MA Game Art
Learn from professionals, create your own game and achieve a masters degree.
This postgraduate degree packs in all the content from our popular 18 week course but takes students to the next level with a collaborative group project that will get you working like a real studio. You’ll create lifelong connections, graduate with a killer showreel and achieve a postgraduate degree that is awarded by the University of Kent.
We created this degree as a response to industry demand for new creative talent. You'll create environments, assets, lighting and game FX for mobile or console development. We also teach students about the industry itself, so you have an understanding of current and emerging business models. We work with an Advisory Board of industry professionals to keep the content relevant, we partner with leading studios on each course and we have regular industry events and talks so you hear directly from successful Game Artists.
You’ll be following in the footsteps of successful Escapees - our MA game art graduates are now employed at some of the biggest studios including Rare, Rockstar and Ubisoft.
- Location: London campus or Live online
- Start dates: 27th March 2023
- Tuition fees:
London campus: £17,995
Live online: £15,450 - Mode of study: Daytime (full time)
- Programme duration: 1 year
- Entry requirements: An undergraduate honours degree in a field related to the course subject. Be a UK resident.
Awarded by
- Internet access
- Desktop or laptop meeting the Autodesk requirements for Maya
- Desktop or Laptop meeting Epic requirements for Unreal Engine
- 3-button mouse (or optionally a Wacom tablet or similar)
- Working computer microphone (and optionally a webcam)
- Note-taking materials
We pride ourselves on our industry powered training, that's why we partner with some of the world's leading studios for all our Escape Studios Postgraduate degrees. Previous partners for our Games courses included Climax Studios, Creative Assembly and Media Molecule to name a few.
Industry feedback sessions are a great opportunity for our students to receive industry standard critique form an expert in their field, this personalised feedback allows students to improve their work to guarantee it is studio ready.
- Hands-on tuition. For the first 18 weeks of the course you’ll be working on mastering the skills and software needed to start your own project
- Studio project. You’ll then apply these skills to a group project - working like a studio to create an incredible asset that can be used as part of your showreel
- Industry trained tutors. Our games tutors have worked at some of the most successful games studios including Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, EA, Rebellion and Climax Studios.
- Aftercare to help you get hired. Our alumni Aftercare package will help you polish your showreel and find the right job - with access to showreel clinics, studio access for 12 months and use of tons of resources on our VLE.
- You'll graduate with a globally recognised MA qualification from the University of Kent, known as the UK’s European university.
The MA Game Art is a one-year course including 18 weeks of direct teaching time, a 12-week collaborative project and a 12-week final project.
Module 1 - Foundation/Mobile/Web Development (30 credits - GA7001)
- Introduction to modelling for games
- Texturing for video games
- Lighting and materials for mobile
- Mobile game art
- Lighting and baking for video games
- Animation workflows
- Interactivity and 3D
Module 2 - Advanced / Next-generation Development (30 credits - GA7002)
- Introduction to digital sculpting
- PBR workflows
- Game engine fundamentals
- World building
- Advanced game engine
Module 3 - FX and Technical Art (30 credits - GA7003)
- Introduction to FX in games / simulations
- Simulations / 3D / 2D fluids 2 engine
- Animation and dynamic meshes
- Advanced materials
- Cascade and particles
- Workflows for magical and natural effects
Module 4 - Collaborative Studio Project (30 credits - PR7001)
- Group proposal / design document
- Group game art project
Module 5 - Production Project (60 credits - PR7002)
For more details about modules, see the full module specifications.
At Escape Studios, there are two main types of feedback on your work: formative and summative.
Formative assessment
This is one of the most important aspects of your work. There will be many opportunities to receive feedback from your tutor, studio assistants and peers during your modules. This will often be oral feedback on your work, sometimes on a one-to-one basis, sometimes in a group feedback session or daily. All of this should help you build on your strengths and develop your skills as you progress through the course.
