BSc (Hons) Games Design Bachelor's degree at the University of Surrey
BSc (Hons) Games Design at University of Surrey leads to a nationally recognised Bachelor's degree. The University holds Silver status for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
About this course
Our Games Design BA is built with your employability in mind. With a core focus of coding, game design, animation, creative writing and/or sound design. From the provider’s course page.
BSc (Hons) Games Design is a Bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons)) at the University of Surrey. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Computing graduates from this provider, 95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 90% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £32,500. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Computer Science, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Limited evidence Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 95% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 88% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 - Semester 1 4 modules
- THE ART OF VISUAL STORY TELLINGCompulsory
Module details
Behind every great advertisement, computer game, film, television programme, web episode, is a great story. As humans, we love stories – listening, reading, telling – we absorb them every day to learn about ourselves and to understand the world around us. What makes visual media so compelling is its ability to communicate this efficiently and effectively - sometimes one camera shot is all you need. During this module, you will explore storytelling and how to create enjoyable stories. You will di
- CONCEPT ARTCompulsory
Module details
Fundamental to all aspects of visual games design and digital media arts more widely is the conception and creation of the visual image. In this module you will develop your observational skills and fine tune the innate craft skill we arguably all possess to depict and portray using an array of image-making tools, with drawing and other mark-making at its core. It is a fantastic opportunity to get to grips with the theory and practice of drawing and image production. The module is designed for t
- DIGITAL GRAPHICS (2D MEDIA)Compulsory
Module details
This module introduces the fundamentals of digital graphics in games, with an emphasis on 2D media. You will learn about 2D graphics, and their use in video game rendering pipelines in a variety of contexts, from pixel-based sprites and animations to textures and user interface designs. Although most students will have some familiarity with image editing, this module will take you back to first principles, exploring the difference between raster images, vector art and why they are useful in diff
- GAME DESIGN FUNDAMENTALSCompulsory
Module details
Game Design Fundamentals introduces first-year students to the principles of game design and development. The module provides a foundation in game creation using industry-standard game engines, helping you to understand game design processes and mechanics, while learning how to practically implement them with code. Video games combine many elements, including gameplay, graphics, sound, narrative, user interfaces, characters and cinematics. Game development is a creative and technical process, an
Year 1 - Semester 2 3 modules
- DIGITAL ENVIRONMENTS: (3D MEDIA)Compulsory
Module details
Having gained confidence in working with 2D digital graphics, on this module you will progress to the realm of 3D graphics as we explore 3D modelling and texturing techniques. You will develop your understanding of 3D assets for video games, and your ability to create 3D environments using industry-standard packages such as Maya or Blender. Digital Environments (3D Media) begins with a foundation in low-polygon modelling. You will learn how to create models with good surface topology, before smo
- THE DIGITAL ACTOR: CHARACTER DESIGN & ANIMATIONCompulsory
Module details
The Digital Actor: Character Design & Animation explore the design and animation of characters for use in video games. You will gain an introduction into how to design, create, rig and animate 3D characters, before bringing them into a game engine. In this module we will be exploring how to develop characters from concept sketches into game-ready digital assets using industry-standard tools such as Z-Brush, Character Creator or Metahuman. You will be exploring how 3D sculpting, digital painting,
- NEED TO KNOW CODE! PROGRAMMING FOR GAMESCompulsory
Module details
This module provides a rigorous grounding in the programming techniques that you need to know to create video games. You will explore programming using languages such as C#, and le
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 course is built with employability in mind, with a core focus on coding, game design, animation, creative writing and sound design. You'll typically start with programming fundamentals, imperative and object-oriented languages such as Python and Java, alongside computer systems, architecture and discrete mathematics for computing. Moving into the second year, you'll usually progress to algorithms, data structures, databases and software engineering, together with artificial intelligence and machine learning. From year 3 onwards, a course like this normally opens into specialist options such as cybersecurity, distributed systems and advanced machine learning, culminating in an individual project where you'll design, build and evaluate a substantial software application under supervision.
