Game Design, B.A.
This seven-semester Bachelor's programme qualifies you to work in a developer studio or in other innovative areas of game or toy production. The programme offers 100% games in all modules as well as practical-productive teamwork in projects from the first semester. The programme begins in the winter semester. A qualified aptitude test decides on the allocation of 40 places per year.
Programme facts
| Degree | Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 7 semesters, 210 ECTS |
| Language of instruction | German, English |
| Required German | C1 |
| Study mode | Full-Time |
| Start | Winter semester |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 15.06 |
| Admission | Admission restriction (NC): a competition of school grades |
| Tuition fee | €0 per semester for international students |
| Semester contribution | €324.90 per semester |
| Practical semester | Yes, mandatory |
| Campus | Campus Wilhelminenhof |
What the tuition fee consists of
Will I get in
The programme has an admission restriction: the average grade of your certificate, converted to the German scale, decides. The cut-off changes every year — last year's value shows the order of magnitude, not a promise.
How the selection works and how strong the competition is — we go through it against your certificate when we select programmes for you.
Programme selection →About the programme
It’s all about games
The focus of the course is on the conception, artistic design and technical implementation of game systems. We impart the entire know-how for the realisation of digital entertainment games. These can be classic video games in all facets, but also in the area of augmented reality and virtual reality, hybrid games, digital toys or playable environments.
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GAME DESIGN at HTW Berlin is a design course that combines art and technology in a new way. Game designers create and design game systems in a variety of forms and for a wide range of devices. The synthesis of artistic and technical trades requires numerous skills, which can be developed here in the tradition of the Werkkunstschulen.
Accordingly, we have very good spatial equipment with studio character and a studio environment. In this environment our students realise more than 30 games a year. They are guided and accompanied by experienced professors and lecturers.
Theory and practice
Since 2009, we have designed and tested a teaching concept that combines theoretical teaching content with practical project work. A theoretical foundation for the systematic analysis and solution-oriented conception of games enables our graduates to think outside the box and leave well-trodden paths. At the same time, the high proportion of practical work guarantees the training of numerous soft skills in order to be able to successfully implement new ideas and methods in later professional life.
What you study
Well structured for the Bachelor Game Design
The degree programme is divided into the phases of basic studies, specialised studies and practical studies. In a total of seven semesters, we teach you a fundamental understanding of the conception and development of computer games of all genres and application areas. You also have the opportunity to train and deepen your skills in a special field of activity. This specialisation begins in the 3rd semester.
The full curriculum and the programme's parameters are part of programme selection: we compare them with your profile.
Pick programmesCost of study
| Tuition fee of the federal state (Berlin), international students | €0 |
|---|---|
| Semester contribution | €324.90 |
Requirements and application
| Previous education | A school certificate that gives access to university in Germany — directly or after a Studienkolleg. |
|---|---|
| Language | German C1 — confirmed by a certificate when you apply |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 15.06 |
The procedure and the set of documents depend on your certificate. We check the university's requirements against your documents and give you a list: what to submit, how to certify and translate it, where and when to apply.
Check the requirementsHow 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 C1 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 15.06Send 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.
How to apply
You can submit the application yourself or with our help — the university decides on admission in both cases.
Applications go through the university's portal or uni-assist. Typical mistakes:
- ×incorrectly made certified copies and translations
- ×a wrong set of documents
- ×the application submitted the wrong way
- ×errors or gaps in the application form
- ×the application submitted at the wrong time — too early or too late
An incomplete or incorrectly prepared application is excluded from the selection — it can no longer be corrected after the deadline.
StudyInFocus does not represent the university and does not influence the admission decision. We do not sell study places and do not guarantee admission — this is a service for preparing and submitting documents on the applicant's side.
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
How much does the programme cost?
What language level do I need?
When do I need to apply?
Don't postpone the application
The deadline is 15.06.2027 (244 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.