Games Design and Art BA (Hons)
Course Overview - Games Design and Art BA (Hons)
About this course
Study BA Games Design and Art and unlock your creative potential and refine your game-making skills with a combination of hands-on practice and theory. Throughout the course you will be constantly making games. You’ll use a research-led approach to this game making and play with ideas and concepts. Well encourage you to express your own ideas and work on projects related to your own approaches, background, and areas of interest. You’ll cover design, art, interaction design, play and storytelling, as well as as host of technical skills in both coding and asset p...
About this course<br/>Study BA Games Design and Art and unlock your creative potential and refine your game-making skills with a combination of hands-on practice and theory. Throughout the course you will be constantly making games. You’ll use a research-led approach to this game making and play with ideas and concepts. Well encourage you to express your own ideas and work on projects related to your own approaches, background, and areas of interest. You’ll cover design, art, interaction design, play and storytelling, as well as as host of technical skills in both coding and asset production. You’ll also cover the emerging fields of purposeful games and serious games and explore how games can be designed to have social impact and cultural significance. You’ll learn to apply design-thinking to the creation of brand-new games and refine them through research-led creative investigation, making, prototyping, user testing and designing games.<br/><br/>A game making-focused curriculum will help you prepare for your future, with opportunities to meet professionals from the industry. Students also have opportunities to undertake a placement in a game’s studio setting them up for a successful career in the field. This is reflected in the Graduate Outcomes where 92% of our graduates were in employment or further study 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes 2022/2023, published in 2025)<br/><br/>Key features of the course:<br/>• BA Games Design and Art is based in Winchester School of Art allowing you to work creatively while gaining essential technical skills.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• You’ll work in our dedicated games studios based in our brand new Capital House building in Winchester, the games and creative technology centre at the University of Southampton. <br/><br/><br/><br/>• You will have your own dedicated space to work at on campus as part of a vibrant, creative environment designed to mirror the collaborative practices of a game’s studio.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Opportunities to explore the full spectrum of game making, not only video games or AR and VR games but also physical games such as location-based games, tabletop games, and even escape rooms. <br/><br/><br/><br/>• As part of your degree you’ll be able to visit games studios and attend conferences, alongside numerous opportunities to pitch and present your ideas and games to industry. <br/><br/><br/><br/>Student Support<br/>You’ll become part of a close-knit community of game makers and artists, supported by inspiring tutors who are committed to helping students achieve their creative goals. You will be working closely with your peers in a close-knit studio environment, you’ll collaborate, inspire one another and explore concepts you are passionate about.<br/><br/>Further information<br/>The BA Games Design and Art is a three-year, full-time course at our Winchester School of Art. You can also add a year abroad or a year in industry, extending your degree to four years. For details, visit our course page.
Course Information
1 option available
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Course Details
Information
Study Mode
Full-time
Duration
3 Years
Start Date
21/09/2026
Campus
Winchester School of Art
Application Details
Provider Details
Codes/info
Course Code
1L6F
Institution Code
S27
Points of Entry
Year 1
Entry Requirements
UCAS Tariff
Not Accepted
Scottish Higher
We normally consider applicants who offer at least 1 Advanced Higher. Applicants presenting with only Highers will be considered on a case by case basis. Where Highers are taken over two years it might be expected that higher grades are achieved, particularly in any specific subjects required. For example, S5 – S6 (2 years): AABBB (A in specific subject) or S6 (1 year): ABBBB (A in specific subject). Unless a more advanced level (Higher or Advanced Higher) is specified in the stated entry requirements, all applicants will be required to have achieved a pass in Mathematics and English at Standard Grade, Grade 3 or National 5, Grade C, the equivalent of GCSE Grade C/ Grade 4 We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner's potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Access to HE Diploma
60 credits overall in an art related subject with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3. Out of the 45 credits at level 3, Distinction in 24 credits and Merit in 21 credits
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
30
Pass, with 30 points overall with 15 points at Higher Level Applications where Higher Level subjects have been studied without the full Diploma, will also be considered on a case by case basis. International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP): Offers will be made on the individual Diploma Course subject(s) and the career-related study qualification. The CP core will not form part of the offer. Where there is a subject pre-requisite(s), applicants will be required to study the subject(s) at Higher Level in the Diploma course subject and/or take a specified unit in the career-related study qualification. Applicants may also be asked to achieve a specific grade in those elements. Please see the University of Southampton International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
GCSE/National 4/National 5
Applicants must hold GCSE English language (or GCSE English) (minimum grade 4/C) and mathematics (minimum grade 4/C)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Scottish Advanced Higher
Offers will be based on exams being taken at the end of S6. Subjects taken and qualifications achieved in S5 will be reviewed. Careful consideration will be given to an individual’s academic achievement, taking in to account the context and circumstances of their pre-university education. Please see the University of Southampton’s Curriculum for Excellence Scotland Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact Admissions for more information.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
A level
WJEC Level 3 Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales
B
BBB from three A levels or BB from two A levels and B from the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking.
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Fees and funding
| Region | Costs | Academic Year | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Channel Islands, Republic of Ireland | £9,535 | 2025/26 | Year 1 | |
| EU, International | £25,500 | 2025/26 | Year 1 |
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