The majority of modules contain at least one piece of practice or ‘formative’ assessment for which you receive feedback. Formative assessments are developmental and any feedback you receive for them do not count towards your overall module mark.
Summative assessment
This will be specifically designed to measure how well you meet the learning outcomes of the module. They will usually involve a task to meet a brief set by your tutor and will allow you to demonstrate the knowledge and skills that you have learned during the module. You’ll need to decide exactly how to complete the task, choosing particular techniques and approaches, and making decisions on the aesthetics and style to meet the given requirements.
Each module will have a practical element (usually a practical project, where you make something) and a written element (usually a journal or blog, where you reflect on what you’ve made). Sometimes there is also a presentation (where you demonstrate your work). All these elements are essential to your development by showing that you can deliver to a required level and also that you understand why you can and how you could improve.
Summative assessment breakdown:
For four of your modules (Game Art – Foundation, Game Art – Advanced, Game Art – FX and Technical Art, and Game Production Project), your assessment will be split into two parts:
- Product – 60% – you will be required to create a product to a specified brief
- Retrospective/Presentation – 40% – you will be required to provide critical analysis of your own work
For your Game Collaborative Project, you will be marked as follows:
- Proposal – 20% – you will be required to produce a full pre-production design document
- Product – 50% – you will be required to create a product as a part of a team
- Retrospective – 30% – you will be required to provide critical analysis of your own work
The assessment methods employed in this programme have been developed to mirror industry practice as far as possible. We balance feedback from tutors and industry experts. It is crucial that, as a student, you learn how to accept and work with feedback from your superiors and peers, as this will be the norm when you work in industry. You also need to develop a keen self-critical eye, to be able to step back from your work and see what you could improve, and to have the ability to look at yourself and your working practices, and make changes where necessary.
For more details about assessment, see the full course specifications.
Your overall workload will be divided between teaching sessions and independent learning.
During your course, you’ll be able to develop your knowledge and skills in a number of ways. Some of this will be closely directed/supervised by your tutors, at other times you’ll be free to organise your own study with guidance. All your scheduled study time, except for some information sessions and presentations, will be in groups of around 12. For your team project, you’ll be working with a smaller team, collaborating to meet a shared brief. This will give you ample opportunity to get the support and assistance that you need.
The first three modules have a high contact time (180 hours for each module), as this is where you will be learning the knowledge and skills associated with your particular subject, directed and informed by your tutors’ expertise and experience. These will normally involve a large part of each day with your tutor and studio assistant, following demonstrations and working on set exercises to help you develop your craft.
The Collaborative Project and Production Project modules will have a lower contact time (15 hours for the Collaborative Project and 30 hours for the Production Project), with your tutors taking on the roles of supervisors or studio leads. You’ll meet with them regularly to get feedback and help you stay on the right path, but these modules are much more about you managing the learning experience to meet your objectives. You’ll be free to organise your work either as a team or an individual to best suit your project requirements.
Each module has its own area on the OLE (Online Learning Environment) where you will find all the information about the module and resources provided. Some of this information will be dedicated to the module, other elements may be shared across different modules and some may be external assets that can help with your further study. There may be links to videos, online journals and ebooks, and you should take advantage of these to enhance your development and take it beyond the studio experience. Tutors may highlight some of these during their sessions, so make sure you listen out and follow up on their advice.
You will also have an access to a variety of materials to aid you in your learning. Our OLE platform offers an online module focused on improving your study and research skills and academic writing. Finally, the online library also offers an extensive range of literature on both study skills and academic writing.
For further details, check our learning resources.
Students with additional needs or disabilities are supported by the Student Services team.
Overall workload
This programme has flexible start dates which may vary from year to year. It is divided into two stages. Stage 1 comprises modules to a total of 120 credits and Stage 2 comprises a 60 credit Production Project module. Students must successfully complete each module in order to be awarded the specified number of credits for that module. One credit corresponds to approximately ten hours of 'learning time' (including all classes and all private study and research). Thus obtaining 180 credits in an academic year requires 1,800 hours of overall learning time.
