Course overview
Do you want a career in games and the digital entertainment industries? Do you want to study in the region that’s home to Cooperative Innovations, Red Kite Games, Rockstar, XR Games and Team 17?
Games is the UK’s biggest entertainment industry and gamification benefits many other sectors. Interactive digital experiences from consoles and virtual reality (VR) to Smart TVs and mobile phones are embedded in our everyday lives.
This course, developed with games employers, will equip you with the creative, technical and soft skills necessary to thrive in this exciting and evolving environment.
This four-year course includes an initial full-time Foundation Year and offers an alternative route into university and gaining a degree.
This route is for you if you do not have the necessary qualifications or don’t yet feel ready to begin degree-level study, or are returning to education and would like some support to get up to speed with learning in a university setting.
The Foundation Year in Arts and Communication will allow you to develop your academic skills and confidence as well as introduce you to key concepts, debates and skills that will support and inform your subsequent years of undergraduate study.
Following successful completion of your Foundation Year, you’ll progress onto Year 1 of our Games Design BA (Hons) degree.
This course is subject to validation. You can still apply for this course while it is being approved.
About this course
During your Foundation Year, you will undertake modules to enable you to enhance your academic skills and equip you with the tools you’ll need to study with confidence. You’ll carry out a personal project so you can study an area of interest related to your chosen future subject specialisation.
You’ll be introduced to various types of media, both in theory and practice, and will develop an understanding of the skills and concepts required by the creative industries. You’ll explore historical approaches towards images and the social power they embody and will undertake an individual or group project to produce work that reflects the culture of 'image'.
Following successful completion of the Foundation Year, you’ll progress onto the first year of our Games Design BA (Hons) degree.
We’ll teach you how to design and create characters, objects and environments using 2D and 3D software and 3D games engines. You’ll learn user-centred design, working individually and in creative teams with other students.
The course will help build your understanding of core stages in the digital design pipeline and enable you to develop the skills needed to become a successful digital designer. You’ll increase your technical fluency in a range of professional software, and engage with narrative, considering how interactivity can offer different forms of storytelling.
You will learn about the wide-ranging impact of video games on society and never forget the fun in making games. This degree will enable you to both design your own projects and also deliver industry briefs.
We place emphasis on creativity and design outputs and equipping you with the knowledge needed to solve problems and make informed decisions as you develop your games design portfolio.
Professional work placements and employer commissions are embedded in your degree and allow you to gain valuable experience and increase your understanding of global creative and games industries.
By the time you graduate, you’ll have had the chance to develop as a confident games designer with the ability to design and prototype entertaining and meaningful creative digital and interactive experiences.
Why study with us?
- Build your self-confidence, academic skills and core subject knowledge in preparation for progression onto degree-level study.
- Study a specialist games design degree with inclusive and stimulating course content developed with employers to meet industry needs and fill industry skills gaps.
- Prepare for employment through professional work placements and projects briefed from industry that form part of your studies.
- Develop the practical and project management skills needed to realise your design ideas and pursue a creative career.
Course Modules
You will study a variety of modules across your programme of study. The module details given below are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Foundation Year
During your Foundation Year, you'll study four core modules.
Academic Skills and Studying with Confidence (Core)
We'll help you develop core academic skills such as using electronic resources, planning and note-taking, communication skills related to essay and report writing and delivering presentations.
You'll learn to manage your time, prioritise tasks and manage stress, and become more confident in engaging with collaborative learning, debates, discussions and critical reflection.
Project (Core)
Study areas of interest related to your chosen future academic specialisation in this highly personalised module.
You'll have 12 hours of workshop tuition to explore how you will be assessed and the form your project could take, which could be a written report, a presentation, a film or a series of blog posts.
You'll also explore topics your project could focus on, and get peer assessment of your ideas.
In the first semester, you'll get support through personal tutoring and learning hub liaison.
You'll also explore careers and employability pathways in the arts with the Graduate Recruitment Team and the School of Digital and Screen Media.
Communication: Introduction to Modern Media (Core)
We'll look at the theory and practice of film, television, journalism, radio and the web through lectures, workshops and practical exercises.
We'll give you practical guidance on how to find the 'hook' and grab an audience's attention.
You'll develop an understanding of narrative structure, character development and how to generate ideas.
