BA in Concept Art_
Design the characters, worlds and assets that power films, games and animations
Length of course: 3 Years (too long? Get it done in 1 year!)
Course Starts: 16 February 2026
Location: Cape Town
Delivery: On‑Campus and Virtual – we offer dual‑delivery options and live stream every class
Class size: small cohort / studio pods
NQF Level: 7
Early Bird Offer: Save R10,500 on Tuition!
Apply before 15 July and pay just R82,000 (instead of R92,500) when you settle in full by 31 July 2025.
Where Creativity Becomes Reality
Step into our world, where imagination meets industry. Our BA in Concept Art is designed for aspiring artists who want to shape the visuals behind films, games, and digital media on a global stage. Over three years of study, you’ll develop a strong foundation in drawing, design, and storytelling, while mastering industry-standard tools and techniques used by leading studios.
Through a mix of studio practice, professional projects, and guidance from experienced mentors, you’ll build a portfolio that showcases both creativity and technical excellence. The program emphasizes innovation, adaptability, and higher-level thinking, preparing you to thrive in the fast-paced world of entertainment design.
By graduation, you won’t just have a degree, you’ll have the skills, confidence, and professional network to launch an exciting career in concept art anywhere in the world. Embark on a journey with us, enhancing your skills, knowledge and techniques, and launch your dream career in the entertainment industry.
What will you learn? _
You will gain mastery over the fundamentals that allow you to execute digital designs and bring imaginative projects to life. Learn how to execute correct perspective and human anatomy, hone your visual library and drawing skills, and learn how to navigate the digital painting medium with confidence. Once you know the basics, level up and bring 3D tools like Blender into the mix to speed up your processes.
A good design isn’t just a pretty picture; it must serve a purpose and fulfill its function. Learn how to use principles of practicality and ergonomics to design assets and vehicles, convey a character or creature’s personality through shape language and colour theory, and create environments that set the scene and mood for any story to take place in. Then, bring it all together in a campaign that showcases all these disciplines against the backdrop of your own worldbuilding and story concepts.
To go from pretty picture to functional design – artists need to research! Unlock a hunger for knowledge and learn about all the real-world things that can influence, inspire and make your designs ‘work’. Costume, architecture, biology, mechanics... concept artists need to know a little bit about everything, and we guide you in expanding that knowledge base! Research historical events to inspire your worldbuilding, rationalise and explain your designs in interpretable ways, and generally build essential critical thinking and communication skills that will benefit you for the rest of your life.
Every assignment you do at ADA will prepare you in some small or large way for a career. With briefs tailored to industry expectations, realistic but fast-paced deadlines, overlapping assignments and directed feedback sessions with your lecturers, you will learn to accept and implement critique, manage your time like a pro, and get the job done. All this builds to the 3rd year industry internships, where you get to experience hands-on what it is like to be a concept artist for a studio, so nothing will take you by surprise once you land that big job.
Year-by-year breakdown_
Drawing fundamentals, anatomy, perspective, digital painting, visual storytelling, and intro to 2D/3D workflows, use it all do design it all. You’ll do characters, creatures, assets, structures, vehicles and environments in a range of styles for a range of industries.
Level up your fundamentals, improve your theory knowledge and research abilities, and get faster at what you do. You hone your skills to suit an industry, film, game or animation, and hone your portfolio to target specific styles of design.
Capstone design and research projects, self-dictate your niche in the industry, research how to get good at it, and put all that knowledge into practice. Show off all you’ve learnt in an industry internship and learn how to put together a pitch for your own entertainment media concepts.
Note: Upon completion of this course you will be awarded the Bachelor of Arts in Concept Art, NQF-level 7 (SAQA ID 124286, HEQSF-aligned, H/PR432/AR010CAN, NQF Level 7, 360 Credits)
Focus Areas_
Student work_
Career Opportunities_
Concept Artist /
Visual Development Artist /
Storyboard Artis /
Marketing Illustrator /
Book Illustrator/
Experience Designer/
2D Art Generalist /
Keyframe Artist /
Colour Scripting Artist /
Be Skilled.
Be Independent.
Be Agile.
Be Relevant.
Belong.
Concept art for films /
games and animation /
UI Art /
Storyboards /
Keyframes /
Standalone Illustrations /
Style Guides /
Pitch Decks /
3D Visualisations /
Be Skilled.
Be Exceptional.
Be Creative.
Tools_
Software
Photoshop (or whatever digital painting software you prefer) Blender
Hardware
Wacom tablets, high‑spec lab (or your study-from-home setup)
Industry touchpoints
industry talks, seminars and masterclasses, a course designed with industry input, lecturers and course-developers with industry experience, and industry internships in your final year
Admissions & Portfolio Requirements_
Matric with Bachelors Pass
The minimum admission requirements for a Bachelor's degree programme are a NSC with a minimum of 30% in the language of learning and teaching of the Higher Education Institution (HEI), coupled with an achievements rating of 4 (50-59%) or better in any four (4) NSC subject except Life Orientation.
Creative Portfolio
- A master study (copy of an artwork that you admire – please include the reference image used)
- A character, creature, asset or environment you designed yourself
- A minimum of 5 additional artworks (free choice)
Motivational Letter & Virtual Learning Motivation if applicable
Fees & Funding_
R11,590.91 /Monthly
R130,000/per year
R117,500
Apply and settle in full by 31 October 2025
R182,000/per year
≈ €9 000
≈ £7,800
≈ $10,500
with a registration fee of R3000 payable upon registration. Various payment options are available, and detailed in the application form, along with our general admin fees.
Do you offer financing options?
Academy of Digital Arts has partnered with Student Hero to help our students to learn about, apply for, and compare offers from the major student finance providers — all from a single platform, and at zero cost to you.
How to Apply_
Step 1
Create a Profile on our Portal
Step 2
Fill in your Details
Step 3
Upload your application requirements
Step 4
Submit everything and wait for us to get in touch!
Facts, Figures and FAQ.
Do you offer Scholarships?
If you have the goods to shine, the “Distinguished Talent Scholarship” programme is for you. One scholarship is awarded to the candidate who most impresses us and shows initiative to achieve their full potential.
Do you offer Bursaries?
Should you require financial assistance, you can apply for a B-BBEE Bursary. Fill out the form provided and we’ll do our best to connect you with potential corporate sponsors.
Geographically Challenged?
If for any reason you cannot join us on campus, you can still be part of our virtual classroom, where we stream our contact classes live online. You’ll receive the same high-quality education and qualification as our in-person students. To get the most out of your experience, a stable internet connection is required, and we recommend using a second screen for easier access to course materials and live interaction.
Do I need to be good at drawing?
No, but it certainly helps! At the very least you need to like drawing, you need to like it enough to want to do it for upwards of 6 hours a day.
What if I’m new to 3D?
Don’t stress! We’ll teach you everything you need to know, but if you want to prepare, try out the classic Blender donut tutorial on YouTube
What tablet do I need?
You don’t need one, we will give you one to use as part of your course, and we will even deliver it to you if you study remotely.
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2nd Floor, HAK House
186A Bree Street
Cape Town
South Africa
PHONE +27 21 300 0298
EMAIL info@ada.ac.za
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