School of Art, Design and Architecture

BA (Hons) Game Arts and Design

BA (Hons) Game Arts and Design focuses on the creative side of gaming. Working with experienced game developers and researchers you will look at designing characters, environments and gameplay. You'll spend some of your time studying alongside illustration students where you can hone your character and environment skills.

You will explore development on different platforms including mobile, VR and AR, experiment with game sound design, study the psychology of games and gamification, create your own novel game controllers and learn how to make money in the games business from people on the inside.

Key features

  • Stay one step ahead with a course designed in close collaboration with games developers and researchers to ensure technologies, skills and techniques are bang up to date.
  • Access all areas – keep working into the evening in our dedicated lab space open until 10pm, and take advantage of our other amazing facilities, including a 35 seat, 360° immersive vision theatre.
  • Your assessments are 100 per cent coursework – no exams.
  • Be inspired by lecturers who are experts in their field, with backgrounds in both industry and research. The exciting work going on in our research groups, i-DAT and Planetary Collegium, feeds back into the teaching on this course.
  • Get ready for work - take an optional additional year and secure a paid placement with a games company. 
  • Broaden your horizons with great enrichment activities including overseas field trips in Berlin, Helsinki and New York to attend conferences and game jams. 
  • Get exclusive insights with talks from guest speakers from the creative arts and technology industries.

Course details

  • Year 1
  • Core modules

    • GAD401 Strategies for Game Design

      This module introduces students to the theory and practice of game design through the creation of a tabletop game. Students are asked to reflect on the history and culture of game-playing in human society, and analyse the dynamics behind a range of games. Students work in small teams to create a game, using analogue and digital processes, with an emphasis on creativity and experimentation.

    • GAD402 Immersive Experience

      This module introduces issues and techniques involved in designing and developing immersive experiences. This module takes a user-centred approach to the production of virtual and blended reality environments (including a wide range of different styles and types of game. The key to this module is the combination and integration of sensory stimuli to produce an engaging and compelling, whilst at the same time coherent user experience.

    • GAD405 Creative Coding

      This module provides an introduction to programming for digital artists and designers. The syllabus, topics, examples and style of teaching are designed to support interaction, graphics, video, animation, sound, embedded systems and integration with live data sources.

    • GAD411 Narrative Sequence

      You will visually explore sequence creation within your work via a range of traditional and digital media and formats. Character development, narrative pacing, creative writing are a feature. Critical reflective writing underpins practical work. Reflection and planning help to establish personal ambitions and identify strengths and weaknesses.

    Optional modules

    • DAT406PP Digital Making

      This module introduces students to a key set of digital technologies that are core to the production of current digital artwork. This will include exposure to a wide range of software, hardware and networking components commonly used by digital artists and designers. This is a Plymouth Plus module.

    • ILLGA400PP Character

      Students visually explore character creation within their work via a range of traditional and digital media and formats. Understanding and utilising character development, narrative and creative writing are a feature. Critical reflective writing underpins practical work. Reflection and planning help to identify strengths and weaknesses. Potential collaborative practice is also a feature.

The modules shown for this course are those currently being studied by our students, or are proposed new modules. Please note that programme structures and individual modules are subject to amendment from time to time as part of the University’s curriculum enrichment programme and in line with changes in the University’s policies and requirements.

Entry requirements

Applicants must attend an interview.

We would like to see examples of your work if you have them, such as: 
  • a portfolio of drawings, sketches, character designs or game design
  • computer-based and online work: algorithmic artworks, web pages, games, blogs etc.- media: video, photographs, sound pieces, music.
Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to new media/digital production or interactive arts.

A level 
A minimum of 2 A levels, General Studies accepted.

International Baccalaureate
28 points.

18 Unit BTEC National Diploma/QCF Extended Diploma
DMM. 

BTEC National Diploma modules
If you hold a BTEC qualification it is vital that you provide our Admissions team with details of the exact modules you have studied as part of the BTEC. Without this information we may be unable to process your application quickly and you could experience significant delays in the progress of your application to study with us. Please explicitly state the full list of modules within your qualification at the time of application.

All access courses
Pass a named Access to Higher Education Diploma (preferably art and design or combined), with at least 33 credits at merit and/or distinction. 

GCSE
Mathematics and English Language grade C.

Other
Equivalent qualifications may be considered.


For a full list of all acceptable qualifications please refer to our tariff glossary.

Fees, costs and funding

New Student 2017 2018
Home/EU £9,250 To be confirmed
International £12,250 To be confirmed
Part time (Home/EU) Check with School To be confirmed
Part time (International) Check with School To be confirmed
Full time fees shown are per annum. Part time fees shown are per a number of credits. Fees are correct at the time of publication and may be subject to change.

How to apply

All applications for undergraduate courses are made through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). 

UCAS will ask for the information contained in the box at the top of this course page including the UCAS course code and the institution code. 

To apply for this course and for more information about submitting an application including application deadline dates, please visit the UCAS website.

Support is also available to overseas students applying to the University from our International Office via our how to apply webpage or email international-admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.



The games industry offers a wide and diverse range of job opportunities for technically-minded creative professionals. Whether you want be a game designer, character artist, environment designer, user-interface specialist, gameplay developer or producer, BA (Hons) Game Arts and Design will help you develop and hone your skills to ensure your work stands out.

BA (Hons) Game Arts and Design is part of the digital art and technology group at Plymouth University, a multidisciplinary collective of coders, artists, designers and hackers who work with data visualisation, games, virtual reality, kinects, robotics, interactive installations, sound design and everything else digital. All of our lecturers are practicing games designers, coders and digital artists, and all of our courses combine creative and technical skills with cultural and new media theory - producing graduates who are highly employable while also seeing the world in a new way. The digital art and technology course has resulted in a number of startups including Mutant Labs games company, Play Nicely digital design and TruVision VR who are currently making waves with virtual reality models for architects. We aim to future-proof our students, to prepare them for an ever-changing world, where technologies evolve, but smart thinking is always in demand.