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Level Designer Specialization

Advanced online game design course focusing on level design led by industry experts

Overview

Become a level designer for video games

Take your skills as a game designer to the next level with our advanced specialization course in level design. Gain speed and confidence in a game engine to create immersive game levels that you can add to your portfolio.

Why study game design with us:

  • We are an Unreal Academic Partner and Authorized Training Center
  • Receive mentorship from game design professionals
  • Learn to use industry-standard tools and techniques

With guidance from experts, you'll build on your foundational game design skills to build engaging and appealing game levels that balance aesthetics, gameplay, and functionality.

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Our Difference

Master Your Skills. Master Your Future.

Whether straight out of high school, changing careers, or upgrading skills, our career-focused game design courses help you build practical job skills that are required in the industry.

badge_mentor_bronze Industry Mentors Learn from the best! Our instructors are seasoned industry pros and bring real-world knowledge to the classroom, ensuring you're equipped with the skills that studios demand.  
badge_mastery_bronze Outcomes Our goal is to make you job-ready. You'll graduate with technical skills and a deep understanding of the industry, making you a valuable asset to any studio.  
badge_community_bronze Community Join an active community and network with peers, mentors, and industry professionals. Our strong industry connections can help you access job opportunities post-graduation.  
Course Information

Same Course. Same Mentors. Two Ways to Train.

 Flexible ways to learn, shaped around your goals and schedule, whether you want the structure of a group or the focus of one-to-one mentorship. 
Private · one to one

1:1 Career Mentorship

Next Intake
Monthly
Duration
9 months
QUALIFICATION
Certificate

Train with a working professional focused entirely on you, reviewing your work every week the way a supervisor reviews a junior artist. Immediate, specific, tailored to exactly where you are. You set the pace, push past the set curriculum where you need to, and start the month you are ready.

WHO IS THIS FOR
  • Working professionals looking to upskill or pivot without leaving their job
  • Experienced artists who need targeted training in a specific tool or technique
  • Students who benefit from personalised instruction due to additional learning needs
 
  •  
Private 1-hour weekly sessions with a dedicated mentor
  •  
Flexible scheduling and pacing that fits around your life
  •  
Personalised feedback on your portfolio and career direction
  •  
Start any month, no waiting for a cohort
  •  
No prerequisites, assessments, or fixed cohort schedule
Cohort · group class

Group Class

Next Intake
Duration
12 months
Qualification
Certificate

Learn in a small group led by a working professional, with everyone's work reviewed every week the way a studio team operates. You grow alongside people chasing the same goals, sharpening your eye on their work as well as your own, and keep the momentum that comes from not working alone. 

WHO IS THIS FOR
  • Students who learn better in collaborative, social environments
  • Career changers who want structure and accountability while they transition
  • Recent school leavers looking for an alternative to a traditional university degree
  •  
Weekly 3-hour live classes with a small cohort of peers
  •  
Collaborative group projects that simulate studio team workflows
  •  
Structured curriculum with assessments and deadlines that keep you on track
  •  
Watch your work reviewed next to your peers', and learn from their feedback
  •  
Credits transfer directly toward a CGSI degree
Curriculum

Course Curriculum

Level Design Pre-Production

Learn how to build immersive and realistic landscapes that enhance the overall gameplay experience, including the entire process of creating terrains, from initial concept and planning to sculpting, texturing, and optimizing. You will learn to design natural environments that fit various biomes, use heightmaps and procedural generation tools, and integrate terrains seamlessly with gameplay mechanics. By the end, you'll be equipped with the skills needed to create landscapes that are both visually compelling and functional within the game world.

What You'll Learn
  • Gain a deep understanding of biome types and effective design strategies
  • Develop technical skills in terrain creation and environmental effects
  • Learn to optimize large-scale environments without sacrificing quality
  • Enhance ability to tell stories through environmental design
Weekly Breakdown
  1. Idea Assembly
  2. Designing Levels
  3. Worldbuilding Levels
  4. Genre Differences
  5. Level Navigation
  6. Landscapes
  7. Architecture
  8. Habitats
  9. Nature Biomes
  10. Natural Interiors & Dungeons
  11. Structural Interiors

Level Design Production

This term takes you through the complete process of level creation, from gameplay mechanics to final polish. You’ll design interactive elements, hazards, and objectives to craft engaging player experiences. Learn 2D and 3D visualization techniques to enhance level aesthetics, then assemble and light your world for realism and functionality. Add animation, props, and atmospheric effects to bring your level to life. On completion, you’ll have a fully realized game environment.

