Malta · Bachelor's
American University of Malta
BSc in Game Development
American University of Malta
Deadline detail: Rolling admission with two entry points a year; non-EU applicants should apply at least four to five months ahead to allow for the Maltese student visa and residence permit
Course Overview
The American University of Malta's BSc in Game Development is a four-year, US-style bachelor's degree taught in English on the Cospicua campus in Malta's Three Cities. The technical core is real: real-time C++ programming, computer graphics, artificial intelligence for games, animation and physics, and game engine architecture — meaning students learn how an engine works rather than only how to operate one. The programme runs in a dedicated game development lab with industry-standard software and industry partnerships, and the first two years also carry AUM's General Education Program, a broad liberal-arts foundation of roughly 42 US credits or 84 ECTS, which is a characteristic of the American degree model rather than of European ones.
AUM is a small private university operating under Maltese accreditation with an American curricular structure — credit hours, GPA, a general education core, and a four-year rather than three-year bachelor's. For a Sri Lankan applicant that has two practical implications. It means the degree is comparable to a US bachelor's if you later apply to American graduate schools. It also means it takes a year longer and costs a year more than a three-year Dutch, German or Irish bachelor's would, which is a real trade to weigh rather than ignore.
Malta's attraction is a specific combination: EU membership, English as an official language, a low cost of living by Western European standards, and one of the most accessible EU Blue Card salary thresholds in the union. It is worth being straightforward about the local industry, though. Malta's very large gaming employer base is the iGaming sector — online betting and casino operators such as Betsson, Tipico, Kindred and LeoVegas — which employs a great many software engineers, back-end developers, product managers and UX designers, but is gambling rather than video game production. The technical skills transfer cleanly and the salaries are good; whether you want to work in that industry is a question worth answering honestly before you enrol. For students aiming at video games specifically, the degree is portable across the EU, and Malta's six-month post-study residence permit plus EU mobility is the route out.
Entry Requirements
Academic
- check_circle A completed secondary school qualification giving university entrance — Cambridge or Edexcel A-Levels, the IB Diploma, or the Sri Lankan GCE A/L are all accepted subject to AUM's equivalence assessment.
- check_circle Mathematics is the subject that matters most. C++ programming, graphics and physics all rest on it, and applicants without Mathematics or Combined Mathematics at A/L or A-Level should expect the technical sequence to be hard.
- check_circle Cambridge / Edexcel: typically three A-Level passes including Mathematics; Computer Science, Physics or Further Mathematics strengthen the file.
- check_circle Sri Lankan GCE A/L: passes in the Physical Science stream, or Commerce with Mathematics, are the standard route; ICT at A/L is a useful addition.
- check_circle IB Diploma: 24 points and above, ideally including Mathematics and Computer Science.
- check_circle A portfolio is not usually mandatory but personal projects — a game jam entry, a small Unity or Unreal build, a GitHub repository — significantly strengthen an application and, more importantly, tell you whether you actually enjoy this work.
- check_circle Transcripts, school-leaving certificate, passport copy, motivation letter and references; AUM assesses applications on a rolling basis.
- check_circle Non-EU students need a Maltese national student visa and, on arrival, a residence permit; proof of funds, accommodation confirmation and health insurance are required, and Identità processing should be budgeted for in the timeline rather than assumed to be quick.
English Proficiency
- check_circle IELTS Academic: 6.0-6.5 Overall is the usual requirement for AUM's undergraduate programmes.
- check_circle TOEFL iBT: 79-80 Overall.
- check_circle Cambridge B2 First or C1 Advanced is accepted.
- check_circle The requirement is normally waived for applicants who completed their secondary education in English — most Sri Lankan Cambridge, Edexcel and IB students, and students from English-medium national schools, qualify by submitting a medium-of-instruction letter.
- check_circle English is an official language of Malta and the entire degree is taught in English; Maltese is not required for study, work or daily life.
- check_circle This is genuinely one of the easiest EU destinations for a Sri Lankan student on language grounds, which is a large part of Malta's appeal.
Estimated Cost of Study
| Expense Category | Amount (€) | Approx. LKR |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition Fee (per year, international, indicative) | €11,000 | Rs. 3,795,000 |
| Living Expenses in Malta (per year) | €10,200 | Rs. 3,519,000 |
| Health Insurance & Residence Permit | €700 | Rs. 241,500 |
| Student Visa, Documents & Airfare | €1,100 | Rs. 379,500 |
| Gaming Laptop or Workstation, Software & Books | €2,000 | Rs. 690,000 |
| Total Year 1 Investment | €25,000 | Rs. 8,625,000 |
*LKR conversion based on current bank rates. Subject to change.
Career Outcomes & PR
Graduates of a Maltese degree may apply for a post-study residence permit of around six months to seek employment, converting to a Single Permit on a qualifying job offer, and Malta's EU Blue Card salary threshold is among the lowest in the union — which makes it an unusually accessible entry point to long-term EU residence for a graduate on a first salary. The largest local employer base for these skills is Malta's iGaming sector (Betsson, Tipico, Kindred, LeoVegas and the surrounding operators and suppliers), which hires software engineers, back-end and front-end developers, product managers and UX designers in volume; the technology consultancies, fintech firms and Malta's growing software services sector hire from the same pool. For video game production specifically the industry is elsewhere — the UK, Nordic, Dutch, French, German and Polish studios — and the degree plus EU mobility is the route to it, so plan on an internship or portfolio project that opens that door rather than relying on the local market. Skills also transfer directly into simulation, XR, visualisation and general software engineering. Sri Lankan returnees enter the Colombo game, animation and interactive studios, creative-technology companies such as Arimac, and general software engineering roles at WSO2, IFS, 99X, Sysco LABS and the Colombo product companies, where C++ and graphics capability is comparatively rare.
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