From programming to storytelling, our degree provides you with hands-on experience with the latest technologies.
Year of entry: 2026/27
Show year of entry: 2025
WG24
Y50
3 years full-time (plus optional placement year)
Book your place for our Open Days on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 September 2025.
Our Interactive Media BSc combines programming and engineering, design and art, and media and cultural studies.
Tailor your degree with option modules that align with your interests and career goals. Whether you're interested in VR, AR, games, 3D environments, UX/UI design, web apps, or interactive stories, we’ll give you the skills to create and innovate with digital technologies. Combine practical work with theory and explore the societal impact of interactive media. Understand how user experience drives innovation. Apply it to your own creations in exceptional facilities.
You don't need a background in coding or digital design. We'll teach you everything you need to know. You'll learn to develop interactive projects from concept to completion, combining programming, design principles, and media theory. If you do have experience in coding or digital design, you will still have plenty of opportunities to stretch your skills.
Gain industry connections and prepare for your career. Our project-based assessments mean you'll graduate with a portfolio that showcases your skills and creativity. We have regular masterclasses with people working in the industry and our annual Interactive Media Showcase displays students’ projects to visiting professionals. You’ll also have access to careers support from our in-house employability team and could choose a year in industry.
Our graduates go on to careers in game design, software development, creative agencies, digital marketing, and across the digital sector.
Optional year in industry - a great opportunity to apply your academic learning to a real-life business.
There are opportunities for you to spend time abroad during your course:
There are opportunities to spend time in industry as part of this course.
You'll learn the fundamental principles of software programming for media systems, how to create audio and visual assets and the nature of interactive storytelling. You'll explore the historical development and social and cultural impact of interactive digital media, ranging from video games to social networks and the Internet of Things.
You'll develop digital media programming and production skills, solve problems with computers using algorithmic abstractions and computational models, and turn your ideas into prototypes. You'll take on a creative project idea of your choice, and advance your ability to critically analyse interactive media systems.
In addition to the above you will also need to complete our online Academic Integrity module.
This module covers some of the essential skills and knowledge which will help you to study independently and produce work of a high academic standard which is vital for success at York.
This module will:
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
Every course at York has been designed to provide clear and ambitious learning outcomes. These learning outcomes give you an understanding of what you will be able to do at the end of the course. We develop each course by designing modules that grow your abilities towards the learning outcomes and help you to explain what you can offer to employers. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
Also a member of the Creative Cities network. From digital innovation to media arts, York is a meeting point for creativity and ideas.
Learn to create 3D virtual worlds, tell stories, create experiences
Study theory and practice, programming and engineering, design and art, media and cultural studies
| UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|
| £9,535 | £25,800 |
These fees are for students starting in the 2025/26 academic year. Undergraduate fees for 2026/27 will be confirmed later in the year.
The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.
For more information about tuition fees, any reduced fees for study abroad and work placement years, scholarships, tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and living costs see undergraduate fees and funding.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2026/27 throughout the year.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
Just four UK universities are rated Gold for teaching and top ten for research* in the latest national assessment exercises.
* Awarded joint 10th in the Times Higher Education ranking of the Research Excellence Framework 2021.
You’ll study and learn with academics who are active researchers, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
York's BSc in Interactive Media is taught by academics at the forefront of research that also have hands-on industry experience. You'll learn through a mixture of lectures, small-group seminars, practicals, one-to-one tutorials and masterclasses with visiting industry leaders.
In your first year, you can expect:
| Lectures | 4-5 hours per week |
|---|---|
| Seminars | 2 hours per week |
| Practicals | 124 hours total |
| Film Screening | 0-2 hours per week |
These figures are representative of a typical week. Your contact hours will vary throughout the year due to your module choices, non-compulsory classes, exam periods and changes to scheduled activities.
Outside your timetabled hours, you'll study independently. This may include preparation for classes, follow-up work, wider reading, practice completion of assessment tasks, or revision.
In the UK, full-time students are expected to spend 1,200 hours a year learning. That's about 40 hours of classes and independent study each week during semesters. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours you spend on independent study will be different to other students on your course.
You will be based in the School of Arts & Creative Technologies on Campus East.
Most of your contact hours will be in the School with some additional teaching on Campus East.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can use the fast and frequent bus service. Take a campus tour.
You'll complete a variety of written and practical assignments, including: interactive prototypes, computer programs, group project, written essays, technical reports and exams.
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You'll graduate with the skills for roles such as web/AR/VR development, user interface and experience design, games design and development, project management, digital content production and marketing, and further academic research. Employers of our graduates include EON Reality, Scott Logic, Netsells, the Open Data Institute, Amazon, CGI, Whitbread, Fortitude Games and MOB Digital Marketing and Rockstar Games.
Studying Interactive Media was one of the main reasons I got my placement - the combination of technical skills and creative thinking was exactly what they were looking for. University definitely helped with my organisation and communication skills, and I have also used and built upon my practical knowledge of creative programming, UX design and even games development.Rebecca, BSc Interactive Media
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| A levels | ABB |
| Access to Higher Education Diploma | 30 credits at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher |
| BTEC National Extended Diploma | DDM |
| European Baccalaureate | 75% overall |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points |
| T levels | We will consider a range of T Level qualifications for entry. Please visit our dedicated T Levels page for a full list of accepted T Levels. |
| Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers | Scottish Highers - ABBBB
Advanced Highers - not required for entry
We may also be able to consider three Advanced Highers or a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers, where an applicant does not meet the grade requirement through Highers alone. Please contact us to discuss your qualifications. |
| International foundation programme | Foundation Certificate from our International Pathway College or an appropriate alternative. |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
Meeting the following additional criteria may qualify you for an alternative offer.
| Criteria | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Widening participation | If you successfully complete one of the following programmes, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to two A level grades (or equivalent) below our typical offer: Black Access Programme, Next Step York, Realising Opportunities. More about widening participation. |
| Contextual offer | BBB |
| EPQ | If you achieve C or higher at EPQ, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer. |
| Core Maths | If you achieve B or higher in Core Maths, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer. |
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Minimum requirement | |
|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component |
| IB English | A score of 4 in English A or 5 in English B (Higher Level or Standard Level) |
| Cambridge CEFR | 176, with a minimum of 169 in each component |
| Oxford ELLT | 7, with a minimum of 6 in each component |
| Oxford Test of English Advanced | 136, with a minimum of 126 in each component |
| Duolingo | Integrated subscores: 120 overall, with a minimum of 105 in each component |
| GCSE/IGCSE/O level English Language (as a first or second language) | Grade C / Grade 4 |
| LanguageCert SELT | B2 with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert Academic | B2 with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component |
| Kaplan Test of English Language | 478 Main Flight score with 444 in each component |
| Skills for English | B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component |
| PTE Academic | 61, with a minimum of 55 in each component |
| TOEFL | 87 overall, with a minimum of 21 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all components |
| Other English language qualifications | We also accept other English Language qualifications, including various school-leaving certificates. |
For more information see our undergraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
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