18Jan
UndergraduateBuckinghamshire New University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
Open days
Course summary
Do you love computer games? Kick-start a career designing the animations that bring them to life with a degree in 3D Game Art. You’ll have access to up-to-date hardware and use industry standard software, ensuring everything you learn is current. Taught by industry experts and split between our High Wycombe Campus and BNU teaching base at Pinewood Studios, you’ll study in a world-renowned working studio and graduate with a portfolio of work. In the Foundation Year of this four-year course, you’ll build essential academic study skills. This year will help you gain confidence in your abilities. You’ll also identify your strengths and areas for development. Together, these will prepare you for progression to the undergraduate degree. Why study this subject? The global gaming market continues to expand, offering a world of opportunity. Your love of gaming together with your creative and modelling skills could see you in numerous roles - from 3D Artist and Animator to Environmental Artist or Technical Animator. Why study at Buckinghamshire New University? At BNU we focus on preparing you for work in the industry, helping you to stand out when you graduate. Led by our enthusiastic and dedicated team of industry-savvy practitioners and experienced academics, you will have the freedom to explore all areas of 3D Game Art. You may also have guest lectures and can benefit from live project briefs, masterclasses, and plenty of networking opportunities. You’ll have access to all the software you need to bring your ideas to life. Our small group sizes enable staff and students to work together as a friendly and collaborative community of learners. It also means you’ll benefit from more one to one support with your lecturer. What facilities can I use? We’ve made sure you have access to industry-standard equipment and software, including: *State-of-the-art Motion Capture Equipment *Unreal Engine *Unity *Maya *3DS Max *Substance Suite *Zbrush You will also use our BucksAnywhere web service, which provides access to many of the software applications you use for learning and studying and can be used from your own device or from a University owned PC or laptop, from any location. What will I study? You will be taught the fundamentals of 3D modelling and animation, and as your studies progress, your skills with modelling will also improve, and you will also learn about games engines and design. The focus of this course is on professional workflows for creating 3D assets such as characters, props and environments. You will learn how to export and set these up in a games engine and learn the fundamentals of interactivity and gameplay elements. The course has been intentionally designed to be flexible, to allow you as a student to select and pursue your own specialism within the field. You’ll discover both the animation and modelling aspect of the field, which you will then develop to include more advanced aspects such as organic sculpting, hair and clothes. You’ll undertake individual and project work, having the opportunity to take a set industry style project and a creative project to develop your specialist skills and build an industry ready portfolio. You’ll also be invited to join online groups where you'll meet the other students taking our animation, visual effects, game art and visualisation courses. These help to foster a sense of community and are places where extra-curricular collaborative projects, such as game jams, take place.
Modules
Foundation Year Core Introduction to 3D Virtual Worlds, Games Engines Essentials, Art Foundation, Filmmaking Fundamentals, Professional Skills Review, Final Project Year one Core Introduction to 3D Modelling; Texturing and Look Development; Lighting and Rendering; Animation Principles and The Moving Figure; Visual Narrative. Year two Core Virtual Environments for Games; Digital Sculpting; Simulated FX. Project. Optional Rigging; Character FX. Games Engines; Motion Graphics. Year three Core Industry Production Project; Portfolio; Showreel; Creative Project: Preproduction; Creative Project: Production.
Assessment method
On our course the teaching will feature a variety of approaches and technology, blended together to engage your learning in class and beyond, and to encourage your full participation. The teaching and learning strategies have been designed to ensure that there is progression from formal teaching through to independent learning as you progress through the levels of the programme. You will be taught by tutors and lecturers who are current or former industry practitioners, meaning they have in depth knowledge and experience that you can benefit from and in addition, you will experience industry guest masterclasses. You will be supported with workshops, lectures and seminars that introduce you to a range of topics around 3D development. What you learn will be assessed through a variety of means including coursework that is created with 3D software, presentations and writing a series of reflective journals. You’ll spend time learning and practicing the skills required by each unit before undertaking summative assessments the form of projects which will enable you to apply and combine their newfound skills together in a meaningful way while tackling tasks commonly found in the industry. Classes will take place in appropriate computer labs which are equipped with advanced computers and will allow you to explore the subject to the standard that a junior professional will be able to achieve. You’ll attend classes each week with a lecturer present and during these sessions you will have the opportunity to ask questions and get real time responses and feedback from both lecturers and other learners. Normally these will begin with a group seminar or demonstration and then break into 1:1s where you will have the opportunity to discuss your individual progress directly with your lecturer. Sometimes these seminars will be used for presentations and review in a manner that mimics the dailies process in industry. In addition to this there will be video based lecture content that will be focused on the demonstration of essential skills and clarification and expansion of key concepts and techniques. This will be facilitated via our online learning platform, where you will be able to access sets of recorded lectures which will each be on average 10 minutes long. Other learning techniques that will be employed appropriately to the situation include: *Demonstrations for new techniques *Group work *Video feedback *Peer review *Use of books, magazines, video and online resources *Research methods
How to apply
29Jan
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:
- DGA4
- Institution code:
- B94
- Campus name:
- High Wycombe Campus
- Campus code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Foundation
International applicants
Visit bnu.ac.uk/international to find out more about applying to BNU as an international student!
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - 32 - 56 points
A level - EE - CD
Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course
https://bucks.ac.uk/applying-to-bucks/general-entry-requirements
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6 | We require an IELTS score of 6.0 (with no element lower that 5.5) or a recognised equivalent. |
If English is not your first language or if you have studied in a non-majority English-speaking country, then you will typically be required to demonstrate your English language ability (speaking, listening, reading & writing) by way of a test such as IELTS.
BNU English Language Requirements
Student Outcomes
Operated by the Office for Students
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
Go onto work and study
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| England | £9250* | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £9250* | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £9250* | Year 1 |
| Wales | £9250* | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £9250* | Year 1 |
| Republic of Ireland | £9250* | Year 1 |
*This is a provisional fee and subject to change.
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
Buckinghamshire New University tuition fees cover the cost of instruction, assessment, and core academic materials. However, additional costs may be incurred for course-related items or requirements, such as, but not limited to:
- Text books and supplementary reading materials
- Specialised equipment or resources required for specific courses
- Field trips, placements, or external activities
- Printing, photocopying, and binding
- Accommodation, travel, and living expenses
Additional costs will vary by course. It is your responsibility as a student to budget for any additional expenses associated with your studies.
For further details on what is included in your tuition fees, please check bnu.ac.uk/fees-and-funding
Sponsorship information
There are several ways you can fund your studies, including sponsorship and student loans. You may be able to use ELCAS credits for some of our courses. We also have scholarships and bursaries to help support our students.
Provider information
Buckinghamshire New University
Queen Alexandra Road
High Wycombe
HP11 2JZ