BA (Hons) Games Development with Year 0

The Foundation year (or year 0) is a preparatory year as part of the four-year BA (Hons) Games Development 

The foundation year course is aimed at students who require more time to develop their portfolio and skillset prior to year one of undergraduate study.  

The course begins with Crafting Your Practice 1 and 2 which aims to teach the students some of the core fundamentals of their practice as well as some basic drawing and design processes. 

Modules may include*:

• Crafting your Practice 1 
• Crafting Your Practice 2 
• Exploring Culture and Context  
• Developing Creative Skills 
• Integrating Creative Skills 
• Influencing Culture and Context.

*Subject to change.

Year 1 of this course will introduce you to the game's development process and core disciplinary technologies alongside study options that enable a degree of specialisation in one of those core disciplines:    

• Games Art
• Technical Design (Engine Technologies)
• Design & Production

You will also engage with and be trained in the use of digital platforms for effective delivery of outcomes including games, presentations, documentation, and prototypes. 

Modules may include*:

• Programming 1 
• Design of Play 
• Engines & Pipelines 
• Environments & Levels 
• Professional Life Practice - Developing your Practice 
• Professional Life Practice - Exploring your Practice.

*Subject to change.

You will work alongside students from other games courses on collaborative projects enabling you to develop team working and help you understanding of key development workflows.

Throughout this stage of the course, you will also be introduced to what currently constitutes innovative practice within games programming and explores the interplay of innovation and technological development. This will be supported by visists and practical workshops from industry speakers and specialists. 

Students will have the opportunity to undertake a work-based learning opportunity at the end of semester 2, supporting them in developing their entrepreneurship and employability skills.

Modules may include*:

• Narrative & Play
• Character Design for Games 
• Games Studio 
• Professional Life Practice- Applying your Practice
• Work-Based Learning.

*Subject to change.

A sizeable proportion of project-based work will be initiated and developed by students themselves, with a view to mastering skills particular to their interests within the discipline. 

You will be encouraged to dive deeper into your interests through individual tutorials and self-directed study, utilising online and physical resources. You will complete major projects tied to your chosen discipline at the end of your 3rd year.

Modules may include*:

•  Pre-Production 
•  Production 
•  Professional Life Practice - Situating your Practice
•  Postproduction.

*Subject to change.

At Ravensbourne we accept a wide range of qualifications for entry onto our courses, whilst also considering the context in which they were achieved. For this course, we would usually require a GCSE Grade 4 or above in English in addition to any of the below;

• Two A Levels at grade CC or above
• BTEC Extended Diploma at grade MPP
• UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma
• T Level (pass or above)
• Access to Higher Education Diploma
• International Baccalaureate at grade 24 or above
• Other/Mixed qualifications equivalent to 64 UCAS Tariff points

We will use a number of methods to assess an applicant’s suitability for their course of choice.

Primarily applicants are selected on the basis of:

• an applicant’s prior academic achievement/qualifications and/or previous employment/life experience;
• assessment of the applicant’s ability and aptitude to succeed on the course for which s/he has applied.

UK students

Simply select your chosen start date using the 'Apply now' dropdown at the top of this page, and you will be directed to the appropriate course page on the UCAS website. The UCAS code for this course is located in the course overview bar at the top of this page. 

The UCAS website will guide you through the simple application process. You can also apply through your school or college using the UCAS system.

Learn more: how to apply for an undergraduate degree course

The entry requirements for this course can be found in the relevant section above.

International students

International students can apply directly via our Online Applicant Portal. Please see bespoke advice for international students in the dedicated section below. 

For information on study routes, visa requirements, studying in England,  language and entry requirements, application requirements and access to international agents, please visit our international section.

Quick links:

• How to apply
• Student route visa admissions
• International Education Agents
• Visas and immigration
• Student Route visa CAS deposit & fee refund
• International student FAQs

Please note that a portfolio is not usually a requirement for this course. However, we may still ask you for one if you have not met the entry requirements for the course or if your educational background is in a very different subject.

If you do submit a portfolio you will be required to upload no more than 10 pieces of work to a blog or microsite.

A piece of work can be:

• A game idea or paper prototype of a game
• A level idea for a game that already exists or one of your own game designs
• A concept piece, which could be of an environment or character design
• Video of any playable prototypes you have created in game software such as Unity, Game Studio 2.0
• Any personal work representing design, drawing, colour and research
• Reports from play sessions where you look at how a game was played by multiple participants and which mechanics worked best
• 3D work (a single model, an environment or samples of texturing and lighting skills)
• If you feel other work is suitable such as photography or model making then please feel free to add it if it is relevant to game design.

The blog

The blog should be something easy to set up and access. Tumblr is quick and easy to get up and running. You can also use an existing blog you have.

Things to remember:

• You'll need an existing email address to set up your account on the blogging service
• Create a simple URL
• Make sure you remember the password and URL for your blog just in case we have any issues accessing it
• It's your responsibility to make sure the site is not password protected and we can access it with no issues.

This page offers great tips for completing your portfolio/showreel and preparing for your interview. 

Year zero is an excellent entry point into our BA (Hons) Games Development course, which may suit you if:

• You feel you will benefit from developing your skillset prior to entering an undergraduate degree course
• You will struggle to fulfil the entry requirements.

You will graduate with strong concept skills and technical expertise.

Graduates work in areas such as:

• Typography
• Editorial Design
• Packaging
• Information Design
• Wayfinding
• Exhibition Design
• User Experience  
• User Interface Design
• Art Direction 
• Design Strategy.

Find out more about our tuition fees and whether you qualify for financial support during your studies. 

Key links:

• Undergraduate fees and funding
• Paying your fees
• Scholarships, bursaries and other discounts

If you have any questions, we'd love to hear from you. 

Get in touch with a member of our admissions team:

T: +44 (0) 20 3040 3998

E: [email protected]

If you have specific queries about being an international student, contact [email protected]

For general information, call +44 (0) 20 3040 3500

You can also chat to our students