University of Technology, Arts and Design

M.F.A. in Game Art

Become an expert and build all the art and visual content for video games

Disembodied, winning student project at the PlayStation Awards, at the Indie Summit in Valencia and at the SXSW in Austin (Texas).

If you passions are art, drawing, illustration and video games, this master is designed for you.

Description

With top industry professionals, you will learn state-of-the-art techniques in computer graphics generation using the newest technologies and the most advanced programs.

At U-tad, we will provide you with industry-standard tools, teaching you how to use them like you never have before. 

You will learn all the tricks of the trade and master a professional workflow. Your training will mirror the work done in big studios, forming multidisciplinary teams with students from other master’s degrees to create your own studio an, ultimately, your first big video game. You’ll also compete for top awards and learn how to develop on the same delivery schedule as any professional studio. Our students are currently employed at studios like Rockstar North, Reflections, Ubi Soft, Tequila, Splash Damage, King or Mercury Steam.

Career opportunities

  • Environment Modeler
  • Character Animator
  • 2D Content Designer
  • Technical Artist
  • Art Director
  • Animator
  • Concept Artist
  • Graphic Design Generalist
  • Texturing
  • VFX Artist

Paths to enty

Perfil de entrada del alumno:

  • Students or university graduates, particularly in Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Visual Communication Design and other programs related to the creation and design of graphic material.
  • Professionals in the videogame sector who want a better understanding of the graphic design and/or wish to take steps to secure an expert role in the industry.
  • People with no professional experience in the video game sector, self-taught and self-made in regard to games creation.

Where our alumni work

Our students are highly valued by the industry.  

We have a Professional Development Service that is responsible for facilitating student insertion into the various companies that contact us in search for highly specialized professionals. We have students working in companies like Reflections, Rockstar North, Ubisoft, Novorama, Mediatonic, Tequila, Ericsson, Genera Games, King, Mercury Steam, PlayGiga, Splash Damage, Purple Lamp Studios, Rebellion Developments, Elite 3D, Pendulo Studios, Gameloft, Saber Interactive, Smartick, Black Forest… 

Partner companies

Study plan

  • Location: U-tad
  • Hours: Monday – Thursday
  • ECTS: October-October (1,000 hours)
  • Language: Spanish
  • Modality: In campus
  • Center Attached to: Camilo José Cela University
Course 1

ANIMATION
Animation
Rigging
MODELING
Modeling in Maya
Character Modeling
Creating Environments
FUNDAMENTALS
2D Imaging
Concept Art
Art Direction
SPECIALIZATION
Interfaces
VFX
Unreal Engine
PROJECT
Master's Thesis

The content of the curriculum and faculty may be modified according to academic needs

Competencies

  1. Creating high-end artwork across various media using state-of-the-art tools and a professional video game engine, like Unreal Engine. 

  2. Presenting a realistic project framework for a proper planning and execution. 

  3. Understanding and managing the narrative that makes a digital entertainment project possible. 

  4. Identifying and executing the graphical aspect of a corporation and visually implementing its intellectual properties. 

  5. Composing and ordering the different elements necessary for the production of the graphic material needed in a video game. 

  6. Manipulating processes and tools to adapt them to the artistic needs of the project. 

Faculty

ramon-acedo_1

Ramón Acedo

  • Director and teacher of the Master’s in Art and Visual Design for Videogames
  • Art Director at Tequila Works

Students' projects and awards

Your Project: your best letter of recommendation

The audiovisual entertainment sector, particularly when it comes to video games, is an industry that requires highly qualified professionals. The best way to showcase your preparation is with a high-quality portfolio. It is for this reason that at U-tad, we replicate the workflow and demands of a professional studio. In addition to a quality education, our students graduate with  a clear understanding of industry mechanics. The Final Master’s Project is a group project developed with colleagues from other master’s degrees. Together, you form a real studio while at university. Students take charge of creative decisions, but you will have the continuous support of an industry professional team.

Talent awards

U-tad is the Spanish educational center with the highest number of PlayStation Awards, with 15 in just seven years. The first to achieve this was Rolling BOB, which won the “Innovation Award”. It was the first U-tad game to be released on the PS4 Store. We are currently on our sixth.  

Other published games include Intruders:  Hide & Seek (also available on Steam), Khara, Inglorious (originally called “Tribute of Rage” in its university days), Rascal Revolt and Windfolk , one of the stars of Sony’s Gamescamp 2020. All of these can be downloaded from the online PS Store (Rolling BOB and Intruders also have physical copies available at stores). There is no other Spanish university center capable of producing such high-quality projects. 

For the seventh consecutive year, we have been honored with the award for Best University Project at the Fun&Serious/BIG Festival’s Awards, a European benchmark in the industry. We have also been successful in prestigious competitions such as Gamelab, Gamingfest, Gamepolis, IndieSummit, Game JamOn and Indie(Mad), competing not only against other university projects, but also against commercial projects by established studios. 

Internationally, we have already won four awards at the world’s leading creative festival, SXSW in Texas. We are the sole Spanish training center that has won or been shortlisted. 

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