Why Study/Key Benefits

The Bachelor of Creative Technologies (Game Art) is a specialist degree offered by Media Design School at Strayer (MDS) in Auckland, New Zealand. It is designed for students who want to create the visual elements of video games, including characters, environments, props, concept art and interactive worlds.

Key benefits include:

• Develop artistic and technical skills for game production through traditional and digital art practices.

• Learn to create 2D and 3D visual assets, game environments, characters and interactive experiences.

• Collaborate with other students, including game artists and programmers, on game projects.

• Build a professional portfolio of creative work to show prospective employers.

• Study game design principles alongside art, visual development and the wider cultural and commercial context of the games industry.

• Explore a pathway towards specialist careers in game art, environment art, character art and technical art.

Programme Structure and Subjects/Topics

The degree is organised across three academic years, progressing from foundational art and design to advanced production and a major collaborative game project.

Year 1 — foundations in game art and production

• Game Design Principles — 20 credits: game design foundations, analysis of existing games, prototyping and documentation.

• Art and Design Foundation – Environment — 15 credits: art theory, visual communication, form and environmental design.

• Art and Design Foundations – Anatomy — 15 credits: anatomical drawing and human proportions.

• 2D Visual Asset Generation — 15 credits: concept art, pixel art, vector art and sprites.

• 3D Visual Asset Generation — 30 credits: 3D modelling, form, function and silhouette.

• Game Production Foundation — 15 credits: game assets, basic scripting, user interaction, menus, audio integration, project management and release.

• Creative Technologies: Game Studies I — 15 credits: video-game history and cultural analysis.

• Technical Art I — 15 credits: content pipelines, basic scripting, lighting, shaders and particles.

Year 2 — advanced modelling and collaborative prototyping

• People and Games — 15 credits: social, cultural and economic aspects of games and the games industry.

• Rapid Game Prototype — 20 credits: team projects and rapid game development; MDS describes three 3D game prototypes over 15 weeks.

• Advanced 2D — 15 credits: concept art, gameplay visual effects and user interfaces.

• Advanced 3D Modelling — 30 credits: advanced modelling, texturing, digital sculpting, retopology and asset optimisation.

• Technical Art II — 15 credits: rigs, game-engine integration, technical art and basic scripting.

• Principles of Animation — 15 credits: animation theory and 3D animation for real-time game engines.

• Real-time Animation — 15 credits: genre-specific 3D animation for interactive environments.

• Professional Practice and Communication — 15 credits: project planning, communication, production methods and CV development.

Year 3 — world design, research and major game production

• World Design — 15 credits: creating believable game environments that combine design, aesthetics, technical considerations and storytelling.

• Level Design — 15 credits: prototyping layouts and designing engaging gameplay flow.

• Creative Technologies: Game Studies III — 20 credits: self-directed research into a chosen game-related topic.

• Game Project: Pre-Production — 15 credits: forming teams, defining a game concept, planning production and developing a playable prototype.

• Game Project: Alpha — 30 credits: building the team’s game and managing its development.

• Game Project: Gold — 30 credits: refining, debugging, completing and promoting the game.

• Portfolio Presentation and Critique — 15 credits: presenting a professional portfolio or demo reel and receiving peer and industry feedback.

Disciplines/Specialisations

The qualification is specifically focused on Game Art rather than a range of selectable formal majors. Its principal areas include:

• Character art and character design.

• Environment art and world building.

• 2D and 3D visual asset creation.

• Concept art, digital illustration and visual development.

• 3D modelling, texturing and digital sculpting.

• Game animation and real-time animation.

• Technical art, rigging, shaders and game-engine integration.

• Game design, level design and rapid prototyping.

• Portfolio development and collaborative game production.

Programme Highlights

• A three-year bachelor’s degree with a focus on the visual and artistic side of game development.

• A 420-credit qualification at NZQF Level 7.

• A combination of traditional art practices, digital tools and industry-standard production methods.

