With a range of over 10 degree programs and courses taught in English, Futuregames attracts students from all around the world. We offer a truly global environment where different ideas and perspectives meet at all our locations in Sweden – Boden, Skellefteå, Karlstad, Stockholm and Malmö.
It is estimated that around one in four people in the world has played a game made by Swedes. No wonder then, that gaming in Sweden is booming. The revenue for the Swedish Games Industry grew to 2.7 billion EUR during 2021, an increase with 28%, according to the Swedish Game Developer Index 2022.
And the games industry is bigger than the big names such as Mojang, King and DICE.
Here, we will walk you through the entire application process for Futuregames.
You will find a detailed breakdown of each step, ensuring you have a clear understanding of what to expect.
Before you start, don’t forget that you can download our international checklist.
These are the things you should mention/add in your application email:
OVERVIEW
From friends/from LinkedIn/from other education websites (please specify which ones), etc.
In your email, please write the name of the program/s you want to apply to. Make sure to check if you meet the application requirements for each program you are interested in applying to before sending in your application.
Don’t forget to mention which site/s you prefer to study at if your education is available in several locations: Boden, Karlstad, Skellefteå, Stockholm or Malmö.
Please attach the records of your qualifications from upper secondary school/high school or equivalent. If you have graduated from a university, you can submit your university documents instead. If you have started but haven’t finished a university, you can still choose and submit your official university admission document together with the transcript of grades that you have acquired so far. The documents from high school and/or university must include a diploma together with the transcript of your grades and be in English. For example: If you are applying to Game Programmer education where knowledge in Math and Programming is a requirement, and if you had these courses in high school but not at your university, then you should choose to submit your high school papers.
Your CV must also include your full address (street, postal code, town, country), your date of birth (format: day-month-year) and your phone number with the country code.
In your personal letter, explain what motivates you to study at our school, why you have chosen the specific program, what your future goals after the graduation are, etc. If you are applying for more than one program, your personal letter should be adapted to each program application.
Please send us a work sample for the program you are applying to. Not all programs require a work sample. Make sure to visit the page of your program of interest to check if this is relevant for your application and to learn more about the work sample requirements. Different programs have different work sample requirements.
All our programs are taught in English, therefore, we need to make sure that you will be able to follow the classes and communicate with your classmates.
English test. These are the tests we accept and the scores you must have: Duolingo (110), IELTS Academic (6,5), TOEFL (87-109) and Cambridge test (C1 Advanced (CAE)).
English from a university. If you have previously studied at a university and had English courses, please attach your university diploma together with the transcript of your grades. We will evaluate if those courses will be enough.
English-speaking school. If you have studied at an English-speaking school, please send us a document that proves this.
English as a native language. If your native language is English, it should be clear from your submitted documentation. Alternatively, you can upload a copy of your passport.
Certificate from an employer. Have you worked at an English-speaking workplace for at least a year? Then simply send us your employer’s certificate and we will check if we can validate it as being sufficient.
If you are applying for our merit scholarship, don’t forget to attach your application letter in a PDF format to your program application. Read all about our scholarship here.
By the end of the application submissions period, we will send you a Written Test/Admissions Test. The test is nothing you can prepare for in advance and it is in a form of a questionnaire. This test will help us be sure that we are the right school for you.
Once we have assessed your application, we will contact you with a decision about whether you have been accepted or not. We will guide the accepted applicants through the process of registration, payment of fees, residence permit application for non-EU applicants, finding accommodation and answer as many of your questions as we can about moving to Sweden!
for those who applied before April 2:
APRIL 21
Admission results for the international students;
Announcement of the scholarship winners;
Unconditional offer letter sent to the accepted applicants;
APRIL 25
Deadline to reply to the unconditional offer;
MAY 3
Agreement & deposit invoice sent to the accepted applicants;
MAY 7
Deadline to sign the agreement;
Due date of the deposit fee (400 EUR);
MAY 8-12
Admission letters sent to the accepted applicants;
JULY 25-27
Invoice for the first term sent to the accepted applicants;
AUGUST 5-7
Due date of the invoice for the 1st term (preliminary date. The exact date will be indicated in the invoice);
AUGUST 21:
Roll call (more information will come to the accepted students closer to this date);
SEPTEMBER 4
School start.
