Digital art showing high-rise buildings in a city at night-time

BA (Hons) Available in Clearing

Computer Games Art

Develop art skills relevant to the fast-moving games industry including sculpting, modelling, texturing, characters and environments.

Start date: September
Location: Cambridge
Duration: 3 years
UCAS course code: W281

Start date: September
Location: Cambridge
Duration: 4 years with foundation
UCAS course code: W282

Start date: September
Location: Cambridge
Duration: 4 years with placement
UCAS course code: W283

1st

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.

TIGA

Our course is accredited by TIGA, the trade association representing the gaming industry in the UK.

What makes our computer games degrees special? Students talk about lecturers, hands-on learning, collaboration and community.

Why ARU?

Study in a region renowned for computer games, with 26 games companies in Cambridge alone (source: Ukie Games Map, January 2024).
Attend exciting industry events including games jams, industry talks, and festivals including our annual Gamebridge.
Explore different aspects of digital art, helping you specialise and future-proof your career.
Work collaboratively in a development studio environment that reflects the professional workplace.
Study on a course that's a member of the Unreal Academic Partner programme, recognising university courses that are committed to providing ongoing, high-quality educational opportunities.

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.

Careers

Seeing women succeed in games has encouraged me to work in a field that I thoroughly enjoy.

Sabrina Minter, Graduate and games designer

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.

Where have Computer Games Art students found work experience?

Where have other Computer Games Art graduates worked?

How can ARU help with my employability and career development?

Teaching and modules

Adam Twycross addressing the camera from a gaming chair

Using universal design principles, computer game artists need to translate the ideas of others into visually compelling characters and environments.

Dr Adam Twycross, Senior Lecturer

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.

Student work

Our student showcase

Discover how our course will help you translate other people's ideas into visually compelling characters and environments. Hear from ARU Senior Lecturer Dr Adam Twycross in this Springpod Subject Spotlight. Watch the full lecture on Springpod.
Artwork for Final Project by Sam McHaffie. See more of our computer games students' work.
Artwork by Caitlin Pirie.
Artwork by Caitlin Pirie.
Artwork by David Lopes.
Artwork by David Lopes.
Artwork by David Lopes.
Artwork by Maria Sosnovska.
Artwork by Maria Sosnovska.
Artwork by Ryan Kelly.
Artwork by Talia Smith.
Artwork by Talia Smith.

What will I study?

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 *.

Year 1

Game Concepts and Analysis
Digital Sculpting for Games
Introduction to Game Art
Game Art Creation
Into ARU

Year 2

Collaborative Games Development
Specialised Practice in Games Art
Technical Development for Games
Ruskin Module (15 credits)

Year 3

Studio Practice for Games
Major Project for Games

Module details

To prepare you for university study, you can take a foundation year at the start of this course. Find out more about foundation years.

Year 1

Foundation in Art and Design

Module details

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.

Year 3

Work Placement - Cambridge School of Creative Industries

Module details

What happens on a foundation year?

What happens on a placement year?

How is Computer Games Art assessed?

Who teaches Computer Games Art at ARU?

Read profiles of teaching and research staff on this course.

Dr Adam Twycross
Senior Lecturer
Martyn Simmons
Senior Lecturer
Dr Barış Işıkgüner
Associate Professor
Amanda Surowka
Lecturer
Matthew Holland
Lecturer

Facilities

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.

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Entry requirements

Standard entry requirements

Important additional notes

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

Other equivalent qualifications may be accepted for entry to this course; please email [email protected] for further information. Applicants to undergraduate courses can also check our information about undergraduate entry qualifications.

You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.

We don't accept AS level qualifications on their own for entry to our undergraduate degree courses. However for some degree courses a small number of tariff points from AS levels are accepted as long as they're combined with tariff points from A levels or other equivalent level 3 qualifications in other subjects.

Important additional notes

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.

Important additional notes

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.

International students

English language requirements

Portfolio review

Making you an offer

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Fees and funding

UK students

£9,535 UK students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.

You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

If you start a course on or after 1 August 2023, you won't repay anything until you earn more than £25,000. This is called repayment Plan 5. At this point, you'll repay 9% on everything you earn over £25,000. After 40 years (from the April after graduation), all remaining debt is wiped.

If you started a course on or before 31 July 2023, you won't repay anything until you earn more than £27,295. This is called repayment Plan 2. At this point, you'll repay 9% on everything you earn over £27,295. After 30 years (from the April after graduation), all remaining debt is wiped.

For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5:

If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month
That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45.

What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

£9,535 UK students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.

You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5:

If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month
That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45.

What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

£9,535 UK students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.

You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5:

If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month
That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45.

What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

£1,400 Placement year (2024-25)

International students

£17,500 International students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter

Find out about paying your fees.

£17,500 International students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter

Find out about paying your fees.

£17,500 International students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter

Find out about paying your fees.

Placement year fee

Living costs

Bursaries, sponsorship and working

Apply for Computer Games Art

Clearing places available

UK students, apply through Clearing for a September 2025 start

Apply through Clearing

UK students

Call our Clearing line

01245 686868

UK students

Apply through UCAS for 2026

Apply through UCAS

International students

Apply direct

Apply online

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Computer Games Art

BA (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

Careers

Teaching and modules

Student work

BA (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

Facilities

Entry requirements

BA (Hons)

Important additional notes

With foundation year

Important additional notes

With placement

Important additional notes

International students

English language requirements

Fees and funding

BA (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

BA (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

Apply for Computer Games Art

Clearing places available

UK students

01245 686868

UK students

International students

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