A student working on a computer graphic of a building and fences in a desert

BA (Hons) Placement year available

Computer Games Design

Become a specialist in the field of games design and learn to work in a creative project team to forge a career in games design, interactive design, experience design or digital product design.

Start date: September 2027
Location: Cambridge Chelmsford
UCAS course code: I620
Duration: 3 years

Start date: September 2027
Location: Cambridge Chelmsford
UCAS course code: I621
Duration: 4 years with placement

Start date: September 2027
Location: Cambridge Chelmsford
UCAS course code: I622
Duration: 4 years with foundation

93%

for "Academic support" in the National Student Survey 2026.
Source: NSS 2026

Learn about the main areas of computer games development, from idea generation through to releasing a playable and polished game.

You’ll develop specialist skills in game design, level design, user interface design, and user experience design, with a focus on intuitiveness and accessibility.

You’ll gain a thorough understanding of the two most popular commercial game engines, Unity and Unreal, and build a professional portfolio to showcase your skills to future employers and clients.

"The support in ARU for the course and our wider community is brilliant." Owen Monaghan, ARU Games student.

Why ARU?

Study on a course that scored 90% for Satisfied with Teaching in the Guardian League Table 2027.
Learn specialist skills in game design, level design, and user/interface experience design.
Work collaboratively in a development studio environment that reflects the professional workplace.
Gain opportunities for placements, live briefs and networking through our links with companies like Dlala Studios, Sony, Jagex and Frontier.
Attend industry events such as games jams, talks, and festivals including our annual Gamebridge.
Access cutting-edge research materials through our partnership with Global Science & Technology Forum.

Students outside a building in the Creative Quarter at ARU in Cambridge

Designed for creative life
In Cambridge, our Creative Quarter brings together studios, workshops, performance and exhibition spaces. Be part of a community built around making, experimentation and innovation, while developing your portfolio and connecting with industry.

Careers

Now I’m super confident that I can go out there and get a job in the industry. I can make my own solo projects and I’m having a great time doing it.

Owen Monaghan, BA (Hons) Computer Games Design

Build a professional portfolio as you study, including an online presence on portfolio sites, websites and blogs, so you’re ready to showcase your skills to future employers and clients.

You'll gain practical experience with industry-standard tools, software and production pipelines. The technical and creative skills you develop will open up opportunities across games development, software engineering, XR and simulation, and the wider creative technology sector where experience with professional workflows and production pipelines is highly valued.

What can you do with a Computer Games Design degree?

Where have other Computer Games Design graduates worked?

Where have Computer Games Design students found work experience?

How can ARU help with my employability and career development?

Teaching and modules

This course is focused on the practical elements of video games. I was beyond impressed by the students who, whatever their skill level coming in, were all able to craft a well thought out pitch and follow it up with a playable prototype.

AJ Grand Scrutton, CEO Dlala Studios

You'll learn how to design engaging gameplay experiences, build prototypes using game engines, test and refine games through player feedback, and understand what makes games enjoyable and accessible.

As you progress, you'll work on collaborative projects, explore specialist areas of game design, and develop professional skills such as networking, pitching ideas, and building a portfolio. By the final year, you'll be tackling advanced design challenges and major projects, preparing you for a career in the games industry with a strong body of work and real-world experience.

Student work

Our student showcase

Press Start on your future in games: discover the new £2.5m games development facilities at ARU, designed to mirror real-world production environments and support the next generation of computer games artists and developers. Read more about our new facilities.
A showreel of work by students on our undergraduate games courses.
Computer Games Technology graduate Michal now works as a game developer at Jagex. Read Michal's Spotlight interview.
Artwork for Final Project by Sam McHaffie. See more of our computer games students' work.
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 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

Academic Skills for Games
Introduction to Gameplay and Levels
Game Engines for Designers
Games QA and Testing
Player-Centric Game Design
Into ARU

Year 2

Employability in Games
Specialities in Game Design
Collaborative Games Development
Intermediate Project for Games
Ruskin Module (15 credits)

Year 3

Advanced Specialist Game Design
Data-Informed Game Design
Creative Industries Major Project
Studio Practice for Games

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.

Placement year

Work Placement - Cambridge School of Creative Industries

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

Learning to Learn
Creative Workshops 1
Approach to Design
Critical and Contextual Studies
Creative Workshops 2
Specialist Project
Composition and Style

Module details

What happens on a foundation year?

What happens on a placement year?

How is Computer Games Design assessed?

Who teaches Computer games Design at ARU?

Read profiles of teaching and research staff on this course.

Matthew Holland
Lecturer
Thom Barrett (he/him)
Lecturer
Dr Barış Işıkgüner
Associate Professor
Sven Norris
Lecturer
Matthew Jones
Lecturer, Computer Games Design

Facilities

You’ll create in a professional-standard environment designed to reflect the realities of the games industry.

Professional-specification workstations, equipped with RTX graphics technology, give you access to powerful creative workflows, industry software, and specialist kit. Integrated studio spaces allow you to collaborate comfortably, replicating professional game studio workflows.

Collaborative studio spaces
Comfortable workstations
Professional-specification software
VR/AR spaces
Professional-standard studio

Collaborative studio spaces
Comfortable workstations
Professional-specification software
VR/AR spaces
Professional-standard studio

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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

Contextual offers

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Fees and funding

UK students

£10,050 UK students starting 2027/28 (full-time, per year)

Paying your tuition fees
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. You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

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.

£10,050 UK students starting 2027/28 (full-time, per year)

Paying your tuition fees
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. You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

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.

£10,050 UK students starting 2027/28 (full-time, per year)

Paying your tuition fees
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. You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

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.

International students

Placement year fee

Living costs

Bursaries, scholarships and part-time work

Apply for Computer Games Design

UK students

Apply through UCAS

International students

Apply online

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Computer Games Design

BA (Hons)

With placement

With foundation year

Careers

Teaching and modules

Student work

BA (Hons)

With placement

With foundation year

Facilities

Entry requirements

BA (Hons)

Important additional notes

With placement

Important additional notes

With foundation year

Important additional notes

International students

Fees and funding

BA (Hons)

With placement

With foundation year

BA (Hons)

With placement

With foundation year

Apply for Computer Games Design

UK students

International students

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