What is it about?
Important: Applications for the admissions process for the 27/28 winter semester will be accepted until April 30, 2027.
Learn more about the aptitude test here(Opens in a new tab) .
Learn more about portfolio reviews here(Opens in a new tab) .
Learning through play—a dream for everyone. Serious Games: Education Becomes an Adventure
Profile of the study program
The Bachelor's degree program "Serious Games and Digital Knowledge" is a highly innovative, interdisciplinary and bilingual (German / English) Bachelor's degree program at the Faculties of Design, Computer Science and Business Studies. It covers a broad, practice- and application-oriented and professionally qualifying range of skills in all relevant areas of serious games, gamification and digital knowledge and skills transfer. The study program provides students with comprehensive skills in the disciplines of Game Design, User Experience Design, User Interface Design, Digital Storytelling, Media Education & Didactics, Game Studies, Computer Science and Business Studies. You can study this Bachelor's degree in German or English, which you choose at the beginning of your studies.
Communicating knowledge digitally
Insight and knowledge are everywhere, but how are they communicated? The future of learning and education will be largely digital. Employers train their employees with VR goggles on new machines before they are purchased, senior citizens train their fitness on game consoles and medical students simulate operations in the digital operating theater ... all these applications have one thing in common: in addition to playful aspects, they also convey content (knowledge, skills), generate attention for relevant topics or have a therapeutic benefit.
Serious games are games whose main objective is not just fun and entertainment, but learning or practicing a skill or competence. Their use has increased significantly, particularly in areas such as education and training, personnel development, science and health. Serious games can pursue a wide variety of objectives: From training firefighters in emergency situations, to training a sales team, to teaching math or practicing a language. In order to ensure that players are so absorbed by the game that they do not realize that they are actually learning, the following is required: The game mechanics and story must be exciting and catchy. This requires a suitable didactic concept, a deep understanding of the content to be conveyed and technical know-how.
Dynamic change through digitalization
Digitalization is changing our society in the long term. Graduates of the "Serious Games & Digital Knowledge" BA study program can actively shape this process. They learn to analyze complex contexts, prepare them didactically and develop creative, technical and strategic concepts for knowledge transfer. Their skills range from conception, programming and user experience design to media pedagogy and didactics. They are the interface between knowledge (knowledge, skills) and its digital transfer.
Professional qualification through application-oriented project work
The course is geared towards current requirements in the professional world. You will acquire all the basic theoretical, methodological and practical skills you need to develop serious games. At the end of your studies, you will be able to convey content from a wide range of contexts, from art and culture to science, business studies and ecology, in digital and analog form in a playful way.
Structure of the study program
The seven-semester course consists mainly of application-related project work, flanked by theory and science modules. Practical tasks ensure a sound professional qualification. You will carry out projects within the university or work on cooperation projects with institutions and companies outside the university. The entire course is geared towards cooperation, communicative processes and national and international exchange. The exchange with the other Bachelor's study programs in the Faculty of Design - Communication Design, Film & Sound, Photography, Object & Spatial Design - is also an integral part of the course.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), which offers many different employment opportunities
After successfully completing your studies, you will be awarded the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree, which qualifies you for a career.
Course of study
This is a thematic overview of the course content. Detailed information on the exact names of the courses, information on ECTS or semester hours per week can be found in the examination regulations and in the module handbook.
| 1st semester |
Game Design I Interactive Storytelling |
Concept Art I Design Foundations / 2D |
Technology I Introduction to Computer Science |
Technology II Programming Fundamentals |
SK Science Introduction to scientific writing |
| 2nd semester |
Interaction Design & User Experience UX Design |
Concept Art II Design Foundations / 3D |
Technology III Computer Architectures and Graphics |
Science I Media Education I Game Studies I Design Theory |
Key competence I General Business Administration |
| 3rd semester |
Game Design II Game Design |
Game Back-End & Netco., |
ZK Game Game Programming |
Science II Media Education II Game Studies II |
Key Competence II Entrepreneurship |
| 4th semester |
Game Design III Level Design |
Game Game Project, AI |
ZK Game Game Engines, Coding & Prototyping |
Key competence III Project Management Media law / copyright |
|
| 5th semester |
Game Design IV Game Balanching |
Game Game Project, Multimedia, AR & VR |
Interdisciplinary project work |
Science III Media Education III Game Studies III |
|
| 6th semester |
Game Design V Game Experience Design |
Game Project 1. serious games project, 2. case studies |
Project work Game Project |
Science IV Media Education IV Game Studies IV |
|
| 7th semester | Bachelor project supervision | Thesis & colloquium | Key competence IV Business start-up |
Why study at Fachhochschule Dortmund?
What makes Fachhochschule Dortmund special? What should you know about the city and the region? How is Fachhochschule Dortmund positioned in terms of internationality and what counseling and support do we offer you? Find out more about Fachhochschule Dortmund.
Who is it for?
Desirable subject-specific and interdisciplinary knowledge
The "Serious Games & Digital Knowledge" study program is particularly appealing to prospective students who have a strong interest in digital innovation and education. The study program will suit you if you are creative, if you enjoy digital games and knowledge transfer - but can also think analytically and in a structured way. In the practical part of the course, you will learn game design, programming, 2D and 3D art, UI & UX design and project management. In the theoretical part of the course, you will deal with teaching and learning methods, media theory and game studies.
If you want to combine your creative vision with technical expertise and shape the future of digital education and knowledge transfer, this study program is perfect for you.
