Advanced Diploma of Professional Game Development – Specialising in Game Design and Production

Game designers are the visionaries and evangelists for a game development project. They thrive on new ideas and are always thinking about how users will interact and enjoy the experience that they've created. A great game designer possesses a combination of technical knowledge, artistic skill and, most importantly, the ability to communicate and understand people.

Developed in response to industry need, AIE’s Game Design and Production course is a two-year, full-time course written by experienced game designers, in consultation with local and international studios, to produce innovative graduates who will lead the next generation of game development.

AIE graduates are working in games studios on titles including Fall Guys, Conan Chop-Chop, the Call of Duty franchise and Godfall. Game design graduates are also sought after in the growing field of ‘gamification’ as well as managing interactive initiatives for training, simulation, customer engagement and advertising.

Areas of study

Game level design, narrative design, gameplay systems and mechanics, 3D content creation, virtual reality and augmented reality development (AR/VR), game programming, project management, prototyping, psychology and economies, user interface and experience design, testing and quality assurance.

A key area of study in this program is two production-focused projects where innovative games are developed in teams consisting of game design, game art and game programming students working collaboratively. Teams learn real-world production cycles in an industry-simulated development environment, from pitching their game idea, through to writing game design documents, evaluating technical requirements, managing workload, meeting deadlines, delivering content, bug-fixing, QA testing, publishing and showcasing their game.

Career opportunities

Game designer, level designer, VR developer, system designer, UI/UE designer, game tester, quality assurance, producer and project manager.

Practical experience

AIE courses are taught in a studio-simulated learning environment. Students develop hands-on skills and knowledge by working on real-world tasks. AIE Trainers are experienced industry professionals who know what it takes to make it in game design.

Fees and charges

Visit AIE's website for the latest fee information.

The VET Student Loans program allows eligible students enrolled in AIE's approved Advanced Diploma courses to defer part of the cost of their tuition fees. A VET Student Loan gives rise to a HELP debt that continues to be a debt due to the Commonwealth until it is repaid. AIE students can access a range of funding options.