Games Design MA

Subject to validation

This course is subject to validation. Please contact Penda Tomlinson on p.tomlinson@mdx.ac.uk to pre-apply.

Why study Games Design MA at Middlesex University?

MA Games Design focuses on market insight-driven development and ethical worldbuilding, preparing you to design persuasive, playable prototypes. You’ll explore theories of play and interaction, develop agile workflows from concept to XR, and collaborate on multidisciplinary projects. Core modules emphasise storytelling, creative AI, and professional practice, supported by dedicated work experience opportunities.

• Develop advanced skills in market-driven game design, user experience, narrative design and project management.
• Learn in London, a global hub for creative technology and game innovation.
• Explore how AI and data analytics are transforming gameplay, storytelling and player experience.
• Collaborate across disciplines and gain hands-on experience through industry briefs and placements.
• Build a professional game prototype ready for pitching to studios or investors.
• Benefit from Middlesex’s commitment to ethical, sustainable and inclusive games design practice.
• Join an interdisciplinary community of digital creatives studying together in our state-of-the-art facilities at MDX Studios. Facilities include games labs with high-end hardware for high graphic processing (NVIDIA) and a wealth of industry software including Unreal Engine. Our Motion Capture studio utilises a range of sophisticated technology to enable the creation of industry-level VFX and VP. The Kit Hub has a vast collection of high-end creative tech to support student projects including professional cameras, sound recording kit and VR headsets. With strong relationships with industry partners, Kit Hub is vital resource for our creative community to keep up to date with the latest tech.
• Connect with the creative industries and the local community through our partners at Screen London.

Placements in game design

MDX Studios is a vibrant, industry-connected hub for hands-on learning, research, and innovation — where university meets the real world. We offer a unique environment where students collaborate with external partners to develop cutting-edge skills and an entrepreneurial mindset.

Through our access to London’s thriving creative studios, agencies, and digital entertainment industries, MA Games Design students benefit from opportunities to work alongside games designers, UX specialists, creative technologists and others on a variety of real-world commercial games and UX projects across many platforms.

At MDX Studios, you won’t just study — you’ll work. Our MA programmes feature one and two-year options with embedded, credit-bearing work placements on live industry projects. Placements can be long or short, and if a suitable opportunity is not available with an industry partner, we will create professional settings for you to work on university-led projects. You’ll build your CV while gaining experience in professional contexts, from independent content creation to working on productions in our state-of-the-art facilities.

Discover more about placements

This course is subject to validation. We will publish a full programme specification here when it is validated.

Student support

We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health, and disability support.

Additional needs

We'll support you if you have additional needs such as sensory impairment or dyslexia. And if you want to find out whether Middlesex is the right place for you before you apply, get in touch with our Disability and Dyslexia team.

Wellness

Our specialist teams will support your mental health. We have free individual counselling sessions, workshops, support groups and useful guides.

Work while you study

Our Middlesex Unitemps branch will help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above. Visit the Middlesex Unitemps page.

Careers

How can the Game Design MA support your career?

Graduates of the MA Games Design will be ready to work as game designers, narrative designers, UX specialists, producers, and creative technologists across the games, XR, and digital entertainment industries. You’ll graduate with a professional-standard prototype, leadership experience, and a strong understanding of global market trends. Support from Careers and Futures ensures access to employability coaching, placements, and creative industry networks in London.

Fees and funding

The fees below are for the 2026/2027 academic year.

UK students¹

Full-time students: £13,700
Part-time students: £90 per credit
Part-time students: £45 per dissertation credit

If you were to study over two years part-time, you would usually pay £5,400 for the first year of study, and £8,100 in the second.

International students²

Full-time students: £20,100
Part-time students: £134 per credit
Part-time students: £67 per dissertation credit

If you were to study over two years part-time, you would usually pay £8,040 for the first year of study, and £12,060 in the second.

Additional costs

The following course-related costs are included in the fees:

• All printing and copying required for your study
• Access to sound recording and mixing studios, editing suites, and colour grading suites
• Audio-visual equipment available for loan, including digital stills cameras, digital video recorders, digital audio recorders, a large range lighting gear, grip equipment, and specialist microphones.

Financial support

We offer lots of support to help you with fees and living costs. Check out our guide to student life on a budget and find out more about postgraduate funding.

Postgraduate scholarships

You may be eligible for one of our scholarships including:

• The Alumni Postgraduate Award – for all UK/EU Middlesex alumni a 20% fee reduction
• The Commonwealth Scholarship – full course fees, airfares and a living allowance
• The Chevening Scholarship – full course fees
• The European Academic Awards – £1000 to £7000 for students showing academic excellence
• Regional or International Merit Award –up to £2,000 towards course fees

For international students, we also have a limited number of other awards specific to certain regions, and work in partnership with funding providers in your country to help support you financially with your study.

Find out more about our postgraduate scholarships.

Help from your employer

Your employer can contribute towards the cost of your postgraduate study as part of their staff development programme.

Work while you study

If you are not currently working, we can help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above.

Fees disclaimers

1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase postgraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.
2. International fees: Tuition fees are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.

We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.

Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.

Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.

At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.