Image: Introduction to the Humanities (Core)
Explore historical approaches towards images and the social power they embody.
From religious icons to celebrity glamour and fine art to selfies, you will develop an understanding of what humans do with images to shape attitudes and beliefs.
As well as seminars, short lectures and workshops, you'll undertake an individual or group project to produce work that reflects the culture of 'image'.
Year 1
During your first year, you'll study five core modules.
Professional Development (Core)
You'll develop teamworking skills through creative challenges, taught sessions, profiling and self-understanding.
You'll work on team presentation and develop a professional persona through attitude, commitment and effective communication.
In the second semester, you'll look at enterprise and sector analysis.
You'll develop your solo presentation and pitching skills.
We'll cover the creativity and skills needed to start, maintain and grow your production streams as independent creators.
We'll help you develop the skills valued by the creative industries to help you become a professional with an industry-relevant work ethic.
Year 2
During your second year, you'll study four core modules.
Interactive Storytelling (Core)
Explore ways of creating and interacting with digital narratives.
You'll evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different formats and publishing platforms, and how they can be used for fiction and non-fiction storytelling.
You'll create digital narratives that could be game-based or interactive scenarios.
Year 3
During your final year, you'll study two core modules and will be required to choose one option module.
Applied Artificial Intelligence (Option)
Cover the main elements of intelligence and intelligent systems, focussing on machine learning.
Explore ethics and artificial intelligence (AI) regulations from human and machine contexts.
You'll explore how to design a business around AI and AI trends and measure the impact of using such technology.
Get hands-on experience in machine learning algorithms and techniques such as regression/clustering, reinforcement learning and deep learning.
You'll study various real cases of using AI in detecting fraud and fake news, healthcare and battling against chronic diseases.
Professional work placements
Experience matters. That's why we embed professional work placements within our standard undergraduate degrees.
How does it work?
Careers and Placements will work with you to find your perfect placement or help you arrange your own, whether that's in Leeds, another part of the UK or even abroad. You will be able to take part in a series of workshops, events and live ‘employer challenges’ to boost your confidence and prepare you for your placement.
During your placement, you will have an opportunity to gain degree-relevant work experience, build your knowledge of career sectors and secure valuable employer references and industry contacts. This experience will help you to shape your career decisions and find the right path for you.
We have established links with digital and screen media employers across the region. You could undertake your placement in a wide variety of organisations across the games and digital entertainment industries. This may include games development and design companies, museums, creative marketing companies and digital agencies.
To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:
Learning and Teaching
At Leeds Trinity we aim to provide an excellent student experience and provide you with the tools and support to help you achieve your academic, personal and professional potential.
Our Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy delivers excellence by providing the framework for:
- high quality teaching
- an engaging and inclusive approach to learning, assessment and achievement
- a clear structure through which you progress in your academic studies, your personal development and towards professional-level employment or further study.
We have a strong reputation for developing student employability, supporting your development towards graduate employment, with relevant skills embedded throughout your programme of study.
We endeavour to develop curiosity, confidence, courage, ambition and aspiration in all students through the key themes in our Learning and Teaching Strategy:
- Student Involvement and Engagement
- Inclusion
- Integrated Programme and Assessment Experience
- Digital Literacy and Skills
- Employability and Enterprise
To help you achieve your potential we emphasise learning as a collaborative process, with a range of student-led and real-world activities. This approach ensures that you fully engage in shaping your own learning, developing your critical thinking and reflective skills so that you can identify your own strengths and weaknesses, and use the extensive learning support system we offer to shape your own development.
We believe the secret to great learning and teaching is simple: it is about creating an inclusive learning experience that allows all students to thrive through:
- Personalised support
- Expert lecturers
- Strong connections with employers
- An international outlook
- Understanding how to use tools and technology to support learning and development
Programme delivery
Your time on campus, learning through in-person teaching, is at the heart of your academic experience and the way we deliver our programmes. This is supported and further enhanced by additional engagement activities and opportunities provided online and through digital teaching materials. This blended approach seeks to ensure a positive learning and teaching student experience.
Your programme of study has been carefully designed around a three-phase model of delivery:
- Preparation: You will be given clear tasks to support you in preparing for live teaching. This could include watching a short-pre-recorded lecture, reading a paper or text chapter or preparing other material for use in class.
