Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline *
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
GBP 17,600 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* there is no application deadline for postgraduate courses
** for international full-time | international part-time: 9,680 GBP/year | home full-time: 11,400 GBP/year | home part-time: 6,270 GBP/year
Key Summary
Introduction
You’ll receive regular input from industry practitioners and have the chance to take part in Game Jams and Hackathons.
Recent graduates have progressed to roles like designer, programmer, software engineer and more.
Working both independently and as part of a team, you’ll create and develop computer games in cutting-edge facilities. You’ll deliver products on time using industry-standard production management tools and techniques that stimulate a collaborative professional environment.
When you graduate, you’ll have the professional presence, portfolio and range of skills you need to stand out in today’s fast-paced digital media job market.
Our PlayStation First partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment will give you the chance to develop games for the PlayStation 5.
Kingston University is an active member of The Independent Game Developers' Association (TIGA), so we’ve developed this programme in close consultation with industry.
Our insight hub, known as inKUbator, will give you opportunities to learn directly from the industry. Previous speakers have included Sony, Splash Damage, Aardvark Swift, Interactive Selection, CryTek and Unity.
Why choose this course?
While you study, you’ll benefit from top-quality teaching at Kingston University. Not only are we ranked Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework, but our staff are also leading practitioners and researchers at the cutting-edge of their discipline.
Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to a dedicated games laboratory. Facilities here include Sony PlayStation 5 development consoles plus software like Visual Studio 2022, Unreal Engine 5, Unity and git. You’ll also find high-tech equipment such as gaming PCs with 12th-gen Intel i7 processors, 1TB SSD drives and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 GPUs.
You’ll even have access to our Centre for Virtual and Augmented Reality Environments (CAVE), where you can develop apps for PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, Oculus Meta Quest 3 and more.
A portion of your learning will take place at our Penrhyn Road campus, where you’ll have access to a modern environment with all the latest equipment. Facilities here include:
- State-of-the-art computer labs
- Development software and tools, such as Unity 3D Professional, Unreal Engine 5, Visual Studio, Maya and Photoshop
- Oculus Meta Quest 3 and other VR headsets, PlayStation 5 development kits, Steam Decks and high-end digital cameras (4K)
- A dedicated team of IT technicians
Outside of the University, you could choose to spend time applying your learning on a placement, live project or other opportunity. These will be available at the discretion of our industry panel.
PlayStation licensed developer
Kingston University is a PlayStation licensed developer, meaning you will have the opportunity to learn how to develop games for the PlayStation 5 throughout your degree.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Scholarships and bursaries
Interested in studying an MA in Game Development (Design) at Kingston? The following funding support is available:
- Inspire the Future Scholarship
- International scholarships
- Progression Scholarship
- Kevin Walsh Scholarship
- Discounts for Kingston University alumni
Curriculum
Course content
You will design and create computer games, alone and in teams, using industry-standard production management tools and techniques that stimulate a professional environment of collaboration to deliver a product on time. You will also develop vertical-slice prototypes using new technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality, and will learn how to present yourself to potential employers through your professional presence and portfolio.
For a student to go on placement they are required to pass every module first time with no reassessments. It is the responsibility of individual students to find a suitable paid placement. Students will be supported by our dedicated placement team in securing this opportunity.
Please note: Optional modules only run if there is enough demand. If we have an insufficient number of students interested in an optional module, that module will not be offered for this course.
Core modules
Modules
- Digital Media Final Project
- Game Design
- Digital Studio Practice
- Connected Games Development
Optional modules
- Design Thinking Theory and Practice
- Character Animation for Film and Games
Professional placement
- Professional placement
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
After you graduate
You’ll complete this course with the skills you need to progress to an exciting future in the games industry. Previous graduates have gone on to roles including games designer, games programmer, indy developer, AI programmer, software engineer and user experience designer.
Links with industry
We work closely with industry partners to make sure our courses deliver the best possible learning experiences. We are an academic partner of Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe through PlayStation First, and regularly welcome industry guests. Recent speakers have joined us from Creative Assembly, Ndreams, Rare, Rebellion and Frontier.
Digital Media Kingston
This course is delivered by Digital Media Kingston – a partnership between the School of Computer Science and Mathematics and the School of Design at Kingston University. This combination is perfect for giving you the unique mix of technical and creative skills you need to succeed. While you study, you’ll hone workplace skills like teamwork, time management, communication, data collection and computing.