BA (Hons) Digital Games Art Bachelor's degree at LMA
BA (Hons) Digital Games Art at LMA. Games aren't just played, they're built, shaped, and imagined. This degree equips you with industry-standard tools, artistic vision, and practical skills to develop immersive environments and stylised characters that bring digital worlds to…
About this course
Games aren’t just played, they’re built, shaped, designed, and imagined by creative minds like yours. This hands-on degree in Digital Games Art is designed to equip you with the core skills, industry-standard tools, and artistic vision to develop immersive environments, stylised characters, and innov From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Digital Games Art is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at LMA, based in Liverpool,London. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Design, and creative and performing arts graduates from this provider, typical earnings around £24,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Art & Design, see the sections below.
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Level 4 4 modules
- Studying the Games Industry
Module details
Explore the evolution of the global games industry and discover the genres, milestones, and cultural moments that have shaped digital games today. You'll develop essential research and academic skills, examine landmark games and their creators, and explore key debates surrounding gaming's societal impact. This module builds a strong foundation for studying games art and design in a creative and informed way.
- Traditional Art Skills
Module details
Build core traditional art skills through studio-based workshops in life drawing, perspective, colour theory, and mixed media techniques. Learn to analyse and emulate traditional approaches to art and explore how these techniques underpin contemporary games art. You'll develop both technical drawing skills and creative experimentation through a variety of media, styles, and visual challenges.
- Digital Art Skills
Module details
Gain hands-on experience with industry-standard software such as Adobe Creative Suite and Autodesk Maya as you develop the digital techniques essential for games art. From character and concept design to environment and visual storytelling, you'll build the skills to create professional 2D and 3D digital artworks. You'll also explore the ethical debates that arise from using already created assets and practically experiment by responding to a number of creative digital briefs.
- Games Art Production
Module details
Learn how to model 3D assets and build immersive environments using professional games software and production pipelines. This practical module explores core principles of game art creation, including structure, form, texture and perspective, all while working to creative briefs. You'll also build teamworking and collaboration skills essential for a production studio environment.
Level 5 4 modules
- Exploring the Games Industry
Module details
Explore the evolving games industry by investigating the cultural, ethical, and creative debates surrounding game products. This module enhances your ability to critically analyse and evaluate the broader impact of games on society, through both theoretical and practical activities. You'll engage in debate, research key industry themes, and examine issues like sustainability, representation, and the role of games as cultural artefacts. With an emphasis on academic and digital communication skill
- Advanced Digital Art Skills
Module details
Develop your digital art practice to an advanced level by integrating traditional drawing techniques with cutting-edge digital tools such as ZBrush. You will explore how to transition 2D concepts into dynamic 3D forms and refine your use of software to produce high-quality digital artworks. Working on creative briefs, you'll investigate how traditional and digital skills complement one another in concept art, character design, and games assets. The module focuses on refining your personal style
- 3D Game Development
Module details
Step into the world of 3D Game Engines like Unreal to learn the fundamentals of level creation and gameplay design. This hands-on module introduces you to essential components such as triggers, collisions, Win/Lose states and game logic. You'll develop a playable level prototype and document the design process in a professional development plan. Emphasising technical fluency and creative innovation, the module enhances your understanding of production workflows within interactive digital environ
- Advanced Games Art Production
Module details
Advance your production skills through a series of creative challenges based on industry briefs. You'll refine your ability to create assets, environments, and character designs to a professional standard while working both individually and collaboratively. You will engage with industry pipelines, critique your own strengths and development needs, and document the creative journey through detailed production folders. The focus is on producing portfolio-ready work that aligns with industry expect
Level 6 4 modules
- Games Art Showcase
Module details
In your final year, this module gives you the opportunity to curate and present a powerful showcase of your best work in Digital Games Art. You'll develop a professional-standard portfolio that reflects your unique style, technical strengths, and specialisms, whether in 2D or 3D. Alongside this, you'll collaborate with industry professionals to respond to a live brief, creating a new piece of work that meets real-world expectations. You'll also take part in a public group exhibition, giving you a
- Games Art Major Production
Module details
Collaborate on a major creative production that mirrors the real-world games pipeline. This flagship final-year module challenges you to design and build a section of a game, known as a "vertical slice", from the ground up, as part of a professional studio-style team. You'll research audience needs, analyse market trends, pitch your concept to industry, and then plan, create and refine your product to meet a clear brief. This module is about taking everything you've learned, modelling, storytelling
- Promotional Portfolio
Module details
Prepare to launch your career within the Games Industry with a comprehensive promotional portfolio. You'll learn how to market yourself professionally through showreels, websites, digital branding, CV writing, and promotional materials. Industry insight sessions and career planning workshops will help you identify your target audience and employment sector while giving you the tools to present yourself confidently to agents, employers, directors, and producers across the creative media sector.
- Industry Investigation
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This hands-on degree equips you with core skills, industry-standard tools, and artistic vision to develop immersive environments, stylised characters, and innovative visual experiences in games. You'll usually begin with visual studies and design principles, colour, composition and form, alongside workshops in materials and processes, and contextual studies in art and design history. In Year 2, a course like this normally moves to sustained studio practice and digital media work, including creative software, 3D and motion, supported by live briefs and real client projects. Year 3 focuses on specialist pathways, such as graphic design, illustration, fine art, fashion and textiles, or UX and digital, culminating in a self-directed final major project and degree show. Throughout, you'll develop a personal creative direction grounded in both traditional and digital craft.
Who it's for
This course is for you if you're drawn to visual storytelling and have the patience to master technical tools alongside artistic vision. You'll thrive if you enjoy problem-solving under creative constraints, translating ideas into 3D assets, textures, and environments that feel authentic. It suits people who want collaborative experience: game development is team-based work, so you'll benefit from working alongside programmers, designers, and other artists. You should be prepared for sustained study of both artistic fundamentals and software workflows, and be comfortable with critique and iteration. If you're curious about how visual design shapes player experience, this is where you'll develop both the craft and the professional confidence to pursue it.
Careers & job market
Across Art & Design courses nationally, 87% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation, with 55% in highly skilled roles or continuing their studies. Graduate earnings data from the national Graduate Outcomes survey shows starting salaries 15 months after graduation range from £22,000 to £27,000; after five years, they typically range from £20,825 to £29,400. Employment prospects vary by specialism and location. Your university's careers service can advise on sector-specific opportunities within games studios, animation, and related creative industries.
University & format
BA (Hons) Digital Games Art is delivered by LMA, a UK university with campuses in Liverpool and London. The degree is studied full-time over 3 years, taught in English. As a recognised UK degree-awarding body, the qualification is nationally recognised.
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code W215). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at LMA →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Art & Design graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £24,000 | £21,000 – £27,000 | 15155 |
| 3 years after | £17,000 | £11,000 – £19,000 | 30 |
| 5 years after | £22,000 | £17,000 – £26,500 | 30 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 15,155. Cohort 2021-22.
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in art & design · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Art & Design nationally
National figures for Art & Design graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Art & Design courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,698 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
Job market & outlook
How Art & Design graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Art & Design graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Design studios & agencies
- In-house brand teams
- Games & media companies
- Freelance & self-employed
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Art & Design graduates.
Is this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
Most graduates were in work or further study, with a median salary of £24,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
LMA
Design, and creative and performing arts across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Liverpool
4,905 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Around London
3,138 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Art & Design right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to LMA from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by LMA; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check LMA’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with LMA and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at LMA
Common questions
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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