What You'll Learn
  • Craft levels with traversal mechanics, interactive objects, puzzles, and hazards that enhance player experience
  • Develop 2D and 3D art skills, assemble high-quality assets
  • How to add movement, physics-based interactions, and environmental animations
  • Refine levels with decoration, sound, and finishing touches
Weekly Breakdown
  1. Meshing Levels
  2. Environmental Storytelling
  3. Materials
  4. Lighting
  5. VFX
  6. Psychology and User Experience
  7. Cinematics
  8. Audio in Levels
  9. Integrating Gameplay Systems
  10. PCG and Design Tools
  11. Level Testing and Iteration
  12. Level Polish and Presentation

Game Design Capstone

This final term is dedicated to getting you job-ready! With your mentor’s guidance, you’ll polish your best work for your portfolio and learn how to develop your competitive edge, market yourself, and make the best possible impression in front of employers.

What You'll Learn
  • How to polish your portfolio to impress employers
  • Interview and negotiation strategies
  • Effective networking and self-promotion
  • Accessing the hidden job market 
Weekly Breakdown
  1. Developing Project Ideas
  2. Writing Project Proposals
  3. Planning Creative Projects
  4. Making the Most of Professional Feedback
  5. Research, Development, and Testing
  6. Preparing and Delivering Progress Presentations
  7. Rescoping Projects
  8. Responding to Critical Feedback
  9. Acquiring Feedback from Creative Communities
  10. Preparing Online Portfolio Content
  11. Presenting Completed Projects
  12. Professional and Creative Reflection

Download the Course Guide

Your creative journey begins here! Download our comprehensive course guide and discover the exciting educational opportunities that await you.
Mentors

Learn Directly From Video Game Mentors

To be the best, it helps to learn from the best. All game design classes are taught by professional game and level designers with years of industry experience.

Student Testimonials

Get The Education You Deserve

forza-5-horizon-poster

"Having someone that is part of the industry personalizing your training, and providing honest feedback backed up by years of experience is something very valuable you won't get in other Game Programming Courses.

My mentor assisted me in realizing a game prototype I had in mind for quite a long time, and that was amazing. I highly recommend anyone interested in the course to spend that extra money and go for the 1-to-1 formula, because that's where you'll see the biggest difference with other online resources."

 

luca-perdelli 
Luca Piedrelli  |  Game Development

 
kristala-poster

"CG Spectrum has exceeded my expectations in terms of quality of learning, support, and continued guidance from mentors and peers.

Also, the community at CG Spectrum is amazing! People are passionate about what they study and do. It's a great study and work environment."

 

AlexiosVasilakis-square 
Alexios V |  Game Development

 
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"Having a mentor definitely helped! It was awesome to have someone I could reach out to when I was stuck.

Getting the weekly feedback also helped in terms of what to improve and what to focus on next. In Term 3, we learned Unreal Engine; I implemented the knowledge I gained in that course to my Advanced 3D Modeling Course to create some additional renders that demonstrated my understanding of using and integrating game-ready assets into an actual game engine.

 

benjamin oman 
Benjamin O  | Game Art & Animation

 
borderlands-poster

"My experience at CG Spectrum was second to none, and taught me so much more than I initially anticipated.

My mentor took me from being barely computer literate to an animator working at a studio in only a year and a half. The information and level of teaching at CG Spectrum will absolutely not be found anywhere else."

 

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Kieran L  |  Game Art & Animation

 
batora-poster

"CG Spectrum prepares you to work as a professional game designer from day one.

