Game Art & Design - Clonmel

September 2026

MATURE APPLICATIONS All EU nationals aged 23 or over on 1st January in the year of application are classified as ‘mature applicants’. The closing date for receipt of applications for consideration in this category is 1st February in the year of entry. Late applications will be considered for courses which do not require additional assessment. On an exceptional basis e.g. the quota remains unfilled, late applications may be considered for other courses.

Trade Qualifications
A trade applicant, seeking admission to the first year of a course, should do so through the CAO. Such application may be on the basis of National Craft Certificate, Senior Trades or Advanced Tourism Certification Board (NTCB)/QQI qualifications, instead of, or in addition to, Leaving Certificate results. TUS welcomes applications from such candidates. Possession of these awards at advanced level normally qualifies an applicant for entry to TUS.

Other Qualifications
Applicants with qualifications other than those listed above (including EU and overseas qualifications) should apply in the usual way, giving full details of their qualifications/application category on their application.

HEAR

DARE

RPL

Student Finance

At Limerick School of Art & Design (LSAD) we celebrate creativity. Our wide range of courses, specialising in everything from fine art, design to digital content creation, are intended to empower creativity in all its forms and produce valued sought-after graduates. Some of our courses ask you, the prospective student, to submit a portfolio of work so that we can reward your creativity, and you can showcase your passions and skills. Your portfolio of work is all about you and can contain creative content from your school or personal life.

The following courses require applicants to successfully complete a Portfolio for assessment prior to entry:

• US800 First Year Art and Design (Common Entry)
• US801 Art and Design Teacher Education
• US805 / US701 Digital Animation
• US806 / US706 Game Art and Design
• US810 / US707 Visual Effects for Film TV and Animation
• US811 Interior Design

Digital Portfolio
Applicants will be required to submit their portfolio online. A Digital Portfolio is a digital representation of your creative skills, abilities, interests, and personality. It can include photographs and videos of your physical work, such as, painting, sculptures and fashion items; as well as files containing your digital work, such as, digital art, images, photography, 3D models, designs, videos and animation. Your digital portfolio can also include videos of notebooks containing research, sketches, and exploratory work.

For applicants that include an LSAD course requiring an online portfolio submission on their CAO application, TUS will send applicants an invitation to submit a digital portfolio online (approximately mid to late February) where you can easily upload your images, digital files or videos and answer a few simple questions about your interests and what you included.

The portfolio is scored out of 600 with a minimum score of 240 required to pass, all those who are successful at this stage will be considered for entry. As the number of applicants who are successful after the Portfolio Assessment may be greater than the number of places available, the system of final selection is carried out on the basis of combined points. The portfolio score is added to the Leaving Certificate score (or international equivalent) to rank applicants for the available places.

PORTFOLIO OPEN DAY
LSAD, Clare Street, Limerick 15th January 2026

Entry 2026

Early online application (discounted): Fee €35 Closing Date: 20 January 2026 at 5pm

Normal online application: Fee €50 Closing Date: 1 February 2026 at 5pm

Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2026 CAO Handbook): Fee: €65 Closing Date: 1 May 2026 at 5pm

Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2026 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2026 at 5pm

Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.

LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2026. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2026, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2026 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2026 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €65 applies.

Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2026 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:

General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices

Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course

Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants

Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR

What is this course about?
The degree in Game Art and Design targets the creative needs of the games industry by producing graduates who can develop high quality game content, design game levels and work with industry leading content creation tools, scripting languages and game engines. In addition to developing students’ artistic skills, students on the course will acquire the skills to produce compelling game content for various gaming applications and platforms.

The course is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills required to work in the games industry as games artists, content creators and designers. The course embodies the multidisciplinary nature of the games sector and seeks to address the demand for game art and design skills both nationally and internationally. A Work Placement in Year 3 and optional industry-based internship in Year 4 allow students to gain valuable industry work experience. Graduates of this course possess a well-developed understanding of both the creative and technical processes involved in producing game content.

Why study this course?
This course is suited to individuals with an artistic ability who wish to work in the games and related sectors, as digital artists, content creators and designers by combining their artistic creativity with technical know-how. Students will take lectures with industry professionals from leading game development and animation companies, gain valuable work experience in game studios, create industry standard game content and collaborate with professionals.

Modules at a Glance:
There are five main streams of study: Game Design, you will learn the fundamentals of Game design and what motivates players to engage with compelling games. Including level design, level creation, game mechanics, features and systems. 3D Asset Creation for real time, you will learn how to create compelling and immersive interactive game worlds, characters and creatures. Coding, you will learn how to code in the creative context of creating your own games. Building up from simple examples you will learn how to create complex interactions within the games you design. Game Production, working on solo and team projects you will design and develop your own 2D and 3D games. Transversal Skills is where we concentrate upon personal, professional and portfolio development.

Paul Keating
Email: Paul.Keating@tus.ie

TUS Global Students