Prospects after graduation
Career prospects
After completing the "Serious Games & Digital Knowledge" degree course, you will have a wide range of career prospects. During the well-founded and practical training in German and English, you will acquire important key qualifications and a meaningful portfolio with which you can get started in the following sectors, for example:
- Design and development of educational applications
- Serious games studios
- Educational and research institutions
- Schools and universities
- Media and communication agencies
- Management consultancies for digital innovations
- Games publishers and other publishers
- Authorities and the public sector
- Human resources development for large companies
Master programs
Information and counseling on the transition from university to work
Stay abroad possible during your studies
What do I need?
1. qualification / certificates and degrees
The qualification for studying at universities of applied sciences is proven by the certificate of the university of applied sciences entrance qualification or a previous education recognized as equivalent.
Here you will find a detailed description of the various recognized qualifications.
2. relevant practical activity / pre-study internship
For applicants who have obtained the qualification for the degree program through the certificate of the university of applied sciences entrance qualification from a higher secondary vocational school for design, the practical activity (internship) is considered as proven.
Applicants who have acquired the qualification for the degree program in another way must complete a relevant practical activity of 210 hours in a field close to the design sector of Serious Games & Digital Knowledge, e.g. in professional fields of digital education and training, game design, as well as related fields such as eSports and virtual/augmented reality applications, in editorial offices, publishing houses and educational institutions.
The relevant practical activity is deemed to have been completed through a completed apprenticeship (artistic-creative or in the IT sector or in the games industry) or through a six-month relevant internship or a one-year guided internship completed in the artistic-creative or IT sector or in the games industry.
At least half of the internship must be proven at the time of enrollment. The missing part of the internship should be completed at the earliest possible date. Proof of the entire internship is a prerequisite for admission to the Bachelor's thesis.
3. suitability assessment
Admission to the assessment procedure for the course-related artistic and design aptitude requires registration. This application must be made online on the website of the Faculty of Design. The corresponding dates and deadlines are communicated on the faculty's homepage(Opens in a new tab) .
Applicants will be invited to the assessment procedure by e-mail after the registration deadline and will be informed of the topics of the assignments or the submission of work samples.
The examination board responsible for determining the artistic and creative aptitude for the degree program will review this "portfolio" in the absence of the applicant and decide unanimously on aptitude.
If the artistic and creative aptitude of the applicant for the study program can already be clearly determined after the first stage of the procedure, it will be awarded without participation in the second stage of the procedure.
Tip: Visit the faculty's portfolio advisory service! All questions about the degree program and the portfolio will be discussed individually. A portfolio consultation will definitely help you to find out whether you are a good fit for this study program.
The Faculty of Design will inform applicants of the committee's decision on the results of the procedure by email. The results are communicated as passed or failed. They must be accompanied by information on legal remedies.
If they have passed, applicants are awarded the course-related artistic and creative aptitude. If the artistic and creative aptitude for the study program has been finally determined, the aptitude is generally valid for the three enrollment dates following the determination.
Applicants whose artistic-creative aptitude has not been established may participate in the assessment procedure again at the earliest on the following year's date.
Students who have already achieved 30 credit points (CP) in a related design course at another university can be exempted from participating in the course-related artistic and creative aptitude assessment upon application.
The application must be submitted to the Chairperson of the Examination Board. Officially certified copies of the transcript of records must be submitted to the chairperson of the examination board as proof of academic achievements.
4. linguistic focus
The Bachelor's degree program in Serious Games & Digital Knowledge is offered with the language focus "predominantly German-language focus" and "predominantly English-language focus". Applicants must decide on a language focus at the time of application and provide evidence of the following language levels according to the desired language focus of the study program:
(a) predominantly German language focus:
For the Bachelor's degree program Serious Games & Digital Knowledge with the language focus "predominantly German-language focus", applicants must provide proof of sufficient command of the German language. Applicants who have not obtained their higher education entrance qualification or their higher education degree at a German-speaking institution must provide proof of this by taking the language examinations (C1) regulated in Section 4 of the Regulations on the Admission of Foreign and Stateless Applicants to Fachhochschule Dortmund.
b) Mainly English-language focus:
For the Bachelor's degree program Serious Games & Digital Knowledge with the language focus "predominantly English-language focus", applicants must provide proof of sufficient command of the English language. Proof of proficiency in English is determined ex officio if the applicant can provide evidence of one of the following qualifications:
ba) Certificate with FH entrance qualification and an assessment or grade in English of at least "sufficient" (4.0) according to level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) or
bb) Cambridge B2 First Certificate or
bc) TOEFL ITP with at least 543 points or 72 points in the TOEFL-iBT or
bd) IELTS, Academic level with at least 5.5 average points or
be) TOEIC, Listening & Reading with at least 785 points and Speaking & Writing with at least 310 points.
In cases of doubt, the examination board will decide.
5. register now!
The study program starts annually in the winter semester and is admission-free.
However, enrolment for the study program is only possible after recognition of aptitude and fulfilment of the other admission requirements
Who can help me?
Counseling on the study program
Prof. Daniel Heßler, Dipl.-Dramaturg Univ.
By appointment by mail
Prof. Jennifer Tiede, Dr.
Tuesdays 2 - 3 p.m. and on request.
Central Student Advisory Services (ZSB)
Student advisory service
Contact with students
Admissions Office for Student Affairs
Registration office team
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