Game Design, B.A.
Computer, video, and mobile games are the medium of the future. Already today, more than 40 percent of Germans profess their love for them, with 90 percent of those people playing them multiple times a week. Games mean entertainment and business, yet they also reflect personal expression and global perspectives – and most of all, they're a lot of fun. As a game designer, you’ll create innovative game mechanics and shape game narratives. With your expertise, you’ll be involved in all stages of development: from the first idea through to the technical and creative conceptual design and finally the design of spaces and characters.
At the University of Europe for Applied Sciences (UE), you’ll have the unique opportunity to put together your own individual combination of game design, development and art, which means that you’ll get familiar with the individual disciplines as well as their mutual influences.
Programme facts
| Degree | Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 6 semesters, 180 ECTS |
| Language of instruction | German, English |
| Required German | B2 |
| Required English | B1 |
| Study mode | Full-Time |
| Start | Summer semester, winter semester |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 01.09, summer semester until 01.03 |
| Admission | No admission restriction: every eligible applicant is admitted |
| Practical semester | Optional |
Will I get in
Every applicant who meets the formal requirements is admitted — but places can run out before the deadline, so apply at the start of the window.
What you study
In the Game Design programme, your studies will focus on the development and creation of innovative and experimental games. As a student, you’ll receive an overview of the business, culture, and markets surrounding computer games, from AAA to indie games and experimental formats.
The full curriculum and the programme's parameters are part of programme selection: we compare them with your profile.
Pick programmesCareer
After your game design degree, you can work in large development studios as well as with small indie publishers. However, many of the professions are not only possible as employees, but also as self-employed and on a project basis. There are many different professional fields to choose from, depending on your majors and experience:
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- Game Design
- Game Programming
- System Design
- Game Writing
- Narrative Design
- Game Art
- Level Design
- Game Development
- Game Production
You will also be able to develop and sell your own games as the creative director of your own studio. Other possible fields of work after graduation are games journalism and games research.
Possible salary as game designer
The salary of a game designer can vary depending on their education. In general, jobs after a degree are paid better than after an apprenticeship. According to mystipendium.de, you can expect a gross monthly salary of around 3,000 euros with an academic degree. Depending on the size of the studio / company, regional fluctuations and your own experience, the starting salary and later salaries may vary.
Requirements and application
| Previous education | A school certificate that gives access to university in Germany — directly or after a Studienkolleg. |
|---|---|
| Language | German B2, English B1 — confirmed by a certificate when you apply |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 01.09, summer semester until 01.03 |
How to get into this programme
- 1Check your certificate and its recognitionDirect admission, a year at a university at home, or Studienkolleg first — this decides the whole plan.
- 2German up to B2 and a certificateDSH or TestDaF has to be passed before you apply.
- 3Documents and translationsCertified translations of the certificate and transcript, an APS if required. 3–4 weeks.
- 4Application directly to the university until 01.03Send the documents well before the deadline — an incomplete application cannot be completed after it.
- 5Admission, visa, movingPlan 2–3 months for the visa and the blocked account in parallel.
If your level is not enough yet
The two most common stoppers are a language level below the requirement and a certificate without direct admission. Both can be solved, but they take months — plan them now, not after a rejection.
Questions about this programme
What language level do I need?
When do I need to apply?
Don't postpone the application
The deadline is 01.03.2027 (138 days left). Language, translations and the document check take months, not weeks. In 30 minutes we will build a plan backwards from the deadline and tell you honestly whether you can make it.