“I had people around me who were able to help me or give me advice and guidance”
BA (Hons)Digital and Game Art (Top-up)
Apply on UCAS
Starting in: 2025
Register your interestCampus: Southampton City CentreView on Google Maps
Why study a digital and game art top-up degree at Solent University
Draw upon your previous studies and explore your interests to develop your own specialism within the wide subject area of digital art, including game art, in this career-driven top-up degree.
- 0thUK uni for sustained employment (Longitudinal Educational Outcomes 2022)
- 0thin the top 20 best student cities (StudentCrowd, 2023)
- 0thuniversity in the UK for low carbon emissions (THE 2023)
- Top up your existing qualifications to a full honours degree, building upon classical art training, creative problem solving, and ideas generation.
- Tuition is structured to offer flexible learning experiences. This enables you to work alongside Solent's computer games and digital arts programme group.
- You'll have access to dedicated studio spaces with a high-send suite of industry tools and software throughout your studies
Course overview
The course philosophy is that by focusing on a specialist area, you can demonstrate the highest level of skill you can achieve in a particular field rather than graduating with an average ability across a wide range of roles.
The learning on the course is highly individual due to the wide variety of career directions you can choose. Our experienced and talented lecturers guide you individually on your own learning path, supervising your projects progress as would happen in industry.
The learning on the course is highly individual due to the wide variety of career directions you can choose. Our experienced and talented lecturers guide you individually on your own learning path, supervising your projects progress as would happen in industry.
Any questions?
Contact international admissions
Email: Call:Course features
Specialist facilities
This course has access to specialist facilities
Further studies
After successfully completing your studies, there's an opportunity to continue your studies at Solent
Top-up option
If you have an appropriate Level 5 qualification, you can top it up to a degree in just a year
Who is this course for?
This course is designed for those who want to take their favourite skills from areas such as digital art, games, creative media or animation to the next level, to produce their best portfolio.
What does this course lead to?
The flexible design of this top-up means there are many possible career routes after graduation including various roles in games, CGI, VFX, animation, illustration, concept art, architectural visualisation, simulation, immersive technologies, and technical art.
Graduate stories
Hear from Solent alumni about where their careers have taken them and how studying at Solent prepared them for their future.
Meet the team
You'll be taught by a highly experienced teaching team with wide ranging industry experience.
The University cannot guarantee any particular members of staff will teach specific aspects of the course in the future, but will endeavour to ensure the teaching team maintains their balance of experience and qualifications.
Facilities
Students are taught in 3D labs or animation studios, where appropriate. These studios are fully equipped with professional digital arts software and equipment, including Autodesk suite (Maya, Mudbox, etc), Z Brush, Unreal Engine, Unity and many more.
Our vibrant campus brings state-of-the-art facilities to enhance your learning and elevate your student experience. Our award-winning teaching building, The Spark is centred around students and offers a stimulating study environment with flexible learning spaces. Away from studying, why not try out the gyms, fitness studios and sports halls in our £28 million Sports Complex, or watch a blockbuster film at our student-run cinema with Dolby Atmos audio.
What you'll study
Core modules
Production Brief
You will evaluate the industry skills requirements for your future career plan and identify gaps in your knowledge that you really want to fill. List all the things you still want to try before you graduate be they technical (e.g. rigging) or creative (e.g. creating assets in the anime style), and then design a project to allow you to achieve these things.
Pre-Production
The things you learn in this unit will directly inform your Final Major Project (FMP) so that you know when you start it that you can hit the ground running and spend more time in production and less in making mistakes. You will also do any previz and concept work you need for your FMP.
Final Major Project
This module is designed to provide you with the opportunity to conduct a self-managed project of significant scale and complexity to support your Honours award.
Professional Development
The Professional Development module has been designed to develop three key areas that are vital for professional success. The three areas are: graduate skills and employability; professionalism; career and personal development.
Optional modules
Please note: Not all optional modules are guaranteed to run each year.
Advanced Drawing
There is no better way to explore your creativity than through traditional drawing and this will free you to create concepts and ideas for your digital work in other units and to develop your own artistic style. Using traditional drawing methods you will explore areas such as the human figure, movement and composition while continuing to develop practical skills, observation and recall.
Animation Technology
On this module you will learn the principles of animation, methods for rigging, how to apply animation into a games engine and how game animation is different from narrative animation.
Digital Character
This module is a chance to dive into the exciting world of character development and sculpting. You will be learning about muscle groups, anatomy and sculpting software, while combining this knowledge to build exciting characters.
Game Art Pipelines
This module will investigate the current technologies and methodologies that go into producing today’s artwork for games.
How you will learn and be assessed
You will learn by:
You may be assessed by:
- Portfolios
- Coursework
- Individual presentations
Solent’s curriculum framework builds on our unique, creative and applied approach to teaching. The transformation of students’ lives is at the heart of our mission as a university, and our curriculum – informed by the latest theory – reflects this shared educational vision.
Find out more
Study support
The student achievement team are on hand to help you succeed during your studies at Solent. They aim to contact you at key times during your time here with personalised information, advice and guidance, by email or phone.
The disability advice team provides information, advice and guidance for disabled students.
All students can access Succeed@Solent, Solent's online guide to getting better grades. It offers extensive, practical information and advice on topics such as academic writing, research and presentations.
Why choose the industry?
Game artists use software packages to create the visual elements of a game in either 3D or 2D for one or more platforms, such as mobile, PC, arcade or console. The UK computer games industry is the largest in Europe, generating £2bn in global sales each year.
