current market trends and platform limitations.
This module develops the student’s knowledge and practical expertise in 3D modelling, with a specific focus on the technical skills required to produce 3D character models for use in computer games. Students will develop experience with character construction, topological deformation and rigging for animation.
The purpose of this module is to introduce students to the principles and technical skills used to create materials and textures for use in video games and other creative industries. Students explore the creative processes required to produce their own digital materials to industry standards.
Please note the modules shown here relate to the academic year 25/26. The modules relating to the academic year 26/27 will be available from June 2026.
At the University of Northampton, everything we do, from funded trips to paid internships, is to give you everything you need to make a difference when you leave.
If you join this full time Games Art degree at Northampton, you will receive a laptop when your course begins*. The laptop you will be offered has been tested with games development software and is capable of running the core suit teaching of software for home study. While on-site you are advised to use the more powerful desktops located in CH120, CH121 and CH122.
Whatever your ambitions, we’re here to help you to achieve them. We’ll support you to identify the skills about gaming art you’re learning during your games art course, find your strengths and secure practical experience so that when it comes to applying for jobs or further study you’ll feel confident in standing out from the crowd. We’ve created the Northampton Employment Promise because we are so confident that if you focus on your studies and complete one of our awards you’ll be highly employable by the time you graduate. Putting you in a great position to secure employment or continue your studies.
To check out the full list of perks, visit our Student Perks page or dedicated International Perks page.
*UK fee payers only (see Terms and Conditions for further details).
The Integrated Foundation Year (IFY) offers a new and exciting route into studying for a degree, attracting ambitious and driven students who are willing to learn and advance.
If you have non-standard qualifications or do not quite meet the admissions requirements we can offer you a fantastic opportunity to study a four year programme which includes an Integrated Foundation Year. The Integrated Foundation Year will help you develop the theoretical/practical and academic skills you need, in order to successfully progress to the full award.
Our four-year courses will enable you to successfully follow the degree pathway of your choice while gaining essential study skills. The foundation year of your chosen degree will be studied on a full-time basis and is aimed at supporting the transition to higher education. Years two, three and four are then studied as a standard degree programme.
How will I be taught on the Games Art BA degree?
Your teaching will take the form of practical activities, group work, assignments, seminars and written assessments around games art.
How will I be assessed?
Assessment on the games art degree is a mixture of studio based design projects (continual assessment), portfolio development, and written assignments. At each stage, there will also be a joint group project with students from the Games Design BA (Hons) course and Games Programming BSc (Hons), resulting in a fully developed game.
Fees and Funding
2025/26 Tuition Fees
- UK – Full Time: £9,535
- UK – Part Time: £1,585 per 20 credit module
- UK – Integrated Foundation Year: £9,535
- International – Full Time: £15,700
- International – Integrated Foundation Year: £15,700
Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 2025/26 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years. UON will adjust UK fees annually in line with Government Policy.
You will be expected to have a basic drawing kit for the start of the course, including a sketchbook, charcoal, erasers, pencils, pens etc, which would cost approximately £20 in total.
In addition, we expect that you have a large portable hard drive (SSD) storage device to save your work to (£60 approx.) This would be an example of a suitable SSD.
Some course related field trips and optional social activities, for example to EGX Rezzed Games convention, Let’s Talk Games or Guildford Games will require a contribution towards ticket purchase and/or travel: £10 (each approximately)
For information on the scholarships available to you, please see our scholarships page.
For more information about possible funding options, please visit our Fees and Funding pages.
Fees quoted relate to study on the games art degree in the Academic Year 24/25 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.
- UK – Full Time: £9,250
- UK – Part Time: £1,540 per 20 credit module
- UK – Integrated Foundation Year: £9,250
- International – Full Time: £15,200
- International – Integrated Foundation Year: £15,200
Careers and Employability
This Games Arts Degree will give you all the skills and experience you need to find work in the broad field of games design and games art.
Previous games art students have gone on to work at:
- Playground Games
- Firesprite
- Codemasters
- Jagex
- Austella VR
- Totem Learning
- Dream Harvest Games
- Sumo Digital
You may also be able to secure work in areas such as animation, architectural visualisation, visual effects, and model-making for film and TV.
Facilities and special features
Specialist features include:
- Up to date workstation hardware and software including Wacom Cintiqs and Wacom Intuos
- Guest lectures that provide the opportunity to meet with industry specialists. Recent visitors have included: Rare, Unity, Splash Damage, Playground Games, Codemasters, Aardman Animations, Ubisoft, Lockwood Publishing, and Sony.
- Opportunities to visit industry events such as EGX Rezzed
- Yearly group projects, which allow for a real-life games development experience, working closely in a collaborative group project with student programmers and designers from Games Programming BSc (Hons) and Games Design BA (Hons)
- Life drawing and visual studies taught throughout – giving a solid art school foundation
- Course and module support via the course web site and University Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)
- A supportive approach to tuition with small class sizes (<20) and approachable tutors with practical industry experience.