Who it's for
This course suits students with A-levels or equivalent qualifications. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent (85% of entrants over recent years), with typical UCAS tariffs between 128 and 143 points. The programme is taught in English and delivered full-time.
Careers & job market
Nationally, 85% of Computer Science graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating. Of those working, 75% are in highly skilled roles or pursuing further study. Graduate earnings data (national figures) show starting salaries of £25,000–£35,000 at 15 months post-graduation, rising to £29,750–£42,000 after five years. These are national averages across the field, not university-specific guarantees.
University & format
The University of Surrey is a public university founded in 1966, located in Surrey. The BSc (Hons) Games Design is a 4-year full-time degree taught in English, leading to a nationally recognised Bachelor's degree. The university holds Silver status in the Office for Students' Teaching Excellence Framework (2023).
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
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.
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 85% |
| another higher-education qualification | 10% |
| a Baccalaureate | 3% |
| a previous degree | 1% |
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.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
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 G600). 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
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at University of Surrey →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 Computer Science 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 | £32,500 | £30,000 – £40,000 | 20 |
| 3 years after | £41,500 | £31,500 – £51,000 | 55 |
| 5 years after | £50,500 | £37,500 – £66,000 | 55 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate / Junior DeveloperFirst engineering role · 0–2 yrs
- 2Software EngineerShipping features end-to-end · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / Lead EngineerOwning systems and mentoring · 5–9 yrs
- 4Principal / Engineering ManagerArchitecture or leading teams · 9+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Computer Science nationally
National figures for Computer Science 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.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Computer Science courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,820 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Information Technology ProfessionalsSOC 2020 213 · 70% of published destinations · ASHE median £55,357
- Science, engineering and technology associate professionalsSOC 2020 31 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,828
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 85; response rate: 55%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Is BSc (Hons) Games Design worth it?
Yes, for most students BSc (Hons) Games Design is well worth it. On its graduates’ median earnings, the course is worth about +£225,840 more over the first ten years of work than going straight to a job, after the fees you pay.
Cumulative earnings vs. going straight to work at 18, counting tuition and 4 years of wages given up while studying. The line clears zero around year 9.6. This is a simplified gross-earnings comparison, not a forecast of cash loan repayments.
Model: this course’s own median graduate earnings (Graduate Outcomes / LEO) above the £24,000 non-graduate baseline (ONS), net of £9,790/yr over 4 years (published course home fee). Eligible England-domiciled students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan; repayments are 9% only on income above the threshold, with anything left written off after 40 years. That makes the cash flow different from conventional commercial debt. Opportunity cost assumes £18,000 gross earnings forgone in each study year; figures are nominal and exclude tax, living costs, investment returns and loan interest. A simplified estimate. Earnings and actual fees vary by graduate, provider, fee status and UK nation.
Job market & outlook
How Computer Science 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
- Boilerplate and scaffolding code
- First-pass tests and docs
- Routine debugging and refactors
- Standard data wrangling
More human than ever
- System design and architecture trade-offs
- Reviewing and owning correctness & security
- Translating fuzzy problems into software
- Leading delivery and mentoring
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Computer Science 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
- Tech companies
- Banks & fintech
- Consultancies
- Government (GDS) & startups
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Computer Science graduates.
Software Developer Placement Programme No experience neededIT Online LearningSoftware Developer - .NET & Azure for Green Energy ProjectsOfgemSoftware Developer Backend (SFIA5)ZaiziSoftware Developer (Mobile Apps) in Guildford - ECM Selection (Holdings) LimitedJava Script WorksSoftware Developer (Contract) – Higher Education Projects (UK)Burman RecruitmentSoftware Developer – Distributed Scheduling & Workload OrchestrationCGG Services (UK) LimitedIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
Published home tuition is £9,790/year for this course. 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
95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £32,500. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.9 out of 10: NSS 83.3% · in work or study 95% · continued 88%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Surrey
Computing across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around University of Surrey
1,620 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 Computer Science right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to University of Surrey from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £22,900 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). 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 University of Surrey’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 University of Surrey and gov.uk before you apply.
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Common questions
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