Overview
Our Visual Effects, Video Game & Digital Arts BA is a hands-on, practice-based course for creatives who want to work across the full breadth of digital creation. You'll gain real-world experience in 3D production, visual effects, game design, animation and interactive digital arts. Along the way, you'll build the technical skills and creative thinking to work confidently across disciplines, combining artistic vision with an understanding of how visual experiences are generated, simulated and made responsive to audiences.
- Start your journey into a hybrid and adaptable creative career across VFX, animation, game design and interactive digital arts, on a programme that prepares you for working across film, games, advertising, immersive media and beyond.
- Get a future-focused skill set, including 3D asset creation, game environment design, real-time rendering, digital compositing, animation and visual effects.
- Career-ready experience, as you graduate with a portfolio and showreel geared toward professional roles or launching your own practice.
You can study this programme either as a full three-year BA degree or the first year only as a one-year HE Certificate.
Key skills you’ll gain
Throughout this course, you’ll build a powerful toolkit of creative, technical and collaborative skills that prepare you to work confidently across visual media industries and beyond.
- Fluency across a wide toolkit including Nuke, Maya, Houdini, TouchDesigner, Cinema 4D, ZBrush, Substance Painter and Unreal Engine, and an understanding of when each one serves the work.
- Working to professional briefs and production schedules.
- Skills in 2D and 3D modelling, texturing, animation, lighting and rendering.
- Ability to work across a wide range of visual formats—from post-production effects and animation, to environmental design for games, interactive installations and immersive VR experiences.
- Assembling a project from concept to portfolio presentation.
- A distinctive creative voice and confidence in your technical capabilities.
Get hands-on access to state-of-the-art facilities and bookable gear
Course structure
Year 1 (HE Certificate)
Get ready for a fast-paced, hands-on first year focused on breadth, collaboration and production. You'll rotate through four production studios: Animation, VFX Film, Game Design and Digital Art, spending six weeks in each and completing a project with a real brief and deliverable in every studio.
Alongside the rotations, two core courses run throughout the year: 3D Assets, which builds the technical foundation across all disciplines, and Project Development, where you research, iterate and develop your skills in critique and presentation. You'll build a digital portfolio showcasing your projects, technical skills, sketches, concepts and creative process documentation.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of Year 1, you will be able to:
- Produce work across four disciplines: animation, visual effects, game design and interactive digital art.
- Build, texture and prepare 3D assets for use across games, animation and VFX pipelines.
- Take a project from brief to finished output in each studio, working to real deadlines.
- Understand how skills and techniques transfer across different creative disciplines.
- Develop critique skills and the ability to iterate work based on feedback.
Year 2 (BA)
In your second year, the focus shifts from breadth to depth, precision and originality. You'll work across four interconnected areas: Game World Building, Character Animation, Multimedia Installation and Real-Time Visual Effects, combining disciplines into integrated hybrid production systems.
Two core courses continue throughout the year: 3D Assets II, which advances into high-resolution sculpting and procedural asset creation, and Project Development II, which moves into team-based practice. Through collaborative projects, you'll take greater ownership of your process from concept and supervision to delivery, as you explore new realities and digital-physical intersections.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of Year 2, you will be able to:
- Combine skills across game design, character animation, visual effects and interactive media in integrated production projects.
- Apply advanced techniques in 3D asset creation, motion, rendering, simulation and procedural generation.
- Design and develop real-time interactive systems, including projection mapping, generative visuals and AI-assisted production.
- Deepen your storytelling and visual narrative skills across multiple formats.
- Collaborate in team-based projects and deliver work to professional pipeline and deadline standards.
Year 3 (BA)
In your final year, you'll merge your skills, artistic voice, and professional vision into a cohesive creative identity. You'll conceptualise, plan and produce a major self-initiated project that showcases your best work, while refining your ability to collaborate, pitch and distribute within the visual effects industry. You'll choose your direction: either an ambitious hybrid project integrating multiple disciplines, or a focused specialisation developed under dedicated mentorship. This year focuses on both creative mastery and professional readiness, helping you navigate your chosen career path with confidence through close mentorship and industry engagement.
Learning Outcomes
Year 3 is your transition from student to professional creator in the world of visual storytelling. You'll consolidate your technical mastery, refine your artistic voice, and define your place within the visual effects, video game, and digital arts industries. Through advanced production, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional reflection, you'll bring your ideas to life and prepare to launch your creative career.
