Location

Farnham

Start date

Sept 2026, Sept 2027

Duration

3 years full-time

UCAS logo

UCAS codes

Course: I620
Institution: C93

+1

Foundation year

Optional extra year of study

+1

Placement year

Optional extra year of study

Entry requirements

Check qualifications

Games Design at UCA

Build the world. Design the game. Lead the play on our BA (Hons) Games Design degree course at UCA Farnham.

A studio, not a classroom

This course is built around making games, not reading or writing about them. You'll work in cross-disciplinary teams alongside games artists and developers. In first year, you’ll learn the ropes as a junior developer. In second year, you’ll lead your own team. It's how the best studios train their people and it’s how we’ll train you to become the best.

Design that starts with the player

Gameplay, level design, systems, narrative — every module is grounded in how players experience the worlds you create. You'll build interactive environments, prototype mechanics, and iterate through structured playtesting. From your first project through to your self-directed Major Project, your design decisions will be tested, challenged, and refined by real player feedback.

Giants of gaming in the room with you

You'll pitch ideas, defend mechanics, and have the chance to present work at industry events including GDLX and Guildford Games Festival.

Built for where the industry is going

You'll work with current-generation engines and explore emerging platforms including VR and motion capture. But the core of the course protects what will never go out of fashion – systems thinking, player psychology, creative problem-solving.

Two minute stories


Discover the stories of our Games students

What you'll study

The content of the course may be subject to change. Curriculum content is provided as a guide.

UCA’s Integrated Foundation Year is designed to give you the skills you’ll need to start your degree in the best possible way – with confidence, solid knowledge of creative practice, study skills and more.

You’ll explore a range of creative techniques and develop your portfolio, with your chosen subject in mind. We’ll work with you throughout the year to ensure you’re on the right track and give you the tools to achieve your highest potential on your degree.

Find out more about the Integrated Foundation Year

Ideas Generation and Prototyping; 30 credits
This module introduces the foundations of game design through structured idea generation, creative writing, and rapid prototyping. You will explore core gameplay mechanics, narrative concepts, and industry-standard documentation, translating ideas into playable prototypes using basic technical tools. Emphasis is placed on iterative design, feedback, and inclusive, ethical game design principles.

Career Catalyst: Skills & Capability; 30 credits
Career Catalyst: Skills & Capability focuses on building creative, technical and digital capability aligned to professional standards. You develop transferable skills through practical projects, feedback and reflection, strengthening professional literacy and confidence. This module prepares you to apply your skills effectively across disciplines, laying the foundations for collaboration, industry engagement and complex creative challenges.

Interactive Level Design; 30 credits
This module introduces interactive level design and environmental storytelling, focusing on how space, pacing, and visual cues shape player experience. You will design and prototype original game worlds, using industry workflows and playtesting to refine navigation, narrative, and accessibility. The module develops foundational spatial design and player-centred thinking skills..

Collaborative Games Studio 1 (Foundation); 30 credits
Collaborative Game Studio 1 introduces you to cross-disciplinary game production within a simulated studio environment. Working in teams with artists and developers, you will contribute as junior artists to the creation of a playable prototype, learning Agile workflows, professional communication, and collaborative production practices. The module emphasises participation, professional conduct, and ethical awareness, establishing essential teamwork and industry-readiness skills

Rapid Game Prototyping; 30 credits
This module focuses on fast, iterative game design through rapid prototyping and playtesting. You will explore experimental mechanics, systems, and player interactions, responding dynamically to feedback and constraints. The module strengthens creative problem-solving, resilience, and design iteration in line with contemporary industry practices.

Career Catalyst: Communities & Influence; 30 credits
Career Catalyst: Communities & Influence emphasises collaboration, participation and real-world impact. Working with audiences, communities and professional contexts through live briefs, projects and engagement opportunities. This module develops professional agency, teamwork and networks, helping you understand how creative practice creates value, influence and opportunity within industry, civic and global contexts.

Narrative World Building and Gameplay Systems; 30 credits
This module explores the relationship between narrative, world-building, and gameplay systems. You will design coherent game worlds informed by genre research, storytelling theory, and player experience, producing integrated design documentation and prototypes. The module encourages autonomy, critical thinking, and ethical narrative design.

Collaborative Games Studio 2 (Production and Leadership); 30 credits
Building on the foundation studio module, you will take on mid-level leadership roles within a collaborative game project. You will contribute to creative direction, manage scope and risk, and mentor junior team members while working within Agile production frameworks. The module develops leadership, collaboration, and professional studio practice.

If you opt to complete a professional practice year, this will take place in year three. You will undertake a placement within the creative industries to further develop your skills and CV.

While on your Professional Practice Year, you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee for that year. This fee will be determined using government funding regulations. Based on current regulations, we expect this to be a maximum of 20% of the tuition fee rate that you are charged for your second year of study. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during this year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this as you approach your Professional Practice Year.

Please note: If you are an international applicant, you will need to enrol onto the course ‘with Professional Practice Year’. It will not be possible to transfer onto the Professional Practice Year after enrolment

Creative Research; 30 credits
Creative Research prepares you for your Major Project through structured design research and contextual inquiry. You develop project proposals, conduct exploratory prototyping, and critically position your work within theoretical, cultural, and industry contexts. The module supports independent research skills and ethical awareness.

Career Catalyst: Futures & Direction; 30 credits
Career Catalyst: Futures & Direction supports your transition beyond graduation by focusing on professional identity, positioning and future direction. Consolidating learning through portfolio development, research and career planning you will prepare for employment, freelance practice or further study. The module develops autonomy, confidence and resilience, equipping you to navigate and shape your future professional pathways.

