Develop art skills relevant to the fast-moving games industry including sculpting, modelling, texturing, characters and environments.
in the East of England for undergraduates employed as managers, directors or senior officials.
Source: GOS
Discover how to use visual research, creative experimentation and technical development to forge a career as a computer games artist.
You’ll learn how to move from concept to game-ready assets, bringing your work to life using industry-leading software including Unreal Engine 5, Autodesk Maya, ZBrush and the Adobe Substance Painter.
Our course is accredited by TIGA, the trade association representing the gaming industry in the UK.
Study at an award-winning university
We were named Times Higher Education University of the Year 2023. We've also been awarded a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework – a reflection of the outstanding education we offer our students.
Seeing women succeed in games has encouraged me to work in a field that I thoroughly enjoy.
Gain the skills to land a career in the gaming industry, and open doors to other sectors, including VFX, film, animation, television and motion graphics.
82% of the UK computer games industry is educated to at least undergraduate level, according to UKIE’s 2022 census – so completing this degree is highly likely to boost your employment prospects.
Graduation doesn’t have to be the end of your time with us. You might stay at ARU and study for a Masters, such as our MA Games Development (Art). Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.
Using universal design principles, computer game artists need to translate the ideas of others into visually compelling characters and environments.
Start the course by discovering the core skills and processes that computer games artists use, and understand where creative vision and technology meet.
You’ll also meet the challenge of translating concept images into game-ready 3D assets.
Later in the course you’ll study in a studio environment, developing your skills in rendering and lighting techniques to expand the expressive range of your artwork.
Finally, you’ll develop artefacts for your portfolio, take on live briefs for industry partners, and complete a Major Project that will bring together all your skills and knowledge.
Modules are subject to change and availability, and may vary by location. If you have the choice of optional modules, these are indicated with a *.
To prepare you for university study, you can take a foundation year at the start of this course. Find out more about foundation years.
You can choose to take an optional placement year as part of this course. Placements typically happen in Year 3, and your course will take four years overall. Find out more about placement years.
Read profiles of teaching and research staff on this course.
Senior Lecturer
Senior Lecturer
Associate Professor
Lecturer
Lecturer
From gaming and 3D modelling software through to HD cameras and graphic tablets, our games studio is filled with the latest industry-standard tools and equipment.
Our dedicated Computer Games Technical Officer will be on hand to offer full training and support.
You can also get training in the use of all our creative facilities, including a digital workshop with variety of computer aided manufacturing machines.
UK students, apply through Clearing for a September 2025 start
Call our Clearing line
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