Creative Media and Game Technologies

4-year professional bachelor’s programme | English-taught

Bachelor
4 years
Full time
English

Ready for the next level?

Is it your dream to work in the games industry? Come and study in Breda! Creative Media and Game Technologies is not just a study programme, it is a way of living.

Our games programme is one of the best in the world. Whether you want to be the best gameplay programmer, an award-winning character artist, or a game designer who creates Triple-A titles, it all starts at Creative Media and Game Technologies in Breda!

To make your dream come true, you choose one of four study tracks: Programming, Visual Arts, Design & Production or Film Visual Effects. Our alumni work all over the world for big names, such as Guerrilla, Ubisoft or DICE.

Project robot

Danny Flu, first year student

Concept art for Child of Lothian

Zsófia Danková, third year student

Project work for Child of Lothian

Hanne Hammarstrøm, third year student

Project work

Thomas Franken, third year student

Project work

Mathijs Kapteijn, third year student

Environment assignment

Máté Válent, second year student

Personal project

Malte Langheim, fourth year student

Why study games at BUas?

  • Small-scale education, lecturers from the international industry 
  • Project-driven education with real-life projects in our DataLab 
  • Fully English-taught degree programme in an international classroom

Zoom in on the bachelor's programme Games

Programme content

How I see my future

Student life in Breda

'The learning-by-doing approach suits me.'

Emilio, graduated

Campus favourites

Introduction event

The right choice?

Do you want to know if Creative Media and Game Technologies is the right choice for you?

Within five minutes you will find out if this bachelor's programme is the right fit for you!


Take the quiz

Study overview

Learning community

This game programme prepares you for a future in the international game industry. You will acquire a broad knowledge of game technology and will mainly work on skills. You will learn all about game development, gameplay and level design, 3D visual arts, animation, audio, production and programming. In our simulation studio, you will work on games, of course. You will do this individually, but also together with other students.

You choose a study track as early as before the start of your studies, so that right from year 1 you take the role that best suits your own interests and development wishes. In the second year, you can choose to become a 'general developer' or continue in the direction you chose in the first year. Examples of roles are character artist, graphics programmer and level designer.

Annual schedule

The year is divided into several blocks in which you work on projects. In each project you choose a role that fits your chosen study track.

The study tracks are:

  • Design & Production
  • Film Visual Effects. 
  • Programming
  • Visual Arts

Below you can see how each year is structured; the courses you wil will take can be found in the information about the relevant study track.

Year 1

The first year consists of four blocks. The first three cover fundamental skills that build towards tightly defined projects to enhance your knowledge, all supported by lectures and seminars. The fourth block continues this, while you also work in cross-disciplinary teams to develop a game, practising your skills in a real project and learning how to work in a small development team.

Year 2

Year 2 consists of four blocks. You spend two blocks further developing your advanced skills in your chosen role. In the other two blocks, you work in small multidisciplinary teams building game projects, supported by lectures and seminars. You also have the possibility to go on exchange for one semester

Year 3

This year you specialise in your chosen role either working in a multidisciplinary team on a year-long game project or in a smaller specialist team supporting the game project. You also have the possibility to go on exchange for one semester.

Year 4

In the graduation year you work on two projects that may include:

  • completing a portfolio project individually or in a group (always assessed individually);
  • working at a company (with a project deliverable);
  • developing a business plan and designing a product (to start your own company, supported by our entrepreneurship start-up specialists);
  • taking part in a one-semester exchange programme at one of our partner universities.

Or combine the two projects and work on a year-long project, or go on a year-long internship.

We also encourage our students to go abroad during their studies. In year 4, students participate in projects at companies around the world.

 

Pre-master's

BUas offers its own pre-master's programme Strategic Business Management and Marketing (SBM). If your academic results are good, you will be offered the opportunity of attending this pre-master’s programme in your fourth year. Successful completion of this track will give you direct access, after Breda University of Applied Sciences, to various Master of Science programmes in business-related studies in management and marketing at several partner universities. A few examples are the universities of Maastricht, Amsterdam and Rotterdam. In this way, it will be possible for you to earn an academic master's degree within five years' time or, after having completed an accelerated three-year track, even within four years' time.

After your fourth year, you can also opt for a pre-master’s programme of a Dutch research university to gain direct access to their master’s programmes.  