The first three modules are taught in intensive blocks of 6 weeks each, giving a total of 18 weeks. During each of these modules you will spend around 30 hours per week studying in tutor-led sessions or practice supported by studio assistants. The final two modules are more self-directed. The Collaborative Project will take around 12 weeks, during which you will have around 15 hours of feedback sessions with your tutor. Finally, you will spend around 18 weeks on the Production Project, including around 30 hours of feedback sessions with your tutor.
Each 30-credit module on the course requires students to commit 300 hours of study, with one 60 credit module which requires 600 hours of study. Some of these hours will be formally supervised in the learning environment and others will involve students carrying out private study.
For more details about modules, credits and workload, see the full course specifications.
- Maya
- Zbrush
- Substance Painter
- Unreal Engine 4
- Speed Tree
- Xnormal
- Ndo
An undergraduate honours degree in Art and Design, Architecture, Computing or Engineering-related subjects.
Applicants without a degree who have significant industry experience in game art or related creative subjects will be considered.
Suitable applicants will be asked to submit a creative portfolio.
Non-UK students
International students can choose our live online mode of study. You must be living and have the right to study in the UK to study a postgraduate degree on campus. If you require a visa to study in the UK you will need to choose our live online mode of study.
Please contact us on +44 (0)203 4411 303 or admissions@escapestudios.com for any questions.
English Language requirements
If your first language is not English you may need to complete an English language test, such as a Pearson English language test (PTE Academic) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test, to demonstrate you have the language skills needed to complete your degree. All our courses are taught in English.
Qualification |
Score required |
IELTS |
6.5 IELTS (with a minimum of 6.0 in Reading and Writing and 5.5 in Speaking and Listening) |
PTE |
62 including 60 in each subtest |
Cambridge English: Advanced & Proficiency |
176 (with a minimum of 169 in Reading and Writing and 162 in Speaking and Listening) |
Internet-based TOEFL |
90 Overall including at least 22 in Reading, 21 in Writing, 21 in Listening and 23 in Speaking |
To apply, please complete the online application form. Our Admissions team will get in touch to take you through the next steps.
If you have any questions about your application or our entry requirements, you can:
- Call our Admissions Advisors on +44 (0)203 441 1303
- Email us at courses@escapestudios.ac.uk
- Reach us on LiveChat Monday to Friday, 9:00am - 5:00pm
Following your application, you will need to agree to our terms and conditions before your place on the course can be secured.
On completion of the course you will graduate with a postgraduate qualification validated by the University of Kent. Degree validation means that our academic partner judges your degree to be of an appropriate quality and standard to lead to an award from their institution. Having this masters level qualification along with a killer showreel, industry standard skills and knowledge of how the industry operates will help you break into the games world and make an impact.
Roles you could apply for include:
- Games Artist
- Environment Artist
- Lighting Artist for Games
- Level Artist
Visit our careers hub for more info
Fees
London campus: £17,995
Live online: £15,450
Includes:
- Escapee AfterCare and career support, including help and advice on your CV, showreel and job applications.
- Free Autodesk Software upon registration to the Autodesk Education Community - full details included with course welcome information.
- 18 weeks of classroom study followed by 12 weeks of remotely directed learning and a 15 week remotely directed final project.
Our postgraduate fees are payable at the beginning of each academic year, or at each stage of your programme.
Please note, we review our fees every year.
Funding for UK students
For the latest information and advice on student funding please contact our Admissions Team on admissions@escapestudios.com or call +44 (0)203 441 1303.
For students to be eligible for funding from Student Finance England, they must be studying on an eligible course at a provider registered with the Office for Students (OfS). Escape Studios (part of Pearson College London) is registered with the Office for Students and our Master’s programmes are eligible for funding.
Visit www.officeforstudents.org.uk for more information.
