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.
What makes our computer games degrees special? Students talk about lecturers, hands-on learning, collaboration and community.
Why ARU?
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 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.
Study in Cambridge or Chelmsford, both home to a host of games companies (source: Ukie Games Map, January 2024).
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.
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.
82% of the UK computer games industry is educated to at least undergraduate level, according to UKIE’s 2022 census. Our degree will help you get experience and find work in design-focused roles such as game designer, level designer, user interface designer, and user experience designer.
Graduation doesn’t have to be the end of your time with us. You might decide to stay at ARU and study for a Masters, such as our MSc Games Development (Art). Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.
Every year, you’ll tackle ‘live briefs’ from our industry partners. These might include prototyping game ideas, and even developing teaser games. You’ll have a chance to take part in negotiated briefs too, which may focus more on your particular interests and specialisms.
Live briefs will not only help you prepare for work in the games industry – some may show you how you can use your skills for communal wellbeing, regardless of where your career takes you. For example, our brief in conjunction with mental health charity Safe In Our World will allow you to research the professional and ethical issues faced within the games industry, and present your findings through a group presentation.
You’ll also have opportunities to build your professional network at games jams, industry talks, and festivals, like our annual Gamebridge, where students from across the country attend industry-led talks, 1-2-1 portfolio reviews, and game showcases with companies like Frontier and Jagex.
We want you to be a step ahead when you graduate, so we offer:
We’re here to help you develop your CV and find that all-important role after graduation. Our Employability Service offers tailored career appointments, advice on writing your CV, help to complete job applications, and much more. You’ll have 24/7 access to an online Careers Centre too, which is packed with useful resources.
The support continues after you graduate, with lifelong access to our Alumni Career Centre.
Develop a portfolio of professional skills in player-centric design, communication and implementation, in a variety of specialities.
Matthew Holland, Lecturer - Computer Games
You’ll start this course by learning about game design theory, key game development stages, industry-standard game creation tools, world-building techniques, and various roles in the games industry.
In years 2 and 3, you’ll deepen your knowledge of tools and techniques for creating characters, environments, and narratives, often working collaboratively.
Finally, you’ll develop artefacts for your portfolio, take on live briefs for industry partners, and complete a Major Project that brings together all your skills and knowledge.
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
A foundation year prepares you for the rest of your course, and focuses on general skills such as researching and referencing, numeracy and ICT, and communication. We'll also start to look at some more subject-specific topics.
Your placement year is a chance to put everything you’ve learnt in Years 1 and 2 into practice. Spend typically 9-12 months working for an organisation, developing your skills and gaining valuable work experience. Our Placements Team is here to help you secure a placement.
Our assessment methods reflect the practices you will need to work in the modern games industry. These include team project work; working to client/employer requirements; researching and producing designs; creating artefacts; understanding game design issues and design techniques; and demonstrating a knowledge of world-building.
At each level of the course you will also be assessed on a written reflection of your own skillsets and your plan for professional development over the following year and into graduation.
Read profiles of teaching and research staff on this course.
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.
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.
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.
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.
International students
We welcome applications from international and EU students, and accept a range of international qualifications.
£9,535UK students starting 2026/27 (full-time, per year)
An update on tuition fees for 2026-27
The fee of £9,535 quoted for UK students starting in 2026-27 is an indicative fee based on the current maximum regulated tuition fee for the 2025-26 academic year.
The University’s policy is to charge the maximum regulated tuition fee as set by the Government. The Government has advised that the regulated fee cap for full-time undergraduate courses taught in the 2026-27 academic year will be increasing in line with inflation.
The exact amount of the maximum regulated tuition fee set by the Government hasn’t been confirmed yet.
We expect confirmation of this in the coming weeks at which point the fee for the 2026-27 academic year will be updated.
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.
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.
£9,535UK students starting 2026/27 (full-time, per year)
An update on tuition fees for 2026-27
The fee of £9,535 quoted for UK students starting in 2026-27 is an indicative fee based on the current maximum regulated tuition fee for the 2025-26 academic year.
The University’s policy is to charge the maximum regulated tuition fee as set by the Government. The Government has advised that the regulated fee cap for full-time undergraduate courses taught in the 2026-27 academic year will be increasing in line with inflation.
The exact amount of the maximum regulated tuition fee set by the Government hasn’t been confirmed yet.
We expect confirmation of this in the coming weeks at which point the fee for the 2026-27 academic year will be updated.
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.
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.
£9,535UK students starting 2026/27 (full-time, per year)
An update on tuition fees for 2026-27
The fee of £9,535 quoted for UK students starting in 2026-27 is an indicative fee based on the current maximum regulated tuition fee for the 2025-26 academic year.
The University’s policy is to charge the maximum regulated tuition fee as set by the Government. The Government has advised that the regulated fee cap for full-time undergraduate courses taught in the 2026-27 academic year will be increasing in line with inflation.
The exact amount of the maximum regulated tuition fee set by the Government hasn’t been confirmed yet.
We expect confirmation of this in the coming weeks at which point the fee for the 2026-27 academic year will be updated.
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.
This course includes an optional placement year. The placement year fee is:
£1,500 (2025-26)
£1,700 (2026-27)
You will be responsible for covering the cost of travelling to your placement during your placement year. This cost could vary significantly depending on where your placement is located, where you live during your course and how you travel.
Living at university
We understand that affordability is an important issue when you’re thinking about studying at university.
The overall cost of university can vary depending on where you’re studying and which course you’re taking.
Costs may also be lower if you're living at home. However, some of the main costs you’ll want to think about include:
accommodation
bills
internet, mobile phone and calls
travel
food and drink
socialising and going out
study materials.
Most full-time UK students can apply for a Maintenance Loan to help cover living costs. More about maintenance loans.
Our Money Advice Service is on hand if you’d like to chat about living costs, budgets and managing your money. You can also find out more about student finance at one of our Open Days.
We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries, which provide extra financial support while you’re at university.
If you're eligible for a scholarship, you'll generally receive it automatically – there's no need to apply.
Our campus employment bureau, ARU Temps, can help you find part-time work that fits around your studies (including any time you may spend on placements). It's a great chance to enhance your CV and boost your income while you study.
Matthew Holland
Thom Barrett (he/him)
Martyn Simmons
Dr Barış Işıkgüner
Ian Brown
