Design, production, testing. Study Game Design and gain experience in the full game production pipeline.
What you can expect from your degree
The gaming industry has exploded in recent years thanks to exciting technological advances that have opened the door to dynamic, immersive experiences like never before. With gaming companies on the lookout for talented game designers, programmers and testers, now’s the perfect time to study a game design degree course.
At SAE, you’ll learn how to design and develop next-level video games while advancing your game development and programming skills. Beat the competition by graduating industry-ready more quickly with a 2-year accelerated degree (all campuses) – saving money on course and accommodation fees – or take the more traditional 3-year route (across all campuses from September 2025 onwards).
Across your time at SAE, you’ll explore level design and narrative construction by completing real-world project briefs in a simulated games studio environment. You’ll gain advanced skills in industry-standard software packages, such as Unreal Engine 5, Unity 3D, Adobe Creative Suite, Autodesk Suite (Maya) and Visual Studio, plus expert proficiency in programming languages C# and C++.
SAE’s highly experienced Experts will introduce you to the professional world of game design, showing you the ropes in programming, UI/UX design and industry workflows. As you explore common game engines and asset development fundamentals, you’ll complete group projects and run playtesting for the games you’ve developed, validating your understanding of game design theory and application.
What you'll learn
At the end of your Game Design degree you will:
Learn game development and master your craft in a collaborative studio-based environment.
Confidently operate the latest industry software, including Unreal Engine 5, Autodesk’s Maya, Unity 3D, Visual Studio and Adobe Creative Suite.
Blend hands-on immersive training with academic learning for well-rounded education from day one.
Design and playtest games you love playing.
Gain entrepreneurial and business skills to take into your game design career.
Collaborate creatively on games projects with SAE students from other courses, such as animators, musicians, filmmakers and marketers.
Develop a significant portfolio of work to present to industry.
Build an impressive network of connections across the wider creative industries.
Graduate career ready with practical employment skills gained through strong industry links.
Game design course start dates available in January and September.
Career Outcomes
What jobs will this course lead to?
Game Designer
Game Tester
Game Programmer
Game Animator
Game Developer
Android Developer
Concept Artist
VFX artist
Game Writer
Level Designer
Gaming Journalist
UI Designer
September 2026
SAE Liverpool
Georgia House,
38 Pall Mall,
Liverpool,
L3 6AL, NORTHERN ENGLAND, United Kingdom
September 2026
SAE Royal Leamington Spa
Spencer Street,
Royal Leamington Spa,
CV31 3NE, CENTRAL ENGLAND, United Kingdom
Degree entry
Offers will be made to applicants who are expected to meet, or exceed the entry requirements below, in addition to supplying a personal statement:
72 UCAS points
GCSE level A* - C in English 9 - 4 (or equivalent). For students studying in Scotland this is equivalent to National 5, C grade
Personal statement
Non-standard entry routes
SAE Institute will accept non-standard entry applications, which do not meet the 72 UCAS points or equivalent, and/or maths/English at level 2 or equivalent as required:
Portfolio of related work - This could include recordings, films, sketch books, a blog or any suitable medium that gives you the best opportunity to show us your creative potential.
Successful pass mark achieved via the SAE UK Maths test
Academic Essay
Students whose first language is not English will need a qualification that demonstrates competence in English, equivalent to UK GCSE (Level 2) grade 4 (c) or above.
Equivalent qualifications can be accepted, where these qualifications have been verified by ENIC and are adopted widely within the UK Higher Education sector, including:
IELTS (UKVI or Academic) (minimum 5.5 in all components and an overall score of 6.0)
TOEFL (IBT or IBT Home Edition online) 72 overall with the following component scores: Listening – 17 Writing – 17 Speaking – 20 Reading – 18
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
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