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Diploma of Game Development

START YOUR CAREER AHEAD OF THE GAME
Games student using computers
Available at
Adelaide, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
Fees
FEE Help available
Diploma of Game Development
Domestic Fees

Units x Costs ($AUD)
4 x $3,807
2 x $2,728
1 x $5,456

Indicative Total Course Fee*
$26,140 AUD
Plus Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF)

* The Indicative Total Course Fee & Indicative Annual Course Fees reflects that students are charged fees on a per unit basis and the fee for a unit may increase.

For more information view the SAE Fee Schedule or visit the Fee & Payment page.

FEE-HELP Available
Diploma of Game Development
International Fees

Units x Costs ($AUD)
4 x $4,439
2 x $3,178
1 x $6,356

Indicative Total Course Fee*
$30,468 AUD
Plus Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF)

* The Indicative Total Course Fee & Indicative Annual Course Fees reflects that students are charged fees on a per unit basis and the fee for a unit may increase.

For more information view the SAE Fee Schedule or visit the Fee & Payment page.

Duration(s)
2 Trimesters Full Time (Fast Track)

Complete your course faster by studying the course units over approximately 7 months (2 trimesters).

Diploma of Game Development
Course Durations
2 Trimesters Full Time (Fast Track)

Complete your course faster by studying the course units over approximately 7 months (2 trimesters).

3 Trimesters Full Time

Whilst still classified as a full-time study load, you will complete the course units over one year. (3 trimesters)

Part-time option available

If you want to take a little longer, that’s ok too. We’ll help you work out the best study load to suit your needs.

Note: Part-time is not available for international students.


We understand that things can change, so you'll have the flexibility to change your study load throughout your course if you need to.
Start Date(s)
February 2024
Diploma of Game Development
Start Dates
Adelaide
  • February 2024

  • May 2024

  • September 2024

Brisbane
  • February 2024

  • May 2024

  • September 2024

Byron Bay
  • February 2024

  • May 2024

  • September 2024

Melbourne
  • February 2024

  • May 2024

  • September 2024

Perth
  • February 2024

  • May 2024

  • September 2024

Sydney
  • February 2024

  • May 2024

  • September 2024

Entry Requirements
Diploma of Game Development
Domestic Entry Requirements
Domestic students must meet one of the following criteria:
Completion of a Australian Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (QCE, WACE, HSC, SACE, etc) (like your Year 12 certificate or equivalent); OR
Completion of a Certificate III level qualification, or higher, issued under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF); OR
Experience-Based Entry – for applicants who do not meet the requirements of entry criteria above.
More info
Diploma of Game Development
International Entry Requirements
International Entry Requirements
Minimum age requirements
International students seeking admission to SAE must be 18 years of age OR must be turning 18 during their first trimester of studies at SAE.
Academic requirements
Successful completion of secondary school studies (assessed as an equivalent of Australian Year 12 secondary studies). Minimum overall pass is required.
English language requirements
International English Language Testing System (IELTS): An overall score of 5.5 or higher with no individual band lower than 5.0 (only the Academic Test is accepted), OR
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): 63 overall (internet-based test); OR
Pearson Test of English (PTE): Academic score of 36 or higher, OR
Completion of Year 12 English in an Australian secondary school or college or equivalent with a minimum result of “Satisfactory” or equivalent.
More info
Successful completion of an Academic English program with an SAE-approved Australian-based English partner. Please refer to our SAE International Study Pathways for more information.
More info

DIPLOMA OF GAME DEVELOPMENT

If you want to be part of the exciting and expanding industry of gaming, we want to help you gain the skills to stand apart from them all.

In a matter of months, you’ll learn the key fundamentals of game development.

At SAE we can offer small classes and one-on-one mentoring opportunities you may not find in a larger university.

Your growth and development as a creative practitioner will be assessed through the completion of industry-based projects. This will ultimately help you build up a body of work and portfolio to share with potential employers or your first client.

In preparation for an industry that commands agility and adaptability, you’ll cut your creative teeth on projects in partnership with your course peers.

You’ll work in a team to pitch, design, plan and deliver a game in response to a brief. Your project will extend your design and scripting skills sets, to allow you to craft a broader range of gameplay systems and features.

To complement your technical skills, you will graduate with employability skills, introductory project management skills, and scholarly techniques for higher education.

Upon completion, you will be eligible for up to 80 credit points towards either the Bachelor of Games Development.

Gamer

Career Outcomes

What jobs will this course lead me into?

  • Entry-level Game Designer
  • Entry-level Game Level Designer
  • Entry-level Community Manager
  • Entry-level Games Writer
  • Quality Assurance Officer
  • Production Assistant
  • App Developer

Why study a Diploma of Game Development at SAE?

Female Student on Computer
Practical, immersive training Learn as you collaborate on real-world projects and briefs. Build a portfolio to share with an employer or first client.
Flexible course options Completing one of the three stages of the Bachelor of Games Development, this course provides an excellent pathway into the degree.
Understand and apply strategies and methods of industry tools & software like: Unreal Engine and Unity.
Become job-ready To complement your technical skills, you will develop communication, introductory project management, teamwork, and collaboration skills.

