BA (Hons) 3D Game Art (Online)
- Study Mode: Full Time
- Location: Distance Learning
- Duration: Three Years
- Start Date: September 2025
You can also study this course:
Do you love computer games? Kick-start a career designing the animations that bring them to life with a degree in 3D Game Art. On this online course you’ll have access to industry standard software, ensuring everything you learn is current and relevant.
Taught by industry experts this dynamic course gives you the skills and knowledge you need for an industry role and the chance to create a varied portfolio of work to display your talent.
We offer a fully online version of the 3D Game Art course, giving you the flexibility to study from anywhere in the world. This option is perfect for those balancing work, family, or other commitments, as it allows you to learn at your own pace while accessing the same high-quality teaching and resources as on-campus students. With regular virtual feedback sessions and a strong online community, you’ll stay connected and supported throughout your journey.
BNU's 3D Game Art degree is designed in collaboration with industry professionals, making sure the skills you acquire are aligned with current market demands. You’ll learn everything from character design to environmental modelling, using industry-standard tools like Maya and Unreal Engine. This means you're job-ready and can hit the ground running upon graduation.
Throughout your studies, BNU offers dedicated career services, including workshops, portfolio reviews, and networking events. The program is designed to equip you with the tools needed to navigate the competitive job market confidently. Whether it’s refining your CV or preparing for interviews, you’ll have access to the support needed to land your dream job.
The course emphasizes creating a high-quality showreel, a crucial asset when entering the job market. You’ll have multiple opportunities to refine your portfolio with feedback from tutors and industry professionals, ensuring it represents your best work. Graduating with a strong portfolio makes you stand out to employers and sets you up for success.
BNU alumni have secured positions in major VFX houses and game studios, contributing to high-profile projects, including blockbuster films and games. You could follow in the footsteps of graduates who now work at companies like Rockstar Games and Creative Assembly. Their success stories highlight the course's ability to launch creative careers in the games industry.
BA (Hons) 3D Game Art has been recognised as a verified which means we are committed to meeting Unreal Engine's standards for excellence in game development education.
As a BA (Hons) 3D Games Art student, you’ll have access to a range of resources tailored to support your studies. From enterprise software licenses, premium service subscriptions, and chances to network with professionals in the gaming industry.
I’m really enjoying this course. The online mode of learning has provided me with the flexibility to manage my studies alongside other commitments. The lecturers are knowledgeable and supportive and they have been available to offer guidance and feedback throughout my studies. Overall, I would highly recommend this course to anyone looking to pursue a career in game design.Sajeevan Thayananthan
What facilities can I use?
Whilst studying with us you will use our BucksAnywhere web service, which provides access to many of the software applications you use for learning and studying. BucksAnywhere can be used from your own device or from a University owned PC or laptop, from any location. We’ve made sure you have access to industry-standard software, which we review yearly to ensure we are producing industry-ready graduates. Some of which includes:
- Unreal Engine
- Unity
- Maya
- 3DS Max
- Substance Suite
- Zbrush
Amongst a range of other software.
You’ll also be able to remotely access our VDI, which is a powerful computer that will give you access to additional software relevant to the course.
This video was our first experiment with our new Xsens motion capture suits. With the help of dancers from BNU’s BA Dance and Performance course, we motion captured a routine on the concourse running though the university and replaced one of the dancers with a version of the Lonely Robot and comped this back into the footage. We also have state of the art Faceware kits for face motion capture.
What will I study?
On this course 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.
During your time with us 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 additional online groups where you will be able to meet the other students taking our animation, visual effects, game art and visualisation courses, both MA and BA, online and attendance. These help to foster a sense of community and are also places where extra-curricular collaborative projects, such as game jams, take place. You will also be able to meet our alumni in these broader forums. All forums are moderated by the lecturers.
How will I be taught and assessed?
Our BNU teaching team are industry-professionals, with years of experience working in the sector and training future generations of animators. Through their support and the course you’ll gain the skills and knowledge you need within the industry.
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.
You’ll be taught via online classes and 1:1s supported by a virtual learning environment (VLE) which will serve as a repository for course materials and other essential information such as assignment briefs, in line with university policy.
You will be given access to synchronous sessions each week of termtime with a lecturer who will be online throughout. During these sessions, you will also have the opportunity to ask questions and get real time responses and feedback from 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 their 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 focused on the demonstration of essential skills and clarification and expansion of key concepts and techniques. This will be facilitated via the online learning platform, where you will be able to access a set of recorded lectures which will be an average of 10 minutes in length. These will be delivered as appropriate to each individual module.