The most impressive quality CG Spectrum offers is a course that makes study as if you were on your first job. If you are willing to put the energy into studying and do the assignments as if you were on the job, and if you are ready to hear your mentor's suggestions and challenge yourself to push your limits, you will get an experience very similar to the workplace. "

 

loriscasagrandi-rounded-1 
Loris C  |  Game Development

 
journey-game-poster

"I chose CG Spectrum because I wanted to take my learning to the next level & ensure I was working on the most efficient way to get into the industry.

Chris Swain was the guiding force that kept me headed in the right direction with his sage advice. He was also a calming presence that kept me relaxed during what was often an overwhelming experience.

Thank you Chris for being a friend, a motivator, and a teammate during my time at CG Spectrum and beyond."

 

luke-williford Luke Williford  |  Game Development

 
mlb-the-show-poster

"CG Spectrum is the perfect place to gain focus, understanding, an encouragement for your journey.

If you are looking for a supportive place to gain or hone skills in game design or other verticals, CGS is a fantastic and worthy place to dive in."

 

shaulhagen-headshot 
Shaul H  |  Game Design

 
ollie-world

"I highly recommend signing up with CG Spectrum!

I was looking for a final push to bump my skills and finally start applying for jobs as an artist. Shortly after finishing my Advanced 3D Modeling Course I landed my first job as Junior Environment Artist, which was my dream!"

 

kasiap-headshot 
Kasia P  |  3D Modeling

 
turok-origins

"A cornerstone for your career.

I can honestly say that even by having experience in the field, I've gained a mind-blowing volume of understanding, even when considering the most basic of aspects behind Game Design and Development! Concepts I thought I knew now look so different in a new light. Lessons are challenging, and assignments and classes engaging. A must for any professional looking to up their game a notch or 73."

 

fritz-m 
Fritz M  |  Game Development

 
fall-out-4-vr-poster

"CG Spectrum's training got me hired in the industry.

CG Spectrum helped me build the skills and connections that directly resulted in getting hired as a Gameplay Programmer at New World Interactive."

 

jeff-giron-headshot-zoom 
Jeff G  |  Game Development

 
Request Information

Join Our Alumni at World Class Studios

Our mission is to train highly skilled graduates ensuring they are prepared for a successful career.  Take the first step towards joining our alumni at world-class studios creating work that inspires.

FAQ's

Questions? We Have Answers

What are the prerequisites for the Level Designer Specialization?

This course requires the successful completion of the Game Design Foundations Career Track or a portfolio submission demonstrating professional experience and an accompanying reel/resume.


Age Minimum
T
he general minimum age to be able to enroll in our industry certificate courses is 16. We require parent or guardian consent during the enrollment process for applicants under 18.

Students under 16 will require a further assessment before they can officially enroll. This may include an interview with a course advisor and the creation of a study plan to ensure they have considered how they will manage a college-level workload.

English Proficiency
We expect our students to have a good understanding of written and spoken English. There’s no specific ’level'; however, you must be able to understand video tutorials in English (no subtitles) and speak with your mentor in English during your live Q&A session.

Computer Literacy
To be successful in this program, you will need basic computer skills and a computer that meets the minimum specifications (see next question).

What are the software and hardware requirements?

Software:

This course requires you to purchase/download the following software:

  • Unreal Engine (free)

Optional additional software:

  • Photoshop (Krita is a free alternative)
  • Blender (free), Maya, or 3ds Max 

 

Hardware:

We recommend a minimum of 32GB RAM. See below for more info on hardware specifications.

Please note: as the software we use is regularly updated, please check the specs against the latest available version at the time of enroling.

What careers can I explore post-graduation?

On completion of the Game Design Career Track (Foundations of Game Design + Level Designer Specialization), you will have greater confidence in your abilities and a portfolio to show employers. 

You will also have personalized career services with our career development team, which can help when applying for junior game design jobs such as:

Discover more about these game development jobs, tips, and salary expectations on our careers page:

How do I apply?

Ready to take the next step toward your future? Head to our application page to get started. Whether you're looking to learn something new, build on your existing skillset, or nurture your creative side, begin your application today to start your creative journey with us!

  APPLY NOW 

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