University of Surrey launches second gaming undergraduate degree
We’re coming up to the first anniversary of the start of our Games Design BSc degree, and could think of no better way to celebrate than to launch our SECOND undergraduate course dedicated to gaming.
Our Games Art BA degree will have its first cohort in September 2027, and will focus more on 3D-modelling, animation character creation and storytelling, in contrast to the more technical and code-focused aspects of the existing Games Design BSc.
With Guildford’s existing reputation as the UK’s ‘Hollywood for video games’[SS1] , the University of Surrey is perfectly placed geographically to take advantage of this hub of local industry. In their inaugural year, Games Design students have worked with and learnt from, top level guest speakers. They attended a special workshop with EA about getting into the industry, workshopped on technical art with experts from Wargaming, discovered more about writing for gaming placement schemes with Larian and explored digital environments and 3D media with an expert from Massive Entertainment/Ubisoft. Students have also taken part in top secret new games testing with designers 22cans.
Our speakers and events for 2026/27 will be just as exciting. We’ll have game jams in November, January and May, and run monthly events including industry panels or outreach workshops with colleges. Off campus, we’ll travel to industry events EGX London and AdventureX and also showcase student work at the Guildford Games Festival, for the third year running.
Adding to our existing team led by Programme Leader Dr Jon Weinel, over the summer, lecturer Dr Martyn Broadhead is joining our gaming programmes from the University of Greenwich. Martyn’s background is in 3D-animation, motion-capture, and character control, and his PhD investigated the use of augmented reality to enhance teaching literacy and language, with a focus on dyslexia. He is recognised for his high-quality, inclusive teaching.
Dr Weinel comments:
“We’ve had an absolutely packed first year on the course, from game jams and industry workshops to games festivals. Behind the scenes, the course team have been visiting some big AAA games studios like Tencent recently to plan some exciting collaborations for the next academic year. With Dr Broadhead joining our team, we will be upgrading our motion-capture pipelines based on feedback we’ve received from experts over at EA: Criterion, allowing our students to work at the leading edge and develop the skillsets that industry want to see from graduates.”
Learn more about our gaming courses.
