Games Design, Animation and VFX Level 3

This course is for young people aged 16-18 and adults aged 19 and over. You will be interested in designing and developing games.

You should be enthusiastic and analysing what makes games fun to play and how to make them more challenging for the player. You should also be comfortable learning a wide range of visual and technical skills to help you develop your professional approaches to the subject.

This course consists of two separate qualifications which make up the Extended Diploma which is studied over two years. In the first year, you will complete the Diploma where you will learn about the fundamental media concepts, design and graphic principles, game design and development techniques, coding and physical prototyping and animation.

In the second year, you will complete the full Extended Diploma and develop your understanding of the specialism, build a portfolio of work which will help you progress to a degree course, an advanced apprenticeship or begin a career in the creative media industries. You will also develop your interactive media skills using specialist software and by undertaking projects designed to further your understanding of 2D and 3D animation, game environments and scripting.

To join this course, you will need five GCSEs at Grade 4 (C) or above which must include English and/or Maths or a Level 2 diploma at Merit grade with ideally GCSE English and Maths at minimum Grade 4 or equivalent.

You will have a love of computer games and would like to learn the craft of game design or game development.

This course is taught through 100% coursework and you will present your work in a range of formats. You will be assessed on your research, development and experimentation and final outcomes and you will be encouraged to develop your work and professional practice through evaluation of self-reflection.

You will have access to a full record of feedback and marks for you to monitor your progress, self-assess and reflect on your own practice.

After completing the first year of this course, you can move on to the second year. You can also choose to progress onto one of our Extended Diplomas in other pathways and transfer your skills. These include Graphic Design, Art and Design and Photography. Some students may choose to leave upon completing the Diploma to enter Higher Education, find employment or an apprenticeship. 

A typical pathway is university or Games Design, Animation and VFX HNC / HND – our popular Level 4 and Level 5 programmes. 

The only requirement we ask is for you to bring in a USB headset, but if you are on a limited income, you may be eligible to receive help with these costs from our Learner Support Funding Bursary.