- Live: All your live teaching will be designed around active learning, providing you with valuable opportunities to build on preparation tasks, interact with staff and peers, and surface any misunderstandings.
- Post: Follow-up activities will include opportunities for you to check understanding, for staff to receive feedback from you and your peers to inform subsequent sessions, and for you to apply learning to new situations or context.
Preparation, Live and Post teaching and learning and the digital materials used will vary by course, but will be designed to help you structure your learning, take a full and active part in your course, and apply and test your developing knowledge and skills.
Assessment
A variety of assessment methods are used, matched to the learning outcomes for your programme, allowing you to apply and demonstrate the full range of knowledge and skills that you have developed.
For more details on specific assessment methods for this course contact hello@leedstrinity.ac.uk
Entry Requirements
Leeds Trinity University is committed to recruiting students with talent and potential and who we feel will benefit greatly from their academic and non-academic experiences here. We treat every application on its own merits; we value highly the experience you illustrate in your personal statement.
Information about the large range of qualifications we accept, including A-Levels, BTECs and T Levels, can be found on our entry requirements page. If you need additional advice or are taking qualifications that are not covered in the information supplied, please contact our Admissions Office.
| Qualification | Grade |
|---|---|
| UCAS tariff | 48 |
| GCSE requirements | GCSE English Language or English Literature at grade C/4 or higher is required |
Fees and finance
Funding
UK Home Students:
Tuition fees cost £9,250 a year for this course in 2024/2025.
Part-time tuition fees will be prorated accordingly to the number of credits you're studying.
Depending on government policy, tuition fees may change in future years.
Tuition fees for 2025/26 entry will be set in summer 2024.
Living costs, e.g. accommodation, travel, food, will also need to be taken into consideration.
Leeds Trinity offers a range of bursaries and scholarships to help support students while you study.
International Students, including EU Students:
Visit our webpage for international students.
Part-time study is not available for international students on a Student Route Visa.
Additional costs
We advise students that there may be additional course costs in addition to annual tuition fees:
- Recommended and required reading lists will be provided at the start of your course. All the books and e-books are available from our Library to borrow but you may choose to purchase your own.
- On some courses there may be additional costs, such as field trips, equipment, accreditations, that may be part-funded by the University. More details will be provided at the start of the course.
- You'll need to include placement/s travel and associated costs too, however the University will contribute a standard amount towards your total expenditure.
- The University provides students with a £6 printing credit each academic year which can be topped up either on campus or online.
How to apply
For full-time undergraduate courses, you apply through UCAS. That's the University and Colleges Admissions Service.
Applications for 2025/2026 academic year entry are not open yet.
As part of your application, you will need to write a personal statement - we've prepared a personal statement guide to help you.
There's lots more information about the application process on the UCAS website, or you can get in touch with our admissions team who will be happy to help:
- call 0113 283 7123 (Monday to Thursday, 9.00am to 5.00pm, or Friday 9.00am to 4.00pm)
- email admissions@leedstrinity.ac.uk
Graduate opportunities
Providing you with the opportunity to develop the professional skills and experience you need to launch your career is at the heart of everything we do at Leeds Trinity University.
Graduates from this course will have the knowledge and understanding needed to get graduate-level employment in the games and digital design sector. Career opportunities also exist in research and development companies, other screen industries such as VFX and motion graphics or providing your skills to others through freelance work or self-employment.
You could work in a wide range of careers, including:
- Animator
- Technical Artist
- Character Artist
- 2D/3D Game Artist
- VFX Artist
- Art Director
- Environment Artist
- Producer
- Games Designer
- Level Designer
- Audio Designer
- Motion Graphic Designer
After you graduate, Careers and Placements will help you as you pursue your chosen career through our mentoring scheme, support with CV and interview preparation and access to graduate employability events.
To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:
Why Video Games Matter symposium
Leeds Trinity and the National Videogame Museum delivered the Why Video Games Matter symposium, a series of short talks and workshops, bringing academic and industry experts from the games sector together to consider and debate the importance of video games to society, why and how we should teach people to make them and why video games should be in museums with the symposium findings captured in an adventure game.
Discover why video games matter Play the Why Video Games Matter text adventure
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