Digital art is can be applied to many creative industries, from games to TV commercials, to architectural visualisation, to illustration and beyond. Talented artists are constantly in demand and the ones that get noticed are the ones who have an excellent portfolio in their own area, and so spending a year refining your skills in the direction can be very beneficial. Members of the teaching staff have wide-ranging experience in the games industry and can help to hone your skills and help you to build your industry contacts.
You could earn:
Game artist
Typical salary: £30,000 to £40,000
Starting salaries for game artists are typically between £18,000 and £25,000. More experienced and senior artists can earn between £30,000 and £40,000. Lead artists can earn higher salaries ranging from £40,000 to in excess of £60,000.
Concept artist
Typical salary: £25,000 to £40,000
Starting salaries for entry-level or junior concept artist positions are in the region of £17,000 to £20,000. Experienced concept artists can earn between £25,000 and £40,000. Senior concept artists can earn around £55,000 and £75,000. Freelance rates for concept artists are around £14 per hour on average.
The stated salaries are published on prospects.ac.uk.
Graduate stories
Hear from Solent alumni about where their careers have taken them and how studying at Solent prepared them for their future.
“I had people around me who were able to help me or give me advice and guidance”
Solent Futures
The Solent Careers team is committed to getting students into great careers.
While you are studying, the team can help you with finding work experience or placements, link you with a mentor, check your CV, or offer one-to-one guidance.
If you're in your final year, we also have graduate job opportunities just for Solent graduates.
6th
UK uni for sustained employment
Longitudinal Educational Outcomes, 2022
Further study
Thinking about studying further than an undergraduate degree? Alumni can get 20% off their postgraduate study.
MA Visual Communication
Do you have an eye for design? Would you like to help influence the future of visual communications? Our MA Visual Communication degree is ideal for creatives keen to refine their practice, working as part of an interdisciplinary group of students.
Tuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year are:
- UK, EU (settled status) and Channel Island full-time fees: £9,250 per year
- International full-time fees: £17,750 per year
For further information, please visit our tuition fees page.
Extra course costs
While most course costs are covered by your tuition fees, some essential resources and optional extras may need to be paid for separately. For advice on budgeting and managing your money, please contact student.funding@solent.ac.uk.
Bursaries, scholarships and financial support
Solent University offers a range of bursaries and scholarships that provide financial assistance or waive fees for tuition or accommodation. Each bursary or scholarship has specific eligibility criteria. Check out our bursaries and scholarships pages to find out more.
Cost of living support
At Solent, we understand that the cost of living crisis may be of some concern. To help, we've put together some detailed information to show what support is available and how to make your money go further.
Graduation costs
There is no charge to attend graduation, but you will be required to pay for the rental of your academic gown (approximately £45 per graduate, depending on your award). You may also wish to purchase official photography packages, which range in price from £15 to £200+. Graduation is not compulsory, so if you prefer to have your award sent to you, there is no cost. Extra guest tickets will go on sale after results publication and will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis. The cost per ticket is currently £15. Please note, we do not guarantee there will be any extra tickets available to purchase.
Student finance videos
Student finance Video transcript, with a description of visuals available.Student funding - the essentials Video transcript, with a description of visuals available.
Entry requirements
Please select an option below:
Key entry requirements
Relevant HND/foundation degree pass with merit overall (55 per cent average),
- or 240 CATS points from a relevant three-year degree.
- For further information about UK qualifications, please contact admissions.
Key entry requirements
As a general guide, we look for qualifications that are equivalent to the British high school A-levels.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about EU qualifications, please see our course entry requirements document.
Key entry requirements
As a general guide, we look for qualifications that are equivalent to the British high school A-levels.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about international qualifications, please see our course entry requirements document.
Note to all international students requiring a visa
All international applicants need to be aware that the English language requirements to attend Solent University, and the English language requirements to obtain a visa from the Home Office, may be different. This means that if you meet the Solent University language requirement to gain a place on the course, you may still have to meet additional requirements to be granted with a visa by the Home Office.
We strongly advise all applicants to visit the Home Office website which outlines all the requirements for a successful visa application.
Any questions?
Contact international admissions
Email: Call:How to apply
Full-time
Any student applying for the first year of a full-time/sandwich undergraduate course must apply through UCAS (University and Colleges Admissions Service). This includes mature, overseas and EU students.
Nearly all schools and colleges offer their students the facility of applying electronically through the UCAS website using 'Apply'; it may also be used by those applying independently in the UK and overseas. This facility and all course information can be found on the UCAS website: www.ucas.com.
Your application should reach UCAS by 31 January if you hope to enter a course the following autumn. Early application is advised for the most popular subject areas. Late applications may be made until the end of June. The UCAS Code for the University is S30, code name SOLNT.
Find out what happens after you apply
Contextual offers
Solent endeavours to offer learning opportunities to students from all backgrounds. When we receive and review an application, we take into consideration the context and personal circumstances of applicants when making a decision, which means our advertised entry tariff could be reduced.
Language requirements
Applicants who do not have English as their first language will be required to demonstrate an approved level of proficiency in the use of the English language. The agreed minimum requirements for this course are:
- IELTS minimum 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each individual component
- TOEFL IBT minimum 80 with a minimum of 20 in each individual component
- Duolingo English Language Test - 115 overall with minimum of 95 in each component or equivalent.
Qualifications are checked before enrolment, and international students must bring their original certificates or certified copies when coming to study at the University.
Pre-Sessional English programme
The University also offers a pre-sessional English programme for international students who wish to improve their level of English before starting a degree course.
Make your application
- 1 year top-up
