Game Art

Explore your creative side

This degree prepares you for a fast-growing, ever-evolving industry. The games sector has expanded hugely over the past decade, and there is a rising need for graduates who can use modern tools and technology to create high-quality game art.

Our Game Art course sits alongside our Game Design and Game Programming degrees as part of our Games@Derby community. Together, these courses reflect Derby’s strong role in the global games industry — from early pioneering work to today’s thriving network of studios and independent developers.

On the Game Art degree, you can learn to create 2D art, 3D models, textures, animations, and visual assets for modern game engines. You will also look at important topics such as ethical and sustainable design, and how AI tools can be used responsibly in creative workflows.

You will explore areas like serious games, XR, and outsourcing-style production pipelines, helping you develop adaptable skills that fit a wide range of roles. You can enjoy learning through hands-on work in our XR labs, computing suites and motion-capture studio.

Prepared for the world of work

This course gives you the creative and technical skills needed to work as a game artist, or animator, including modelling, texturing, animation, and integrating art into real-time environments. It has been designed with help from industry professionals, so it stays relevant to the current and future sector needs.

You will work closely with game designers and programmers in small teams that feel like real studios. Through these projects, you can learn how to manage your time, communicate clearly, and take responsibility for your creative role. Many modules are based on simulated studio environments or live briefs set by industry, giving you experience that mirrors real game production.

You will also take part in guest lectures, game jams, networking sessions, and mentoring, which help you build your confidence and connect with potential employers.

By the time you graduate, you will be able to:

• Understand modern game art techniques, including 2D, 3D, animation and real-time production.
• Understand how art, design, and programming work together in small, agile teams.
• Use ethical and professional approaches to game development, including the responsible use of AI tools.
• Create and integrate high-quality assets using industry-standard software and workflows.
• Show adaptability, teamwork, and creativity suited to careers in games, serious games or other creative sectors.

A major focus of the course is indie readiness and entrepreneurship. You can gain the confidence to start your own projects, freelance, or even set up a small studio — with optional business modules available. At the same time, you will have opportunities to learn AAA-level (Triple A refers to high-budget, professional studios) methods and outsourcing pipelines so you are equally prepared for work in established studios.

Be part of a community

When you start this course, you become part of the Games@Derby community — a lively group of artists, designers, and programmers who collaborate throughout their studies. This environment mirrors how real studios work: fast-paced, supportive, creative and team-focused.

You will benefit from strong links with the regional and national games industry through guest speakers, industry projects and mentorship. This helps you build a professional identity and understand what studios expect from graduates.

By the end of your degree, you will be a confident, adaptable game artist ready to contribute to both indie and large-scale game development.

Unreal Academic Partner

The Unreal Academic Partner Programme recognises that this course is committed to providing ongoing, high quality educational opportunities, and is taught by experienced academics with proven curricula, sufficient facilities, and resources to create positive outcomes for students with a variety of personal growth and career objectives.

Houdini Certified School status

We have received Houdini Certified School status which shows the high quality of teaching provided on this course. It also displays our dedication to teaching you the skills and knowledge of industry relevant programmes so you can graduate with confidence using a range of software going into the job market.

Another benefit to this certification is that you can receive a home licence to use on your own device up to a year after you have graduated.

Both the Unreal and Houdini partnerships provide access to professional software, workflows, and certification pathways used by leading studios, ensuring that you are fluent in current production pipelines and real-time development practices. This alignment with industry standards gives you a competitive edge in securing employment across game development, XR, simulation and virtual production sectors.

This course is also linked to our East Midlands Institute of Technology (EMIoT) and you will benefit from the industry connections this centre provides. The EMIoT initiative is to deliver world class, research orientated, employer-led learning focusing on clean growth and digital delivery. 

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

This course is designed to help you become a confident, creative, and industry-ready game artist or animator. You will learn in a way that reflects how real game studios work — mixing your own creative projects with teamwork and hands-on production.

You will learn through:

• project-based work
• problem-solving tasks
• feedback sessions and critiques
• live and industry-set briefs

You will also work with students from Game Design and Game Programming, helping you develop communication, teamwork, and production skills used in real development teams.

Most sessions take place in studio-style spaces using professional software and equipment. You will take part in workshops, seminars, and lectures, and you will have plenty of online resources and independent study time to develop your skills.

There is also the opportunity for you to take an industrial placement year between your second and third year of study, where you can gain hands on experience working in the games sector.

You will also get chance to showcase your final year project at our Degree Show in your third year.

You can get experience with industry-standard tools such as:

• Autodesk Maya
• Autodesk 3ds Max
• Substance
• Houdini
• ZBrush
• Photoshop
• Unreal Engine
• Unity
• Steam
• Marmoset Toolbag
• Vicon Shogun (motion capture)

How you will be assessed

This is a creative, hands-on course, so most of your assessments are based on coursework. This includes:

• practical projects
• portfolios
• presentations
• short written reports

Many briefs are open-ended, so you can respond in your own creative way. As you progress, you will move from smaller tasks to more complex, self-directed projects — often linked to industry or group work.

You will be assessed in different ways to help build your professional skills, including:

• peer feedback
• critiques and reviews
• group presentations
• formative assessments (feedback that helps you improve)

You will be prepared to work in agile indie teams, established studios, or related industries while continuing to refine your game development expertise in professional roles in game development, where creative vision meets technical know-how.

The programme will support you if you wish to pursue freelance or independent development by offering the opportunity to integrate business and entrepreneurial skills into your studies. Graduates emerge with the ability to thrive in small teams, AAA environments, or broader industries that use real-time technologies such as XR, simulation and virtual production — always grounded in the mindset of a game developer.

You may seek roles as:

• environment, prop or character artists
• animators
• technical artists within both independent studios and large AAA developers.

Contextual offers may apply to students who meet certain criteria.

You may be required to attend an interview with a portfolio of recent creative work. If you are applying from overseas, you will be required to send a digital portfolio on a disk or via email. Your passion and enthusiasm for the subject will be taken into account through the UCAS personal statement and references.

Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to

Additional information about your studies

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Course updates

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.