By the end of Year 3, you will be able to:
- Define, research, plan and produce a major artistic project from concept to launch.
- Present, pitch and distribute your work effectively within industry contexts.
- Take on a defined production role — Director, Art Director, Technical Director, Lead Artist or Production Manager — within a professional team structure.
- Collaborate across disciplines while refining your specialisation.
- Strengthen professional and interpersonal skills relevant to the visual effects field.
- Develop advanced storytelling and narrative design abilities.
Is Visual Effects, Video Game & Digital Arts for me?
This course is for you if:
- You’re excited by the storytelling power of digital media and visual effects.
- You want to refine your creative skills and develop a distinctive artistic voice.
- You’re curious about CGI, animation, gaming and the latest industry tools.
- You enjoy collaboration and hands-on learning through creative problem-solving.
- You see yourself working in film, VFX or gaming — creating work that carries your personal creative fingerprint.
Progression & careers
Graduating from this programme gives you the skills and confidence to shape your own creative path in film, gaming, advertising, animation, or immersive media. Potential roles include:
- VFX artist or supervisor
- Technical director
- Animator or motion graphics designer
- 3D modeller or environment artist
- Compositor or post-production specialist
- Generative and interactive media artist
- Creative technologist or multimedia artist
Some graduates pursue independent or freelance work, blending technical precision with artistic vision. With Berlin’s vibrant creative scene nearby, you’ll have ample opportunities to experiment, collaborate, and grow your professional network from day one.
A future-proof creative toolkit
Developing your practice goes beyond technical skills. Alongside hands-on experience with cameras, lighting, editing suites, and production workflows, you’ll build transferable skills that foster adaptability, resilience, and creative confidence:
- Critical thinking and problem-solving
- Collaboration and communication across disciplines
- Creative risk-taking and innovation
- Leadership, self-direction, and project management
These abilities prepare you to thrive in fast-changing industries shaped by technologies like AI and virtual production. You’ll leave not just with a portfolio, but with the mindset to keep evolving.
Student experience
At Catalyst, your work happens in the open. VFX students share the campus with musicians, actors, writers and filmmakers and that proximity shapes what you make. You might end a green screen session and find yourself scoring a short film with the music students, or building interactive visuals for an acting showcase.
Our extracurriculars keep you connected to the wider creative scene: Guest Sessions with visiting artists and industry professionals, collaborative showcases at events like Signals Festival and MANIFEST:IO, and the chance to pitch and screen your work publicly throughout the year.
You also have access to wellbeing support and one-to-one coaching, because sustaining a creative practice is as much about how you work as what you make.
Get comfortable sharing your work
Showcasing your work is a defining moment of the programme and a celebration of your growth, your creative voice and the professional portfolio you're building.
“As a VFX student, I was expecting to spend most of my time behind computers but the diversity of the VFX programme is beyond what I expected.”
– Savina Janssen, special effects prop maker and Visual Effects alumna
Admissions
Entry requirements
All applicants will be asked to provide: personal and educational information, documentation of their education experience, a portfolio and a personal introduction (which can be submitted as a written statement of motivation or a video/audio clip). Visit our How To Apply page for more detail.
MINIMUM ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
- Standard entry: graduation from high school at a level which would normally permit entry to university in the country where it was gained. This would be A-Levels in the UK and the Abitur in Germany, for example.
- Non-standard entry: We recognise that not all education happens in the classroom and it may be possible to admit you through a non-standard access route. If you do not possess the required formal qualification, but have acquired relevant professional or life experience, please contact our Admissions team.
If neither of the two categories above describe your situation, you'll most likely need to complete a short course to gain access to our 1 and 3-year HE degree courses.
LANGUAGE
- Language: The language of instruction in all our courses is English and applicants must demonstrate a level equal to IELTS 6 (equivalent to B2 in Germany and other EU countries). You can either submit a language certificate or can take our free 90 min online test.
For more information please contact our Admissions team and we’d be happy to discuss your opportunities to come study with us.
