International Programmes 2024/2025

Digital Games (Master of Arts) Digital Games (MA)

Technische Hochschule Köln (University of Applied Sciences) • Köln

Degree
Master of Arts in Digital Games
Teaching language
  • English
Languages

Courses are held in English (100%). Participants have the opportunity to join a free German course offered by the Language Learning Center of TH Köln.

Full-time / part-time
  • full-time
Programme duration
3 semesters
Beginning
Winter semester
Application deadline

Please check the "How to Apply" section of the individual TH Köln programme websites for current application deadlines.
http://www.th-koeln.de/programs

Further information can be found here: https://colognegamelab.de/study-programs/post-graduate-programs/digital-games-ma/application/.

Tuition fees per semester in EUR
None
Combined Master's degree / PhD programme
No
Joint degree / double degree programme
No
Description/content

The postgraduate programme is aimed primarily at graduates of a thematically relevant Bachelor’s programme in subjects such as Game Arts, Game Design or Game Programming. Within the framework of this Master’s programme, they are given the opportunity to continue their own artistic and scientific work at a postgraduate level through an in-depth study of the development and scientific analysis of digital games.

The programme is characterised by its specific interweaving of artistic and scientific teaching and, as a consequence, by a close connection between research and application. The aim is to specialise in two of the three subject areas – “Game Arts”, “Game Design” and “Game Programming” – as well as to develop artistic-scientific action and reflection skills. The joint teaching and cooperation of students of the above-mentioned study focuses enables the further education of a holistic “game literacy” as well as the ability for interdisciplinary collaboration in project work. Above all, the programme allows students to pursue a research and development project over the course of the whole study programme (45 ECTS in total).

Course organisation

Contents

  • Work on a personal or group project (semesters one to three)
  • Game Arts (semesters one and two)
  • Game Design (semesters one and two)
  • Game Programming (semesters one and two)
  • Media & Game Studies (semesters one and two)
  • Economics & Entrepreneurship (semesters one and two)
  • Teaching & Research Practice

Approach

  • Focus on both academic theory and professional practice
  • Project-oriented learning
  • Transdisciplinary collaboration
A Diploma supplement will be issued
Yes
International elements
  • Language training provided
  • International guest lecturers
Course-specific, integrated German language courses
No
Course-specific, integrated English language courses
No
Tuition fees per semester in EUR
None
Semester contribution

Approx. 305 EUR per semester

Included in the semester fee is the semester ticket for public transport for the whole of Germany.

Costs of living

The cost of living for your stay largely depends on your personal needs. When planning your stay, you should calculate monthly costs of approx. 1,000 EUR.

Funding opportunities within the university
Yes
Description of the above-mentioned funding opportunities within the university

International students are eligible to apply for the "Deutschlandstipendium". The scholarship holders receive approx. 300 EUR per month for the duration of one year.

Academic admission requirements

Entry Requirements:

Completed university studies

The prerequisite for admission is a university degree with at least a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Sciences degree in Digital Games as well as in comparable subject areas such as Game Arts, Game Design, or Game Programming.

Graduates of only six-semester Bachelor’s programmes are required to make up for the missing performance points (usually 30 ECTS) at the end of the seven-semester BA degree during the course of their studies, or to compensate for the performance already achieved in other practical or university contexts. Individual agreements are made with the students at the beginning of their studies. It is conceivable to attend and complete modules of the Bachelor’s degree programme in “Digital Games” as well as the recognition of academic achievements in third degree programmes and of internships and professional activities, provided that they can be compared with the “Exchange & Practice” module of the Bachelor’s degree programme in “Digital Games”. The examination board decides on the individual agreements as well as the recognition of achievements already made (such as internships or professional activities).

In addition to a corresponding degree, proof of special aptitude for the MA programme in “Digital Games” and a command of the English language in spoken and written form are required. During the course of the application phase, the admission board tests the applicant’s English language skills.

More information can be found here: https://colognegamelab.de/study-programs/post-graduate-programs/digital-games-ma/application/.

Language requirements

The language of instruction is English. Applicants must prove excellent English language proficiency in the programme-related aptitude test. Therefore, an additional official certificate, e.g. TOEFL, IELTS, is not required for admittance to the programme.

Knowledge of the German language is not required.

Application deadline

Please check the "How to Apply" section of the individual TH Köln programme websites for current application deadlines.
http://www.th-koeln.de/programs

Further information can be found here: https://colognegamelab.de/study-programs/post-graduate-programs/digital-games-ma/application/.

Submit application to

If you are a prospective international student, the way to apply is determined by your citizenship, your desired degree programme and your previous academic qualifications.

Further information on how to apply: https://www.th-koeln.de/howtoapply

Possibility of finding part-time employment

Taking on a part-time job while studying has lots of benefits. Students can earn some extra money and gain valuable professional experience, and they might even take a first step up on the career ladder. Gaining a first insight into the German corporate world is especially beneficial for international students.
Many students partially fund their studies at TH Köln by taking on a part-time job in or outside the university.

Accommodation

Being Germany's fourth largest city, Cologne is a highly attractive place to live. The increasing influx of people can make the search for adequate accommodation quite difficult. Dozens of apartment hunters often compete for one single apartment. This is why we strongly recommend that you start looking for a place to live as soon as possible.

