Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning)Games Business

The Games Business course is a postgraduate entrepreneurship program comprised of the
Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning) which helps to further develop your independent business.

Overview

Start your own studio or innovative digital business

This program is highly relevant to all disciplines and can help with developing business-related skills as well as leadership and other enterprise skills which are highly valued in the competitive game development job market.

Learners completing the Games Business program have gone onto publish their games as a fully independent studio, been awarded business grants and other support through the AIE Incubator Program, or have established their own freelance business serving the broader game development or related industry.

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Course Information

Get into the details

Overview

The Game Business program is delivered and assessed against the postgraduate qualification BSB80120 Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning) specialising in Games Business (CRICOS: 106063D).

This qualification is Level 8 on the Australian Qualification Framework and sits between a Bachelor Degree (Level 7) and a Masters Degree (Level 9).

Qualification

Course Name	Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning) specialising in Games Business
Course ID	BSB80120
CRICOS Course Code	106063D

Subjects

Delivery and Assessment

Course Content

Start your own development studio to work on the games, VR and/or simulation content that you’re passionate about. Subjects include:

Lead Strategic Transformation
Applied Research and Product Design
Business Planning
Implement Complex Solutions
Creating Learning Organisations for Competitive Advantage
Manage Personal and Professional Development

Studio and Equipment

Programs are run in a professional creative environment to which you have 24/7 access. Get your own space with dedicated desk and computer to craft your masterpieces. You have access to AIE campus resources and equipment which includes dev kits, VR headsets, render farms and meeting spaces.

Assessment

Students complete practical game design tasks and projects based on industry standards and briefs. Accompanying projects students record their process through development journals and other documentation.

Success

What does success look like?

In Games Business, you are encouraged to develop your own definitions of personal and professional success and then put in place systems to achieve that success. Learners in this program have:

Created a Professional Studio to develop and publish their original Intellectual Property.
Explored options for games-adjacent businesses to take advantage of broader opportunities in industry including marketing, recruitment, eSports and training.
Developed their enterprise skills such as leadership to enhance their prospects in a competitive job market (including overseas).
Developed a freelancing business in Art or another gamedev discipline to pursue as an independent contractor.

Career Opportunities

This course is intended to give students the skills to manage and run their own creative media businesses. Job roles and titles vary across different industry sectors. Possible job titles and roles relevant to this qualification include:

Game / VFX Developer
Lead Artist / Programmer / Designer
Project Manager
Producer
Small business entrepreneur

Entry requirements

Graduate Diploma courses

Ready to take it to the next level? To enrol in the Graduate Diploma, you’ll need to have completed a relevant Advanced Diploma or Bachelor Degree qualification at AIE or be able to demonstrate equivalent academic and/or professional experience.

Fees

Tuition fees - graduate diploma

The 2027 student course fees are located are located on the fees page.

VET student loans for graduate diplomas

AIE’s Graduate Diploma program is approved for VET Student Loans.

Eligible students in these courses can apply for a VET Student Loan to defer the cost of their tuition fees. It is important to note that VET Student Loans will not be approved for students who do not meet eligibility requirements. A VET Student Loan gives rise to a VETSL debt that continues to be a debt due to the Commonwealth until it is repaid. A VET Student Loan is repaid through the Australian tax system
once a person reaches the minimum income threshold level of repayment.

To be eligible for a VET Student Loan, a student must meet eligibility criteria which includes citizenship, academic and other requirements. For more information about VET Student Loans visit aie.edu.au/vet.

Why AIE

Why bring your games business to life with AIE?

Enterprise Skills

Developing learners with strong enterprise skills to innovate and help their team and business succeed.

Experience

Learn from experienced industry professionals with real business experience, insights and connections.

Connections

Access commercial studios, publishers, investors and mentors to build the essential relationships and networks.

Showcase your business

Showcase your games and content at major cultural events

Award-winning education

This nationally-accredited program is delivered by an award-winning specialist games educator

Support

We support learners in this program with team-based internships and business opportunities

Games

AIE graduate games

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between this course and the Advanced Diploma?
The Game Business course is a postgraduate course for students that have completed the Advanced Diploma and/or the Bachelor Degree and have learnt all about making games and animation. This program assists these students to turn their new creative skills into innovative businesses.

This course is not about becoming a better game developer or animator although you will be making more creative content, so that will happen too! It is about working purposefully on a project with very clear goals to create income.

As world-renowned educator Frank Farfalla says, “The Advanced Diploma will teach you how to make great games and through the Graduate Diploma you will learn how to make them work for you”.
Am I only doing business stuff in this Program?
Not at all! When you are studying the Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning), you spend three full days a week studying courses like Strategic Transformation and Business Planning, and two days on a project of your own choice. This may be building a game studio and developing a game for commercial release, or developing your freelancing business and portfolio/skills for attracting clients, or developing a games-adjacent business such as in marketing, recruitment, or eSports. The only requirement is that your business is planned as a commercial enterprise (ie designed to make money) and that it is in the games industry, broadly speaking. The only limit is your business creativity!
Is it a full-time program?
Yes. Your study component over the year requires three full days study each week (except for holidays), and for the other two days you are expected to work on your project or business development. At the same time, we realise that other commitments arise and the program strives to be a professional work environment with flexibility where possible, as long as necessary outcomes are delivered. Please speak to your Trainer about your particular circumstances.
Is this program eligible for VET Student Loans?
Yes, eligible students in this course can apply for a VET Student Loan to defer the cost of their tuition fees. It is important to note that VET Student Loans will not be approved for students who do not meet eligibility requirements. A VET Student Loan gives rise to a VETSL debt that continues to be a debt due to the Commonwealth until it is repaid. A VET Student Loan is repaid through the Australian tax system once a person reaches the minimum income threshold level of repayment.

To be eligible for a VET Student Loan, a student must meet eligibility criteria which includes citizenship, academic and other requirements. For more information about the VET Student Loans eligibility criteria visit aie.edu.au/vet
Does everyone in a studio/business/team have to complete the Business component of this Program?
The short answer is yes. This is actually a topic for debate in industry: while some feel that only particular people need to have business skills in a studio, these are usually larger studios who can afford to pay business professionals. Smaller and more independent studios often require all their members to have some business skills, so that everyone can contribute to marketing, for example, or so that everyone understands the need for effective marketing, or their overall contribution to the bottom line of the business.
Do I need a team to apply for the Game Business program?
No. We have both individuals and teams applying. A number of applicants come into the program with the project they developed with their team from the Advanced Diploma. Sometime they continue with this project and other times they start fresh with new project ideas and different team members. We also have individuals that form a team with other individuals in the program. Teams are formed organically, through a series of pitches and negotiations, so no-one is forced into a team they don’t want to be a part of. It is possible to join the program and not be part of a team by working as a solo developer. It’s important to note that we recommend all students participate in the program as part of a team. Working in teams enables more ambitious projects to be undertaken and completed quicker. It means team members can working in their areas of specialty and develop their management and soft skills.

So if you’re interested in Games Business but you’re not sure whether the rest of your teammates are, you should certainly apply! Once we know there is interest we can check in with the rest of your team to see what they are thinking.

Testimonials

How has the games business program helped you?

"The Graduate Diploma has been essential for the early development of our studio‭. ‬It's taught us what it takes to create a sustainable studio and practically apply financial goals‭, ‬company values and culture as well as leadership skills that have significantly helped the growth of our studio‭.

Founder
Catalyst Games

Aiden Gyory