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Games Design at UCA

MA Game Design at UCA Farnham combines the latest creative practice and academic research, placing you at the cutting edge of the global games industry.

You'll be prepared for the needs of the digital games industry, as we guide you through the various aspects of game development in an industrial context, allied to a rigorous research programme exploring and applying the latest theory in game studies.

You'll develop your portfolio in large teams, culminating in a final major project to produce and ship a complete digital game product. Not only will you gain valuable experience in games production, you'll gain a scholarly understanding of the creative industries more generally, and enhance invaluable skills such as interdisciplinary communication, project management, collaboration and also marketing and public relations skills so you can develop your own professional profile and presence.

Course entry options

Select from the options below to find out more about the different study options available for this course:

Accreditations, partners and industry connections

The Rookies logo

The Rookies

The Rookies is a leading platform for digital artists to promote their work and assists members in preparing for industry. It also helps students find a school and course that’s right for them with its directory of accredited schools.

What you'll study

What you'll
study

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

For our students coming from a non-UK educational background, UCA has launched an Integrated International Pre-Masters year. On this course you’ll prepare for postgraduate study with a mix of online and face-to-face learning that will give you the study skills required to complete a Master’s, and you’ll also improve your English for academic study.

Game Design
You’ll go beneath the surface of game play to explore the inner workings and construction of a game experience. You will be introduced to frameworks of design such as dynamics, mechanics, and aesthetics and how they intersect with interactive storytelling to examine what makes a game either compelling or uninspiring entertainment.

You will reflect upon your own experience of game play and explore the history of game development to identify games with poor player experience that can be deconstructed and analysed to identify solutions for improvements. Design skills will also be tested through development of small practical prototypes. You will also consider the role and impact that collaborative working has upon game design and develop effective professional approaches to game production.

Game Studies
You will explore the rich tapestry and depth of culture and society to understand how they intersect with the psychology of game play, design, and audience experience. You will be introduced to research methodology that will enable you to investigate a range of historical and contemporary contexts to devise your own hypothesises about the trajectory of game design.

This unit challenges you to question the ethical relationship between the designer and their game world and consider how various strata of game design decisions and issues of representation relating to sexuality, gender, and race intersect with and raise issues of equality, diversity, and inclusion. You will also consider how issues of representation within games shape game cultures and lead to toxic social environments for gamers from a diverse range of identities.

Prototyping Lab 1: Genre
Genre is a fundamental aspect of the digital games industry. The impact of genre intersects with audience expectations and permeates everything from media coverage and marketing to key production decisions around technology, mechanics, narrative and aesthetics.

You will investigate the process and project management tools used in game design production, and you will have opportunities to test the pre-production, production and postproduction cycle from the perspective of a range of developer roles and methods.

Prototyping Lab 2: Affect
The desire to convey mood, provoke emotion and generate atmosphere is driven by game affect. You will get to master the game design cycle by developing game prototypes through the experimentation of game affects and your exploration of how they intersect with player experience.

This unit will hone your application of the game design cycle and understanding of integrating design concepts to create innovative game projects and pitch them effectively in preparation of your final major project.

Human Centred Design
You will develop your appreciation of human-centred design, and in turn create intuitive, enjoyable, and desirable games, while accounting for the diversity of users and generating a critical perspective that queries a monolithic model of a human “user” or “player”.

Final Major Project and Professional Practice
The culmination of your studies is the opportunity to deliver and original game design project that will exhibit the level of accomplishment that you have developed within your practice through the previous units and use it to promote your professional industry presence as a games designer.

You will research and develop an idea to create an original games design project. The project will demonstrate your understanding of the critical theories and debates, including those relating to issues of representation and its connection to the formation of game cultures, that intersect game design and game play.

Alongside the final major project, you will also be developing your understanding of careers within the Games industry, including employers and opportunities that might attract you. You will support this through enhancing your online professional presence.

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.

Fees & funding

Fees & financial support

Tuition fees

  • 2024/25 entry: £10,500

Tuition fees

Tuition fees

  • 2024/25 entry (MA): £18,000
  • 2024/25 entry (Integrated International Pre-Masters course - 30 weeks): £17,500
  • 2024/25 entry (Integrated International Pre-Masters course - 15 weeks): £8,750

Please note: the fees listed here are correct for the stated academic year only. For more detailed information about our course fees please see our fees and finance pages

UCA scholarships and fee discounts

At UCA we have a number of financial support information available to assist you with the cost of your studies.

Current UCA students and alumni may be eligible for a tuition fee discount.

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 scholarships and fee discounts.

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 your Course Information for details of the costs you may incur.

Facilities

Our outstanding computer games studios have high-end PCs dedicated to games design with games systems and interactivity software including Maya, Photoshop and Substance, and Unity and Unreal games engines. There are also sound production studios, a Foley studio and pro tools suites. There is a modern library with a wealth of books, journals, special collections and online resources.

View 360 virtual tour

Games studios, UCA Farnham

VR motion capture studio, UCA Farnham

Games studios, UCA Farnham

Games studio, UCA Farnham

Career opportunities

Career
opportunities

Our students have previously graduated to find themselves within easily accessible pathways that have guided them to prosperous and fulfilling job roles within the games industry:

  • Concept designer
  • Game designer
  • Games developer
  • Multi-media programmer
  • Multi-media specialist
  • Software engineer
  • VFX Artist

You may also wish to progress onto a PhD or MPhil research degree.

Explore our Gradshow

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
Entry & portfolio requirements

Entry & portfolio
requirements

MA course

  • A good honours degree or equivalent qualification in a related discipline

and/or

  • Relevant work experience, demonstrating your ability to study at postgraduate level.

Consideration will also be given to applicants who can make a strong case for admission in relation to a particular project and can demonstrate their potential to satisfactorily complete the course.

Portfolio requirements

For this course we will need to see your portfolio for review. You can either submit a digital portfolio or request an in-person portfolio review with the course team. Further information will be provided once you have applied.

MA course

The entry requirements for this course will depend on the country your qualifications are from, please check the equivalent qualifications for your country:

Any additional entry requirements listed in the UK requirements section, e.g., subject requirements, work experience or professional qualifications, also apply to international applicants applying with equivalent qualifications.

Portfolio requirements

You will be required to submit a portfolio for review. Further information on specific portfolio requirements and how to submit your portfolio will be sent to you after we have reviewed your application.


MA course with Integrated International Pre-Masters course

  • A recognised bachelor degree or 3 year diploma with a strong portfolio in a relevant subject.

Any additional entry requirements listed in the UK requirements section, e.g., subject requirements, work experience or professional qualifications, also apply to international applicants applying with equivalent qualifications.

Portfolio requirements

You will be required to submit a portfolio for review. Further information on specific portfolio requirements and how to submit your portfolio will be sent to you after we have reviewed your application.


English language requirements

To study at UCA, you'll need to have a certain level of English language skill. And so, to make sure you meet the requirements of your course, we ask for evidence of your English language ability, please check the level of English language required:

Don't meet the international entry requirements or English language requirements?

You may be able to enter the course through the following entry pathways:

Apply now

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