Cologne's most convenient and economical housing option is often a student dormitory. A public student services association called "Kölner Studierendenwerk" (KSTW) operates 88 student dorms offering roughly 4,800 rooms. The seemingly large number of dorm rooms is misleading; as the dormitories are open to the roughly 90,000 students enrolled at all Cologne universities, they are in extremely high demand. Please be aware that TH Köln does not allocate the rooms in these dorms. Please apply directly to the KSTW: https://www.kstw.de/wohnen. You do not yet need a letter of admission in order to apply.

The fierce competition on the private housing market has resulted in above-market rents – particularly in proximity of the city centre. We therefore encourage you to be flexible. Try to look for apartments outside the centre or share an apartment – and the cost of rent – with other students.

www.th-koeln.de/accommodation

Support for international students and doctoral candidates
  • Welcome event
  • Buddy programme
  • Tutors
  • Accompanying programme
  • Cultural and linguistic preparation
  • Visa matters

Technische Hochschule Köln (University of Applied Sciences)

Content Bild
Main building, Südstadt Campus, TH Köln © TH Köln

Technische Hochschule Köln – abbreviated as TH Köln – University of Applied Sciences – sees itself as a university of technology, arts, and sciences. With its disciplinary and cultural diversity and openness, TH Köln's activities are aimed at cultural and technological breakthroughs of high societal relevance. Thus, TH Köln contributes substantially to resolving social challenges. As a community of faculty and students, we see ourselves as a learning organisation forging new paths. For instance, TH Köln is one of the pioneers in the field of development and formation of concepts for higher education didactics.

Our subject range includes the fields of applied natural sciences, architecture and construction, information and communication, computer science, engineering, culture and society, and social sciences as well as business studies. More than 100 degree programmes are offered as full-time programmes or, in some cases, as career-integrated or part-time programmes. As a place where research-based learning and academic education take place, the university nurtures prospective scholars through cooperative dissertations. Annually, more than 5,000 students take up their studies at TH Köln. Overall, 23,500 students from about 120 different countries along with 430 professors and 2,000 staff members apply their potential.

Research mainly focuses on future-related issues, including climate change, energy supply, health, and food safety as well as demographic changes. While developing solution strategies for the most important questions of our time, researchers offer their professional expertise in interdisciplinary interaction. At the same time, they collaborate closely with local, national, and international cooperation partners, including 350 international institutions of higher education. The university offers its researchers an attractive sphere of activity. The quality seal "HR Excellence in Research" awarded by the European Commission certifies that TH Köln meets international standards in the field of human resources development.
TH Köln’s campuses are located in Cologne, Gummersbach, and Leverkusen.

23,500 Number of students
4,000 Number of international students

University location

Its metropolitan vibe, diverse student scene and a cityscape abounding with cultural and historical treasures make Cologne one of Europe's prime university cities. Cologne's origins date back to the Roman Empire more than 2,000 years ago. Today, Cologne is Germany's fourth largest city with a population of just over one million and has evolved as an economic and cultural metropolis at the heart of Europe. The city's characteristic landmark and source of pride for every inhabitant is without a doubt the magnificent Cologne Cathedral, locally known as the "Kölner Dom". Towering over the quaint Old Town of Cologne at 156 metres, this masterpiece of Gothic architecture is the world's third-highest cathedral and attracts around six million visitors a year, making it Germany's most popular tourist attraction. Visitors from all over the world are bound to feel at home immediately, as Cologne is a true melting pot of cultures. Close to one-fifth of its inhabitants have an international background. Cologne's economy is characterised by its amalgamation of different industries and trades. Home to the country's most influential television and radio stations, Cologne is unquestionably Germany's media capital and host to some of the continent's biggest trade fairs. Quite a few of the world's most renowned enterprises call the metropolitan region their home, in particular, corporations operating in the automobile industry, biotechnology and life sciences, chemicals and pharmaceuticals as well as commerce and banking.

Please note that TH Köln also has two remote campuses outside Cologne, which are located in the towns of Gummersbach and Leverkusen.

Gummersbach is a town with 50,000 inhabitants located 55 km east of Cologne, surrounded by a hilly landscape which is a recreational area for residents from Cologne and other cities nearby. The campus can be reached in a few minutes from Gummersbach train station. A train ride to Cologne, which is the largest city in the region, takes one hour and ten minutes and will be covered by the semester ticket, which is included in the semester fee. Students will be able to find affordable accommodation in Gummersbach and focus on their studies in the great environment of a modern campus.

The Leverkusen campus is located 15 km north of Cologne in the Neue Bahnstadt Opladen and was opened in 2022. It is close to the CHEMPARK in Leverkusen, which is one of the largest chemical parks in Europe. Global players from the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, such as Bayer and LANXESS, are located there. With 160,000 inhabitants, Leverkusen is a smaller industrial city that has plenty of opportunities for relaxation, thanks to its location in the foothills of the Bergisches Land region. In Leverkusen, you can find urban buzz and village-like tranquillity in close proximity. The campus can also be reached with TH Köln's semester ticket.

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