Course contact details
Main Contact
Email:registry@hca.ac.uk
Phone:01432 273359
Fax: 01432 341099
Hereford College of Arts
Folly Lane
Hereford
HR1 1LT
Games Design
- Bachelor of Arts (with Honours)
- 3 Years
- Full-Time
- September 2027
- Undergraduate
- Main Site
- Awarded by:
- University of Wales Trinity Saint David (Prifysgol Cymru Y Drindod Dewi Sant)
Course summary
Games Design at HCA is designed for imaginative creators who want to craft original, meaningful & visually compelling worlds. The course focuses on the full artistic pipeline, from 2D & 3D concept art to character and environment design, visual storytelling & animation. You will be supported in developing your own artistic identity while building creative skills that reflect contemporary practices in digital art and animation for interactive media.
Across three years, you will experiment with 2D and 3D workflows, storytelling, visual development & interactive design. You will learn how to communicate ideas through visual mechanisms and environments, and build confidence in designing visual high-level content that resonates with audiences.
Working within collaborative digital studio environments, you will be supported to explore your ideas, experiment freely & develop your personal creative voice. Our studio approach prioritises your growth and interests, giving you the space to shape your own artistic direction while learning to communicate and collaborate with others. As you refine your practice, you will naturally gain the confidence and experience that can later translate into professional creative settings.
You will:
● Develop skills in concept art, visual development, character and environment design
● Explore 2D and 3D games art workflows using industry software
● Develop and present your artistic concepts in interactive or game-inspired showcases through workshops, creative jams & collaborative briefs
● Build a distinctive, creative identity supported by regular crits and tutorials
● Create a final major project that showcases your unique creative voice and artistic vision in relation to interactive or game-based art
FACILITIES + SOFTWARE
You will work in digital studios equipped with high-spec PCs, drawing tablets, VR equipment, and software for illustration, 3D modelling, animation & prototyping. You’ll also access shared workshops for physical model-making, enabling hybrid or experimental projects.
Alongside this, you will work with a suite of industry-standard creative tools including ZBrush, Cinema 4D, Redshift, Substance Painter, Substance Designer & Unreal Engine. These platforms are widely used across contemporary digital art, animation & visual effects, giving you hands-on experience with the same tools employed by leading studios. Through workshops and guided experimentation, you’ll learn how to integrate these technologies into your own artistic process. This ensures you graduate with both a strong creative voice and the technical fluency expected in professional art and design environments.
INDUSTRY LINKS
Learn from practicing games artists, designers & creative technologists through visiting lectures, specialist workshops & mentoring. Students take part in real-world design projects, game jams & external collaborations that mirror studio workflows. These experiences build confidence in presenting ideas, responding to feedback & producing playable work. Through these connections and real-world commissions, our studio-style teaching becomes a gateway to genuine professional contexts, giving students tangible opportunities to see their work realised beyond the classroom.
We are also proud to partner with UK Interactive Entertainment UKIE - the UK’s leading trade body for the interactive entertainment sector - connecting students to the wider games community.
CAREERS
Graduates progress into roles such as 2D/3D concept artists, environment or character artist, level designer, narrative designer, 3D modeler, VFX artist, indie developer or creative generalist to name just a few. You will build a portfolio that showcases visual development, prototypes & polished game assets, supported by guidance on freelancing, pitching & building an online presence.
Info on course modules: www.hca.ac.uk/courses/bahons-games-design
Modules
Course Modules
From your first day at HCA you will work as a creative, developing your skills and your own voice through a series of projects. You will develop your creative practice, practical skills alongside your critical awareness and theoretical knowledge. You will study a range of modules that build your knowledge and confidence and total 120 credits each year
How to apply
This course has limited vacancies, and is no longer accepting applications from some students. See the list below for where you normally live, to check if you're eligible to apply.
- Republic of Ireland does not have vacancies
- International does not have vacancies
- EU does not have vacancies
- United Kingdom does not have vacancies
Apply by
13 January 2027
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- I620
- Institution code:
- H18
- Campus name:
- Main Site
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
- Year 2
Entry requirements
Typical qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff96-112
Mature applicants with relevant experience will be considered.
Additional entry requirements
- Portfolio
- You will be invited to share a portfolio of your work related to this course. A selection of 20 images showcasing concepts, inspirations, sketches and finished work which can presented in person or digitally via a PowerPoint presentation or PDF document. You will receive an email with full guidance on this after we have received your application. In some cases, we may contact you to arrange a further chat. Don’t worry, this will be an informal meeting either face-to-face or online, to find out more about you and your work.
Historical entry grades data
This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).
It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.
Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
Not enough data available
We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.
Historical entry grades report
This report uses your grades to show how students with similar results have done when applying to this course in the past. Sometimes, there isn’t data for every possible set of grades. When that happens, universities and colleges occasionally fill in the gaps for sets of grades that are typically accepted.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
Per year tuition fees
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|---|---|
| England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands & Republic of Ireland | £9780 | |
| International | £15115 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
Additional fee information
HCA offers support for care leavers and students from low-income families. Please contact finance@hca.ac.uk for further details.
Sponsorship information
Support Available from Hereford College of Arts
The HCA Cash Bursary is designed to benefit students who are starting Higher Education for the first time, are ordinarily resident in England. The student must be liable to pay the full £9,780 tuition fee for their course and be from a low-income family (£25,000 a year or less). The student must also be in receipt of the full Higher Education Maintenance Loan. Each cash bursary is £1,000 which students receive in their first year only.
Care Leaver Bursary
Care leavers will be offered free accommodation with Aspire Student Living at Station Approach accommodation for their first year only. Care leaver students will be able to stay there until the end of their first year (not over the Summer) and will also receive the Cash Bursary of £1,000. Care leaver students will also receive a Care Leaver Bursary of £1,000 in both their second and third years. Evidence of being a care leaver must be in the form of an original letter showing Care Leaver Status from your local authority.
Related courses
At Hereford College of Arts
Like this page