BSc (Hons) Digital Arts Computing

This degree will prepare you for a career in the creative industries, enabling you to learn and explore through a combination of technology and embedded creative practice.

• The degree places you at the centre of one of the fastest growing creative industries in the world, pioneering new approaches to computational creative practice. Digital arts computing is a unique interdisciplinary field where some of the most exciting and progressive developments at the intersection of emergent technologies, fine art practice and media culture are currently found.
• You don’t need to know how to code to apply for this course. You'll learn the fundamentals of programming and acquire industry-ready technical skills during the degree.
• You’ll develop your creative practice incrementally on both a technical and conceptual level through technical labs, creative project studio sessions, and critical studies seminars and lectures. So you'll grow as a technical expert, but also as a critical creative thinker and innovative problem solver.
• With an emphasis on learning through doing, you will build your professional portfolio and develop a series of projects that will be exhibited publicly in exhibitions throughout the three years you study at Goldsmiths.
• During the degree you’ll be able to select specialist modules to gain practical knowledge of areas such as generative art and machine learning, physical computing, VR and immersive technology, motion capture, sound and signal processing and games engines.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Rachel Falconer.

We accept the following qualifications:

A-level: BBB
BTEC: DDM
International Baccalaureate: 33 points overall with Three HL subjects at 655
UAL Extended Diploma: Merit overall
Access: Pass with 45 Level 3 credits including 30 Distinctions and a number of merits/passes in subject-specific modules
Scottish qualifications: BBBBC (Higher) or BBC (Advanced Higher)
European Baccalaureate: 75%
Irish Leaving Certificate: H2 H2 H2 H2

Additional requirements

Portfolio

We request up to 12 items of work for portfolio – these can be images or videos of sculpture, painting, drawings, digital work or any other work that gives us an understanding of your practice.

We will request to see a portfolio then applications are forwarded to the admissions tutor for consideration. You can also email your portfolio to admissions, admissions (@gold.ac.uk), as soon as you submit your application if you wish, please ensure that you quote your UCAS personal ID or student reference number.

GCSE Maths

You should ideally have Grade B/Grade 6 or above in GCSE Maths. If your portfolio is particularly strong we may accept a slightly lower GCSE Maths grade.

Alternative qualifications and experience

See our full list of undergraduate entry qualifications.

We welcome students with a range of educational experiences. If you believe you may not meet the standard qualification requirements we would still encourage you to apply because we consider all aspects of your application when making a decision.

We’ll pay particularly careful attention to your personal statement, which is your opportunity to demonstrate your interest in the subject you’ve applied for. Your referees are also welcome to include any relevant contextual comments around your academic achievements. We’ll look at all these things when making a decision on your application, as well as your qualifications and grades, and may still be able to offer you a place.

International qualifications

We also accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 6.0 with no element lower than 5.5 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for degree-level study.

The degree is designed to prepare you for a wide range of careers in the creative industries – whether you're interested in becoming an independent digital artist, a professional in the gaming industry, a technology-led creative working in the media, or something completely different.

The explosive and ever-growing use of technology in business and commerce means that there's a whole range of different career possibilities for you.

Where do Goldsmiths computing graduates work?

Some of the recent graduate-level careers for computing alumni have included:

• Professional artist
• Curating and exhibition design
• Film/TV special effects and post-production
• Visual interface designer
• Computer graphics designer
• Video game developer
• Music production
• Multimedia systems analyst
• Media and entertainment industries
• Mobile app developer
• Web developer
• Computer music/sound engineer
• Interface designer
• Database manager

Employers include:

• Arebyte Gallery
• Nexus Studios
• Beams
• CLOT
• Off World
• Gazelli Art House
• Lumen Prize

Our graduates are also working in the following areas:

• Cultural industries
• IT consultancies
• Architecture firms
• Design studios
• Financial institutions

You can read more about possible career options after you graduate on our computing careers page.

This programme is also a pathway into Masters-level study in a variety of computing disciplines.

Skills

This degree is designed to prepare you for a career as a technology-led creative in the media industries. The programme will develop you not just as a technical expert, but also as a creative thinker, allowing you to learn and explore through a combination of technology and imagination.

Technical skills you'll develop throughout the degree will include:

• A strong understanding of how to design, develop and apply software in all areas of commerce and industry
• An awareness of the fundamentals of computing (hardware, software, architecture and operating systems)
• Professional-level programming skills and an understanding of programming languages
• Creative technology skills – from coding languages such as C++ to sound programming, immersive environments, computational art techniques, and physical computing such as 3D printing and electronics
• A clear sense of the issues involved in building and maintaining reliable software for the sophisticated demands of today's market and for the software industry as it develops throughout the 21st century
• An understanding of the social context and visual design aspects of software development together with the technical skills of programming

The degree features a large proportion of practical work in which you must deliver software projects, both individually and in groups. This mirrors as closely as possible a real-world work environment.

These projects develop your technical skills but also require you to tackle the broader aspects of the software development process, such as understanding users' needs and requirements and the design of interfaces on a number of platforms – from web pages to touchscreen phones.

You'll also gain skills in teamwork, creative thinking, problem solving, report writing, time management and organisation, presenting reasoned arguments to a range of audiences, and retrieval of information – all of which are sought by graduate employers.

We have dedicated employability resource within the department to build employer relations and manage additional initiatives to support your future career opportunities, including regular communication of external opportunities for mentoring and work experience, and an annual career week where you can access alumni panels and a range of industry talks.