Study load

Games is a varied, challenging programme: 

  • You will be working in teams for many hours per week – it is definitely a full-time course of study;
  • You will be backed up by industry knowledge and theory; 
  • You will build a portfolio, and then step straight into games industry studios or start your own company. 

We have high standards. We are looking for people who:  

  • Understand the roles that they are asking to study; 
  • Are engaged with the games industry from a developer’s viewpoint, not only as a player; 
  • Are already showing their determination by starting to learn in their own time. 

 

Three-year tracks

If you already have a vwo-diploma, a ‘Hochschulreifezeugnis’ (Abitur) or a comparable pre-education, Creative Media and Game Technologies may be able to offer you the opportunity of completing the programme in just three years. List of appropriate educational qualifications.

All other international applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis to ensure that the standard of the diploma will be appropriate for the fast track. 

How does it work? 

The selection procedure for the fast track is the same as that for the regular programme. 

  • In the first year, you will be required to complete your propaedeutic phase of the variant for which you have been selected (Visual Arts / Programming, Film Visual Effects or Design & Production). 
  • The second year follows the same structure as the regular course. 
  • In the third year, a number of options are open to you. These include placements, individual projects, or taking part in group projects together with fellow students. 

Interested?

Should you be interested in the fast track and if you have questions that are related to the content and set-up of the study programme, please contact AGMapplication@buas.nl.

Read more about the three-year track.

Exchange

Through a four- to five-month exchange with one of our many global partner universities, you can have an international experience while maintaining your academic achievement level. We encourage you to go abroad since this will enhance your employability internationally after graduation. Other advantages are increasing your international network, learning other languages and increasing your understanding of cross-cultural differences (and, of course, also similarities). We can guarantee that your perspectives will shift to a global view!

Entrepreneurship

At BUas you are trained to become an entrepreneurial professional. In all the professional bachelor’s programmes, you are given the opportunity to develop your entrepreneurial skills. Alongside your studies, you can join BUas Startup Support, BUSS. BUSS organises (networking) events and connects student startup entrepreneurs, there is even the possibility to apply for guidance from your own startup coach.

You can also graduate within BUas with your own company! Every academy offers this opportunity, though a selection process may apply. Maybe, by that time, you already have a small profitable business or have plans to start one? BUas Startup Support can help you.  

More information on how to start your own business.

Eye-catchers

Admission

To meet the educational requirements to this degree programme, you need a havo or vwo diploma or an equivalent of these Dutch diplomas. You can also be admitted with an equivalent of level-4 mbo diploma. Check out the complete admission requirements.

Application and selection

If you meet the admission requirements, you are invited to apply for this programme. Admission is based on selection, each year 210 students are admitted. Please check out the application and selection procedure.

Study costs

In the academic year 2024-2025 the statutory + tuition fee for this bachelor programme is €3,160. In addition to the tuition fee, you will need to take into account additional costs for participation in the introduction week and the purchase of study materials such as textbooks and excursions. Read more about study costs.

It was love at first sight

Gaming has always played a role in my life, but it wasn't until my mid-20s that I realised I wanted to pursue a career in this industry. In Breda it was love at first sight, the learning-by-doing approach definitely suits me . The programme allowed me to explore my passions and prepared me to land a work placement - and then a job - at Codemasters. During my time there, I've had the opportunity to work closely with people having massive experience and to ship my first commercial game.

Emilio

Graduated in Programming | Currently working as a Rendering Engineer at Traverse Research

One of the best game study programmes globally

I invest a significant amount of time with students who are launching their own companies in the games industry. As an indie developer, I've gained substantial insights into the workings of the industry and the challenges that arise when developing games. I enjoy working with students, they're incredibly motivated and passionate about taking on big game projects. They understand the tough nature of the industry, I’m proud they've picked our programme, one of the best globally. 

Fabian Akker

Lecturer Creative Media & Game Technologies

BUas - Creative Media and Game Technologies - Radu

During the Showcase Day I presented my game to the industry

One of the best experiences I had during my studies, was our annual Showcase Day – a day where we play all the games made by fellow students and can present them to the industry who visit. 

My tips for students who still have to make a choice:   

  • Come to the Open Day or online Digital Discovery Day   
  • Follow Your Road to Buas 

Radu

Student

BUas Games alumnus Matthijs van de Laar

After your bachelor

As a graduate you will be equipped to enter a variety of programmer, design and visual artist related careers. In addition to the regular positions within the (console-based) games industry there are opportunities in the field of film special effects (VFX), web-based games and mobile games development.

Learn more