Curriculum Information

Document Version

QAA Benchmarks

Educational Aim

Learning Outcomes

Course Structure

Level 4 Modules

Level 5 Modules

Level 6 Modules

Teaching and Assessment

Learning and Teaching Methods

Employer Engagement

Means of Assessment

Overall Assessment on the Game Art course is explicitly aligned to clearly defined learning outcomes, ensuring that what we assess is directly reflective of the knowledge, skills, and professional behaviours students are expected to demonstrate within the module.  

Each module maps assessment rubrics to subject benchmarks and internal grade descriptors. 

Project briefs are written in an industry-facing format so that assessment tasks mirror authentic production scenarios, ensuring constructive alignment between teaching activity, learning outcomes, and assessment. We should always ask, ‘Can I do this in the workplace?’. 

Assessment types have a scaffolded structure, supporting progression through each level of study. At the foundation, students engage in visual journal entries that document and evidence learning, experimentation, and development within broad creative contexts. This establishes a process-driven approach, encouraging reflection, iteration, and critical engagement. 

Building on this, assessment moves into project-based outputs and self-reflective writing, enabling students to produce playable work across a range of modules and briefs while contextualising their practice. At the culmination of each level, students develop a portfolio of professional artwork that acts as a visual benchmark of achievement. A postmortem review supports critical evaluation and provides structured feedforward between levels, as well as preparation for Level 7 study or entry into industry and enterprise. 

At Level 4, students undertake structured, skills-focused tasks that emphasise foundational principles, software competency, and reflective practice. Formative feedback is frequent and dialogic, supporting confidence and technical accuracy.  

At Level 5, projects become more exploratory and collaborative, requiring greater autonomy, problem-solving, and contextual research. Assessment incorporates peer critique and milestone reviews to simulate studio workflows.  

At Level 6, students engage in self-directed research, pre-production planning, and a major project that evidences specialism, professional standards, and critical evaluation. Here, assessment prioritises synthesis, originality, and industry readiness. 

The course maintains a strong emphasis on ongoing formative assessment through studio critiques, tutorials, playtesting, and developmental submissions. Summative assessment occurs at key milestones, balancing process (research, iteration, testing) with final outcomes. 

Academic integrity is embedded through scaffolded tasks, reflective documentation, version control, and clear guidance on referencing visual and theoretical sources. Students are assessed on process transparency as well as outcomes, reducing opportunities for misconduct.  

The course also recognises that AI technologies are becoming increasingly embedded within creative and digital production pipelines. Students are expected to develop the ability to use AI critically, ethically, and professionally. 

The course does not view AI as a replacement for creative practice, but as an emerging professional tool that students must learn to evaluate and deploy responsibly. Assessment focuses on critical judgement, creative ownership, and the ability to integrate AI effectively within contemporary production workflows. Students are expected to demonstrate transparency regarding AI use and maintain responsibility for all submitted work. 

This aligns particularly well with your course philosophy because it reinforces the progression from guided use (Level 4) to critical integration (Level 6), supporting both autonomy and criticality—the two themes your validation panel is likely to focus on most strongly. 

Collectively, the assessment strategy supports creative risk-taking, technical mastery, critical awareness, and the professional skills required for employment within the games and wider creative industries. 

Learning Support

The BA (Hons) Game Art degree is designed to cultivate critically aware, industry-ready artists who can operate creatively, technically, and ethically within contemporary interactive media. The course combines conceptual development, visual storytelling, 3D production pipelines, and real-time implementation, ensuring graduates understand both artistic intention and technological execution. Rooted in experiential learning, the programme reflects the principles of John Dewey, positioning learning as an active, reflective process where knowledge is constructed through doing, testing, and refining creative practice. Studio-based modules encourage iterative experimentation, critique, and problem-solving, embedding reflective cycles that mirror professional workflows within the games industry. 

The modules promote a flexible, student-centred approach that values diverse perspectives, learning styles, and creative practices, supporting equitable participation and success for all learners. Journalling is a core, inclusive assessment component that can be undertaken by all students, providing a flexible and accessible means of evidencing process, reflection, and development regardless of technical or disciplinary focus.  

We shall maintain flexible and open with learning support, which reflects the challenges of our current student profile. The use of seminars and personal tutorials, scaffolds support through regular feedback, and clearly structured milestones, enabling steady progression and helping to remove barriers to achievement. 

At Level 4, students are introduced to core principles, workflows, and industry practices through highly structured challenges. Criticality is developed through reflection on creative decisions, peer discussion, and formative feedback, enabling students to explain and evaluate their work against defined criteria. Autonomy is supported through scaffolded learning activities, where tutors provide clear direction, demonstrations, and regular guidance. Students begin to take ownership of simple decisions while building confidence in experimentation and problem-solving. 

At Level 5, students encounter more open-ended challenges requiring greater interpretation and decision-making. Criticality develops through the analysis of industry practices, audience needs, technical constraints, and market contexts. Students are expected to justify creative and technical decisions rather than simply follow established processes. Autonomy increases through collaborative studio projects, production sprints, and hackathons, where students manage elements of production, select appropriate workflows, and respond to feedback with increasing independence. 

At Level 6, students are expected to operate as emerging professionals. Criticality is demonstrated through the synthesis of research, industry awareness, technical expertise, and reflective practice to inform complex creative decisions. Students critically evaluate their own work in relation to professional standards, audience expectations, and project objectives. Autonomy reaches its highest level through self-directed major projects, portfolio development, and career planning activities. Students define project goals, manage production pipelines, identify solutions to complex problems, and take responsibility for the successful delivery of substantial outputs with minimal tutor intervention. 

Ultimately, the programme fosters the USW Graduate Attributes to inform our graduates as adaptable, reflective practitioners capable of contributing meaningfully to the evolving landscape of digital entertainment and interactive art. 

Course Exit Points

Progression Route

Entry Requirements

Admission to the course is typically through the following qualifications:

Inclusive Curriculum Statement

The University of South Wales operates a policy of inclusive learning, teaching and assessment to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to fulfil their educational potential. Course teams will have considered ways of designing out any potentially disadvantageous element of courses during the course design process. However some specific needs may remain, details about how to apply to have your needs assessed can be found at: http://unilife.southwales.ac.uk/pages/3040-disability-and-dyslexia-service/

Addendum for Delivery at a Partner Institution

N/A