Course dates and application deadlines
Course start: Mid-September 2026
Applications open: Mid-October 2025
Application deadlines
Visa-required applicants
Applicants from countries requiring a visa before entering Germany:
- Priority deadline: 28 February 2026 (includes early enrolment bonus and visa support)
- General deadline: 30 April 2026 (subject to visa processing time)
EU/visa-exempt or post-arrival applicants:
Applicants from EU/EEA, Switzerland, or countries allowing visa-free entry (e.g. USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea):
- Priority deadline: 31 March 2026 (includes early enrolment bonus & guaranteed spot)
- General deadline: 5 June 2026
- Late applications: Until 28 August 2026 (subject to availability)
Priority deadlines & early enrolment bonus
Apply by the priority deadline to secure your place and receive a €3,000 discount on your total tuition.
Early enrolment gives you early access to our visa support service and allows us to plan group sizes and resources in advance.
What does “visa” or “visa-exempt” mean?
- Visa-required: If you require a visa before entering Germany (e.g. citizens of India, Brazil, Mexico, China, Turkey), you must apply at a German embassy before arrival. Our Visa Support Service (included in the enrolment fee) supports you with paperwork, appointments and timelines. Visa processing can take 3–6 months, so early application is essential.
- Post-arrival visa: If you're from a country that allows visa-free entry (e.g. USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea), you can enter Germany without a visa and apply for your student residence permit after arrival.
- Visa-exempt (EU/EEA/Switzerland): If you're a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you don't need a visa or residence permit to study in Germany.
You can check your visa requirements here.
Tuition fees - from €6,028 per semester
Payment options*
- Per semester: €6,028
- Annual payment: €11,693 per year (3% discount)
- Flexible plans: Monthly and extended payment options available
- Upfront discount: Save 8% on total tuition when paying in full
- For detailed payment plans please download the Course Guide
*Enrolment fee: €895 per study year (non-refundable, due before each academic year begins). Visa support is included as part of the enrolment fee.
Scholarships & financial support
- Eligible for BAföG and other national funding schemes you can check here.
- €6,000 scholarships available – applied across all three years (€2,000/year)
- With scholarships and extended payment plans, tuition can be reduced to as low as €733/month, spread across four years (including one year post-graduation)
Early enrolment bonus - apply early to save €3,000 off your total tuition
Early enrolment secures your place, helps us plan group sizes and facilities, and gives you more time to prepare for your move to Berlin. You’ll benefit from a €1,000 tuition reduction each year.
- Visa-required students: Apply by 28 February 2026
- EU & visa-exempt students: Apply by 31 March 2026
Note: early enrolment bonuses cannot be combined with scholarships.
Multiple-course bonus:
If you decide to enrol in both a 4-week Summer Short Course and a degree course with us in within two years, you will receive a discount of 500€ on the total tuition.
Funding opportunities
As an officially accredited higher education institute based in Berlin, Catalyst offers access to a range of national funding opportunities for eligible students, such as BAföG.
Visit our funding guide to explore the most common options available to our students, both in Germany and across Europe.
Open days, Q&As and taster workshops
Get a feel for Catalyst and our courses at a range of both online and in-person events. Join us at a Virtual Open Day or an Open House session at our campus in Berlin, chat to our programme leads at Meet The Tutor, or try a taster workshop.
Funding opportunities
As an officially accredited higher education institute based in Berlin, Catalyst offers access to a range of national funding opportunities for eligible students, including BAföG and other public financial aid schemes available across Germany and the EU.
In addition to public funding, Catalyst offers a variety of scholarships designed to support diversity, equity, and access in the creative arts. These include:
- General and school-specific scholarships across all Bachelor's and Master's programmes
- Up to €6,000 in tuition support for Bachelor’s students (spread over three years)
- Relocation support scholarships for international students moving to Berlin
To learn more about these opportunities and how to apply, visit our full Funding Your Studies guide.
Ways to connect
Whether in person or online, we can't wait to meet you!
Learn from the experts
Throughout the programme you’ll learn from industry-acclaimed experts in their field, with a passion for passing on their knowledge to others.
Your Programme Lead
Awu (Yuhua Li) is an artist, video game developer, film director and theatre producer. She expands the boundary between video games and theatre, combining them into a new and interesting form. She created the interactive video game theatre piece Virtual Collision and performed the piece with a 4D Sound System in Muffathalle in Munich. The 4D Sound System was developed by Ableton, and provided an immersive audio playback environment.
“Our tutors have really pushed us to advance our skills and techniques, as well as encouraged us to forge the pathway we think best suits our desires as artists.”
– Marlee Weinberg, Visual Effects alumna
Student work & latest stories
In the end, it’s our students’ work that counts. Take a look at a selection of recent projects and stories below.