• Practical development of 2D and 3D assets, environments, characters and game prototypes.

• Collaborative work with game programming students, including a major final-year game project.

• A portfolio-focused curriculum that helps students present their creative and technical abilities.

• Flexible part-time study is listed as available for up to eight years; students should confirm the practical arrangements for their chosen study mode.

• MDS states that it is New Zealand’s first Adobe Creative Campus and promotes industry-oriented, studio-style learning. These are provider claims, not independent guarantees of career outcomes.

Career Outcomes

MDS identifies the following potential career paths for graduates:

• Character Artist — designing and creating characters that fit a game’s visual style.

• Environment Artist — creating 3D worlds, landscapes, buildings and props.

• Technical Artist — helping artistic and programming teams work together, optimising assets, developing shaders and supporting production workflows.

Latest Updates/Special Requirements

• The current programme page lists start dates of 22 February 2027 and 19 July 2027.

• The listed international tuition fee for Year 1 is NZD 37,323.80. This is the current displayed fee and should be reconfirmed in the offer of place.

• Applicants need to submit a creative portfolio. MDS recommends 12–20 pieces, with 3D models or visualisations particularly relevant to Game Art.

• The published English requirement is IELTS Academic 6.0 overall, with no band below 5.5, or an accepted equivalent.

• All international students must be at least 18 years old when the programme begins, including those studying online.

• Students must have a suitable device for the required creative software.

• MDS notes that quotas may apply to some programmes; meeting the entry requirements does not guarantee a place if demand exceeds capacity.

• International students should independently check whether the qualification will be recognised for further study or professional purposes in their home country. MDS’s scholarship terms specifically caution that recognition outside New Zealand is determined by the relevant authorities and institutions.

• The user-specified IPU website was not established as the authoritative source for this programme’s specific fees or entry conditions. Programme details above are taken from MDS’s own published information.

International Student Visa Requirements

International students planning to study on campus in New Zealand will generally need to apply for the Fee Paying Student Visa, subject to their circumstances and Immigration New Zealand’s requirements.

• Offer of place: You must have an offer from an approved education provider. The offer must include the course name, duration, study mode and other required details.

• Tuition fees: You must provide evidence that you have paid, can pay, or are exempt from paying the required tuition fees. Immigration New Zealand generally requires evidence covering one course or one year of study, whichever is shorter.

• Living funds: For tertiary study lasting one year or more, the published requirement is NZD 20,000 per year. If study lasts less than one year, the published requirement is NZD 1,667 per month. Tuition fees and outward travel must be accounted for separately.

• Insurance: You must have acceptable medical and travel insurance for the relevant period of stay. MDS says international students must maintain insurance throughout their planned period of study. Its international student information lists Southern Cross StudentMax as its default insurance option and gives an approximate 12-month premium of NZD 860.25; confirm the actual premium for your course dates.

• Health and character: You must meet immigration health and character requirements. Depending on your circumstances, Immigration New Zealand may require a medical examination, chest X-ray or police certificate.

• Genuine study intentions: You must show that you genuinely intend to study and comply with the conditions of your visa.

• Outward travel: You must show that you can leave New Zealand at the end of your stay, through a ticket or acceptable evidence of funds for travel.

• Visa fee and processing time: Immigration New Zealand currently lists the Fee Paying Student Visa from NZD 850, with 80% of applications processed within seven weeks. Fees and processing times can change; these figures are not guarantees for individual applications.

• Work while studying: The visa may permit work up to 25 hours per week during study and full-time work during scheduled holidays, depending on the conditions actually granted. Check your own eVisa conditions before working.

• Application timing: Immigration New Zealand recommends applying at least three months before intended travel, particularly because processing can be busy between October and March.

• Post-study work: MDS’s international student page states that graduates of bachelor’s degree programmes may be eligible for a post-study work visa of up to three years, subject to the applicable immigration rules and the qualification completed. This is not automatic and should be checked against current Immigration New Zealand eligibility requirements before relying on it.