Payment plans
We offer a range of payment plan options for all courses, including up to five instalments following the initial deposit. Depending on the length of the course, we ask that the initial deposit be paid when registering for the course, and the final payment prior to the end date of the course.
Following the deposit, your chosen payment plan will break down your remaining instalments equally. Please speak to a member of our Admissions team on +44 (0)203 441 1303 or admissions@escapestudios.com to determine the dates of those payments.
Contact our Finance team to discuss your options on +44 (0)203 441 1303 or finance@escapestudios.com.
Scholarships
We want to make sure that talented students with creative potential can succeed on our degrees, that's why we offer a range of scholarships. We are offering an £8,000 scholarship to one applicant per discipline for each of the Spring 2022 cohorts of our postgraduate courses, which will significantly reduce your tuition fee.
All students who apply for a postgraduate degree and submit a creative portfolio by the announced deadline will automatically be considered for the scholarship. The winner will be selected by our tutors.
Find out more information about the scholarships and how to apply.
Our 3D Animation, Game Art and VFX postgraduate programmes are also eligible for a BAFTA UK Scholarship Programme.
Get in Touch
We can help with any problems or questions you have with course fees and funding. Speak to one of our Applicant Advisors via phone or email today! Call us on +44 (0)203 441 1303 or email admissions@escapestudios.com.
Next steps

Open Events
Meet our team, hear about our postgraduate and short courses and get all your burning questions answered.

Taster sessions
Get a hands-on feel for what it's like to study with us by joining one of our online or on-campus practical sessions.

Meet the team
Book a one-to-one on the phone or on campus if you want to know more about our courses.
Meet our tutors
Christian Avigni is one of our Games Tutors at Escape Studios. He has been teaching new creative talent for the past 6 years, working worldwide at places including Alpha Channel and the University of Hertfordshire.
Christian has a wealth of experience, creating game assets for the next generation consoles such as the racing game ‘Formula Fusion’, and writing numerous published books about Unreal Engine including; UDK Basics, Level Design and Documentation and UDK Games scenarios integration.
He is currently developing the Short course and Masters Game Art programmes with Simon Fenton.

Industry Partners
Industry partners and advisors influence everything we do, from the curriculum we teach and how it's delivered to our webinars and events.
We work alongside an impressive list of VFX, Games and Animation studios including Industrial Light & Magic, Framestore, Blue Zoo, MPC, Jellyfish Pictures, PlayStation London Studio and Creative Assembly and many more across all our courses at Escape Studios.
With exclusive professional feedback, intensive software training and much more, our industry-led courses give you up-to-the-minute, inspirational knowledge and experience, tailored to the work you’re passionate about. Our Escape Studios alumni (Escapees) can be found working at a variety of studios including Pixar, MPC, Industrial Light & Magic, DNEG, Rockstar Games and Electric Theatre Collective.
Find out more about our industry partners.

Why Escape Studios?
Learn industry-relevant techniques from the experts, in a studio-like environment.
- Studio-experienced tutors. Our tutors have worked at studios including DNEG, Walt Disney Animation, EA, Rebellion and Framestore and their credits include Captain America, Black Mirror and Bond: Spectre. They speak at international conferences, like B’Ars (Spain) and VIEW Conference (Italy), write for industry-recognised blog Befores&Afters, and are authorised trainers for software like UnrealEngine, Autodesk or Houdini.
- Industry-standard facilities. Our central London campus is surrounded by world-leading studios and fully equipped with high-end hardware and the latest software.
- Industry partners. Our studio partners, including DNEG, Framestore and PlayStation London Studio, help design and develop our courses to make sure that what we teach is relevant to the current industry practices. You’ll also have access to events and webinars ran by our Student Experience team with industry speakers.

My time at Escape not only equipped me with the skills I needed to hit the ground running in the games industry, but boosted my confidence in myself as a professional enough to knock on some big doors too.
Matt Alan, Senior Artist SEGA Hardlight