Major Project; 60 credits
The Major Project is a self-directed capstone module in which you will design and realise an ambitious game project. Drawing on research, prototyping, and professional workflows, you will produce a resolved design outcome supported by critical documentation. The module demonstrates creative maturity, autonomy, and readiness for professional practice or postgraduate study.

This course is designed to offer you (if eligible) the opportunity to study part of your degree aboard at a UCA partner university, while still earning credits towards your UCA degree.

For more information please visit the Study Abroad section

Integrated foundation year

  • Independent study: 72%
  • Scheduled teaching: 28%
  • Maximum percentage of scheduled delivered online: 20%

Year one

  • Independent study: 72%
  • Scheduled teaching: 28%
  • Maximum percentage of scheduled delivered online: 20%

Year two

  • Independent study: 74%
  • Scheduled teaching: 26%
  • Maximum percentage of scheduled delivered online: 20%

Year three

  • Independent study: 76%
  • Scheduled teaching: 24%
  • Maximum percentage of scheduled delivered online: 20%

Professional placement or International year (if undertaken)

  • Independent study: 98%
  • Scheduled teaching: 2%
  • Maximum percentage of scheduled delivered online: 100%

Please note: these details are for 2026 entry and could be subject to change for other years of entry.

Course specifications

Please note, syllabus content indicated is provided as a guide. The content of the course may be subject to change in line with our Student Terms and Conditions for example, as required by external professional bodies or to improve the quality of the course.

Explore our gradshows

Each year, we’re privileged to be able to share our graduates’ incredible work with the world. And now’s your chance to take a look.

Visit the online showcase

Upcoming webinars

We offer a range of webinars throughout the year that you may be interested in.

You can also view recordings of all previous sessions through the UCA webinar archive.


Fees & financial support

Tuition fees - 2026/27

  • Integrated Foundation Year: £9,790
  • BA course: £9,790

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee, for 2026/27 this is £1,955. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.

Government guidance indicates that tuition‑fee caps will rise annually with inflation from 2026, subject to legislation, so tuition fees are likely to increase each year of study. 

Tuition fees - 2026/27

  • Integrated Foundation Year: £9,790 (see fee discount information)
  • BA course: £9,790 (see fee discount information)

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee, for 2026/27 this is £1,955. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.

Government guidance indicates that tuition‑fee caps will rise annually with inflation from 2026, subject to legislation, so tuition fees are likely to increase each year of study. 

Tuition fees - 2026/27

  • Integrated Foundation Year: £18,000
  • BA course: £18,000

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, for 2026 you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee of £3,490. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.

The fees listed here are correct for the stated academic year only, for details of previous years please see the full fee schedules.

UCA scholarships and fee discounts

At UCA we have a number of scholarships and fee discounts available to assist you with the cost of your studies.

Financial support

There are lots of ways you can access additional financial support to help you fund your studies - both from UCA and from external sources. Discover what support you might qualify for please see our financial support information.

Additional course costs

In addition to the tuition fees there may be other costs for your course. The things that you are likely to need to budget for to get the most out of a creative arts education will include books, printing costs, occasional or optional study trips and/or project materials.

These costs will vary according to the nature of your project work and the individual choices that you make. Please see the Additional Course Costs section of the Course Information Document for more details of the costs you may incur.

Find out what's included in your tuition fees.

Games Design career opportunities

With the UK games market being the fifth largest in the world and growing at a record pace, career routes are plentiful in the computer games industry. Graduates can look to join the industry in a number of different roles.

These can include:

  • Level designer
  • Cinematic games designer
  • Character designer
  • Games design and development
  • VR games designer
  • Rendering programmer
  • AI designer

London and the South East comprise 47% of the UK games industry, and with 82% of games companies are looking to expand their workforce, there are more career opportunities in gaming than ever before.

Kevin Tarazona, BA (Hons) Studio Practice (Games), UCA Farnham

What careers can you do with a Games degree?

When you sit down to play a game, you’re witnessing the result of hundreds of people working together behind the scenes.

Farnham is ideally located in the South East of England close to 48% of the UK games industry, we’re 45 minutes from London Waterloo through which the capital’s indie games and technology start-ups can be accessed. 

You may also like to consider further study at postgraduate level.


Lydia Beharrell_BA Games Design

What our Games Design students say

"UCA definitely helped prepare me for the real world, and I don't think I would be where I am now without it... UCA taught me how to bounce back after mistakes, which is a very valuable commodity to have, and I will always be thankful for my time there."

Read Lydia's story Chat to UCA students

Games Design entry requirements

For both the BA (Hons) course and the Integrated Foundation Year we will need to see your portfolio, please see the portfolio requirements section for more details.

Select your country to find the equivalent requirements

Portfolio requirements

For both the BA (Hons) course and the course with the Integrated Foundation Year we will need to see a portfolio.

  • UK applicants: We will invite you to attend an Applicant Day so you can have your portfolio review in person.
  • International applicants: We will ask you to submit an online portfolio. 

These courses focus on fundamental, traditional art skills and contemporary digital techniques. Your portfolio should show us that you have the underlying skills to fulfil the demands of the course as well as demonstrating your creativity and passion for this subject area. Your portfolio should provide an insight into your work ethic, enthusiasm and skills as an artist.

Please check our games degree portfolio advice and read our advice on creating a strong games portfolio.

UCAS applicants should also check our UCAS personal statement guide for games applicants.

Full portfolio requirements and advice

Apply to BA (Hons) Games Design

Please use the following fields to help select the right application link for you:

UCAS codes

  • UCA institution code: C93
  • Three year degree: I620
  • Plus professional practice year: I621
  • Plus integrated foundation year: I62A
  • Plus integrated foundation year and professional practice year: I62B

BA (Hons) Games Design key statistics

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