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
You will regularly be set formative tasks related to the weekly content or be working towards your own project objective as agreed with the lecturers. This will enable you to apply your learning in new contexts. You will also be able to submit your work for asynchronous formative review from the lecturer which will be delivered as a video commentary on your work.
You will also be expected to join a closed online group where you will be able to discuss the work and ask questions throughout the week. It is expected that both lecturers and students will contribute and answer questions. This will also be a place for you to post your work for peer discussion and review.
Assessments will be largely practical coursework along with critical analysis and evaluation which will come mainly in the form of essays and presentations. The practical elements will mimic the kind of work that junior artists will carry out in industry, as far as reasonably practicable.
Online courses at BNU have allowed me to take a degree which otherwise would have not been possible. As a disabled mature student, the online (BA) 3D Game Art course has opened the door for me to pursue a remote career in the games industry. BNU enables you to hone your skills, allowing you to find the right career path. It is a place where the lecturers encourage you to push yourself, giving you the freedom to create original pieces of work with each assignment.Philip Gosney BNU Graduate
What are the course entry requirements?
A typical offer will require a UCAS tariff score of: 88 - 112
UCAS points can be obtained through qualifications such as A levels, T levels, BTEC or an Access to Higher Education course in a relevant subject. Please list all your qualifications on the application form as you will be asked to provide copies when we receive your application.
A minimum of two full A-levels (or equivalent) is required. Every application is considered on an individual basis.
For further details of our international English entry requirements, please visit our international pages.
Those with no previous study, work experience, or who do not meet the specified entry requirements, including demonstrating the necessary knowledge and understanding, are welcome to apply for the 3-year BA (Hons) degree, however may be offered the four-year programme which includes a Foundation Year.
Once you have received your offer from us, you will have the opportunity to meet with one of your tutors online to talk about your course. If you have any work you'd like to share, we’d love to see it!
What sort of things could you show us?
We want to see the work that you are most proud of. While pieces of animation, visual effects and game art can be an advantage we are looking for artistic sense / instinct which can be demonstrated in many other forms, including but not limited to:
- 3D Animation sequences
- 2D Animation sequences
- VFX sequences (done e.g. in After Effects or other similar software)
- A game level
- 3D modelling – renders or animated turnarounds of characters, environments, props etc.
- Photography – either traditional or digital.
- Life drawing
- Paintings
- Drawings / sketches
- Sculptures
- Digital art – e.g. created in Photoshop or other similar software
- Short live action films or documentaries.
How much should you show?
This depends on what you are submitting. If you have individual images / pictures / paintings, then no more than your favourite 12. If you have project work such as an animated sequence, a game level or short film then no more than your favourite 3. If you wish to mix then 1 sequence = 4 images. So you could show 1 mp4 sequence and 8 images on a pdf for example.
Modules
This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.
What are the tuition fees
Home
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Home, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £8,110 per year *
International
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Overseas/International, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £8,110 per year *
Following the Government’s announcement of 4 November 2024, we will be increasing our full-time undergraduate tuition fees for UK students to £9,535 per year from the start of the 2025/26 academic year. Our part-time fees for UK undergraduate students will increase to £7,145 per annum. Please visit , on the Government’s website, for more information about the changes.
Tuition fees for Home undergraduate students (including with foundation year) may increase in subsequent years for both new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by the Government.  
Tuition fees for both new and continuing international students may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year.  
Tuition fees for postgraduate courses and CPD may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year. This increase will apply to both new and continuing students.  
We understand, and really appreciate, the significant financial commitment our students make when they choose to study at BNU. We take our responsibilities to our students very seriously, and are ambitious for each to reach their full potential and succeed in their chosen career. Our fees help us to continue providing our students with a high-quality education, and to invest in the services and facilities which create an excellent student experience at BNU.
The following factors will be considered by the University when we set the annual fees: measures of inflation such as the retail price indices; projected increases in University costs; and any changes in the level of funding for teaching received from the Government.
What are my career prospects?
Throughout your time with us we’ll support you on the route to your chosen career. We’ll help you to develop crucial skills, encouraging you to become enterprising, employable and good leaders. We also help you find employment after graduation. Have a look at our Careers and Employability pages to find out more.
Our 3D Games Art course will help prepare you for a range of career possibilities, such as:
- 3D Artist
- Character Artist
- Animator
- Environment Artist
- Technical Animator
Graduates from BNU’s animation courses have gone on to work in all six of the major VFX houses in the UK, as well as a number of major games houses and smaller companies. We have had winners and runners up in the Grads In Games Competition, which have then led to jobs. Our learners have worked on major films, games and TV productions, including Avengers Endgame.
Graduates can also choose to study for a postgraduate course.
Course leader