YOUR CAREER IN GAMES BEGINS NOW

Tools & Software

Game Development Skills

Game Design Game Development 2D and 3D Asset Production User Interface Design Game Testing and Analysis Game Production

Course Structure

The Diploma of Games Development is stage 1 of the 3 stages of a Bachelor.
Red. Infographic explaining Trimesters 1-6 for the Diploma, Associate Degree and Bachelor Games courses at SAE.
Stage 1: Foundations
Develop the essential technical skills and the knowledge required to collaborate with other creative media students and professionals.
Credit points: 10

Beyond technical and craft skills, expert practitioners also have an understanding of the historical, scholarly and cultural context of games. Through developing your ability to identify scholarly and authoritative resources, your skills in research, and your capacity to argue, present and write academically, you will become a more literate creative. You'll be able to apply these skills in industry to build better outcomes for your project and company with strong links to both the past and future of Games.

Potential projects: Working in a team, you'll develop a paper and digital presentation in the style of a Games Developer's Conference.
Credit points: 10

Game scripting is a common method of controlling the behaviour and sequencing of events and interactions within a game or scenario. Scripting can be thought of as a discrete language that uses principles of mathematics, combined with rules of syntax and patterns, to provide instructions for a computer to follow.
In this unit, you will implement a range of basic game functionality by utilising data manipulation, formulas, object creation, defining of behaviours, and working with event systems. You will also build an awareness of how to use these elements within common game scripting languages and environments.

Potential projects:
Build a simple game from scratch using an existing game engine such as Unity with C#.
Credit points: 10

This unit will introduce you to the mindset and skillset of the creative entrepreneur, and transform your approach to problem-solving. You will analyse historical and contemporary models of leadership and best practice in entrepreneurship, and use tools for project design that include ideation, problem framing, and pitching. The skills in this unit will assist you in developing your creative thinking, exploration, and experimentation methods, allowing you to experiment with project design and content for creative media.
Credit points: 10

Games development uses assets from a range of creative sources including 3D models for environments and objects and 2D assets for menus and backgrounds. In this unit You'll gain an understanding of the production and implementation of these types of assets.

You'll gain practical experience with 3D modelling, lighting, shading, animation and rendering to gain a foundational understanding of a range computer graphics concepts. You will also reflect on the theoretical principles behind the development of computer graphics through critical analysis.
Credit points: 10

In order to design and create games we need to be able to understand game systems and how they generate player experience. Games are complex, sitting at the intersection of art, technology, and psychology. To be able to become an effective game developer, it's important to start at a point where you can experiment and see the immediate outcomes of your decisions upon a product. It's for this reason that most game developers start off with small, rapidly developed games or modifications to check their thinking. In this module you will learn how to analyse existing games to identify and describe their core elements and interactions. You will apply this understanding to manipulate existing games in addition to designing new ones, and then check the effectiveness of your work through playtesting and player feedback.
Credit points: 10

Game systems increase in importance and complexity in proportion to the size of a project. This relationship requires modular and reusable systems within game development pipelines, which can be applied to other projects. In this unit, you will extend basic scripting principles by implementing event-systems and applied mathematics in the form of modular game systems. This will involve reviewing good code design by developing or modifying fundamental game systems driven by geometry, vectors, and physics, such as input systems and character controllers, as well as researching, designing, and developing a complex game system, such as a 2D boss battle system, RPG dialogue system, or action-adventure inventory system.
Credit points: 20

In order to create games, you must be able to manage the complexity of the game development process. In this unit You'll build familiarity with toolsets and existing industry practices to formulate and execute clear plans for delivering games assets and features on time and of a high quality.

Work in a team to pitch, design, plan and deliver a game in response to a brief, where You'll extend your existing skill sets in design and scripting to craft a broader range of gameplay systems and features. This will involve learning and applying teamwork and organisational skills with your your classmates, as well as feedback, testing and iteration processes for the game itself.

Potential projects:
Work as part of a team to pitch, design, plan and deliver a game in response to a brief.
CRICOS Course Codes
102830B (2 TRIMESTERS) 094745C (3 TRIMESTERS)
Australian Qualifications Framework
AQF LEVEL: 5 FULLY ACCREDITED BY TEQSA
We consult closely with industry professionals so you can expect a course that’s highly relevant and equips you with sought-after skills.

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  • Be an Australian citizen and study at least part of your course in Australia or be a New Zealand Special Category visa (SCV) holder or permanent humanitarian visa holder and meet the residency requirements. Permanent residents can only get FEE-HELP for approved bridging studies be enrolled in a fee-paying place at a provider that offers FEE-HELP loans be enrolled in an eligible course at your provider by the census date (your provider can tell you if your course is eligible)
  • Submit the Request for FEE-HELP loan form to your provider by the census date
  • have an available HELP balance.
  • Not have undertaken more than 2 years’ worth of higher education study in the last 12 months, unless your provider has assessed you as capable of taking on a higher study load.
  • Have a Unique Student Identifier (USI) prior to the first census date to be eligible for FEE-HELP if you are starting a new course in 2022. Applying for a USI is fast and free, and you keep the same USI for life. You can apply for a USI, or check if you already have one, at www.usi.gov.au.
  • If you are studying at a non-university higher education provider, you must maintain a pass-rate of 50 percent or above to continue to be eligible for FEE-HELP.

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You can choose to study most of our courses in a part-time capacity. An SAE course advisor will be able to give you more information about the study options for your chosen course.

Note: Part-time is not available for international students.

We carefully design and deliver all our units to help you develop the knowledge you need to be successful in your chosen field of study. Courses and course units at SAE follow best practice teaching and learning.

CREDIT AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING



SAE may recognise your prior learning and may grant credit towards satisfying the requirements for a higher-level program. This is applied where previous learning is considered equivalent to the content and learning outcomes prescribed for units within the program.
For full details, please refer to SAE's policy on recognition of prior learning and credit transfers.
Close up of Game controller

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