Diploma of

Creative Arts (Game Design)

You can complete the Diploma in just 8 months (or two trimesters) of full-time study. This accelerated format is designed to get you industry-ready with a recognised qualification quickly, making it one of the fastest ways to start your career journey in game development.

The Diploma is a concentrated, foundational course, while the Bachelor's degree provides a deeper, more comprehensive education. The Diploma is perfect for gaining essential skills quickly and serves as the first year of the Bachelor's. The degree continues on to cover more advanced concepts, complex group projects, and specialised skills required for higher-level roles.

Yes, the Diploma is a direct pathway and covers the exact same content as the first year of the Bachelor of Game Design. This means upon graduating from the Diploma, you can choose to seamlessly transition directly into the second year of the Bachelor’s degree, or exit with a valuable, standalone qualification.

This Diploma prepares you for a variety of entry-level and junior roles within the games and interactive media industry. Graduates are equipped to work as an Assistant Game Artist, QA Tester, or Level Design Assistant. It provides a strong foundation and a portfolio to help you secure your first position in a studio.

Yes, you will need a portfolio to apply for the Diploma. Our entry process is based on a creative interview where we look for your passion, creativity, and commitment as well as your portfolio. You can contact our Admissions Team to gain further information about portfolio requirements.

A portfolio essentially relates to samples of your work. If you have nice finished artwork, that’s fantastic, but not essential. What we’re looking for is that you have a drive to create things and are passionate about the field, so show us that in your portfolio. Things like sketches or drawings, notes, ideas and characters you’ve invented are all great.

Yes, the entire course is project-based, meaning you will constantly be creating and building a portfolio of your own work. You will learn to take an idea from a simple sketch to a finished digital sculpt and a basic 3D model. The focus is on hands-on learning, so you graduate with tangible proof of your skills.

You will learn to use the industry-standard software and game engines that are used in professional studios today. While specific software can evolve, our curriculum ensures you are trained on relevant tools for 3D modelling, digital sculpting, and game art creation, giving you practical experience that employers value.

The Diploma is perfect for aspiring game creators who want a fast-tracked, practical entry into the industry. It's ideal for high school graduates who want to start their career journey, or for anyone looking to formalise their passion for gaming into a foundational, industry-recognised qualification without committing to a full two-year degree upfront.

Yes. We offer multiple pathways into the course regardless of your current drawing abilities and art is one of these pathways. If you don’t feel all too comfortable drawing, we offer pathways in technical and conceptual skills.

Yes, eligible Australian students can access FEE-HELP to fund their tuition for the Diploma of Creative Arts (Game Design). This government loan scheme allows you to start studying without paying upfront fees, and you only begin to repay the loan once you are earning above the minimum income threshold.

It’s your compulsion to create, tell stories and discover new forms of play that we’re really looking for, and we teach the course from beginner level up so you’re in good hands.

The Game course is primarily focused on art and design, but we recognise that a familiarity with scripting and programming is a key part of the skillset of a game artist, and you will certainly learn skills in those areas as well.

The emphasis is on understanding the theory behind games, designing interesting challenges, mechanics, concepts and stories, and creating the art and assets for those concepts. You would be studying a mix of art and design, software and programming skills, and theoretical concepts.

Yes. The JMC Academy is registered and regulated by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) which is Australia’s independent national regulator of the higher education sector, both public and private.

No, our courses are hands on and practical. Students are required to attend classes to receive ongoing mentorship, learn new skills and work with the equipment provided. We do encourage our students to use online study resources, however our courses would not be as immersive as they are without the practical component.

While the availability of internships and work placements depends on the individual companies and studios in the industry, we have strong relationships with many practising game designers and game studios. As a result of these connections there is the potential for you to experience internships and placements, studio visits, talks and workshops by industry practitioners, and assessment feedback opportunities from industry people during dedicated 'speed networking' nights. Where practical, interviews will be arranged for individual graduating students with companies seeking to recruit new talent.

JMC Academy is broadly recognised and accredited:

• Registered Higher Education Provider.
• Accredited by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA)
• Registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).
• Regulated by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA).
• Member of the Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA).
• Nationally recognised within the Australian Qualifications Framework.

Our strong industry links also ensure that JMC Academy qualifications are recognised within the creative industries.