Swedish and Nordic residents (residents of Denmark, Finland, Iceland or Norway) are government-funded. These students apply to our programs on our website via the application button on the program page and not via the email international@futuregames.nu. Read more
Once you have decided which education/s you wish to apply to, send your application documents to international@futuregames.nu. If you have most of the documents ready but, for example, are still working on your work sample, you can go ahead and submit your application. In that case, let us know in your application email that you will be completing your application with the missing documents by the end of the application submission deadline.
Please note:
OVERVIEW
STUDY PACE: Full-time
LOCATION: On-site
TUITION: Fees indicated below are for the whole program
Game Artist with specialization (2.5 years) 23,000 EUR
Game Designer with specialization (2.5 years) 23,000 EUR
Game Programmer with specialization (2.5 years) 23,000 EUR
Immersive Experience Creator (VR, AR, MR, XR) (1.5 years) 15,000 EUR
Animator and VFX Artist (2,5 years) 23,000 EUR
Game Artist (2 years) 20,000 EUR
QA/Game Tester (1.5 years) 15,000 EUR
Game & UX Designer (2 years) 20,000 EUR
Game Producer (1.5 years) 15,000 EUR (new education – stay tuned for more info soon!)
Study pace: Part-time
Location: On-line
Tuition: Fees indicated below are for the whole course
Game Engines (12 weeks, 50%): 2,100 EUR
Games Marketer (10 weeks, 50%): 2,500 EUR
Preparatory Course (3 weeks, 37%): 700 EUR
To secure your seat at our educations, a deposit fee of 800 EUR must be paid right after the admission confirmation. All students will be invoiced for all other outstanding fees in good time with deadlines for payment.
One academic year consists of 2 semesters (fall and spring). Full payment of the fees is made in equal installments (one installment per semester) and the deposit fee is deducted from the first installment. The first installment is paid in June/July. All other installments are paid before the start of each semester. The detailed payment plan with the exact amount of each installment will be indicated on your admission letter. The admission letter is sent once the deposit is paid and the agreement is signed.
Example:
You are applying to Game Artist program in Karlstad which cost 20,000 EUR in total and is 2 years long (4 semesters). Divide 20,000 EUR into 4 (4 semesters) and you will get 5,000 EUR/semester. Since the deposit fee of 800 EUR is deducted from the first installment this means that your first installment will be 4,200 EUR and will need to be paid in June/July. Installment 2, 3 and 4 will be 5,000 EUR and will need to be paid before the start of each new semester.
The tuition fee for our short courses must be paid at once and cannot be divided into installments. The full payment must be made before the start of the course.
A higher vocation degree diploma or course certificate can only be issued once all fees have been paid.
IMPORTANT: International payments from certain countries might be restricted. Restricted countries: North Korea, Iran, Crimea, Sevastopol, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, Russia, Belorussia.
Some international students may have the right to Swedish student finance through The Swedish Board of Student Finance (CSN). Different rules apply for EU and non-EU citizens, and you can read more about the possible eligibility on the CSN website.
Swedish and Nordic residents (residents of Denmark, Finland, Iceland or Norway) are government-funded. They can also apply for the CSN support. These student applicants apply to our programs on our website via the application button on the program page they are interested in and not via the email international@futuregames.nu.
If you have any questions regarding CSN and your eligibility, please contact CSN directly.
Download our International Student Checklist!
Last updated: 2023-12-01
Futuregames wants to make a difference! Everyone from the whole world should have the chance to be part of our educations, and from 2023 Futuregames will offer one merit scholarship for an outstanding student to study with us at one of our 4 locations. The scholarship is awarded to an applicant who demonstrates outstanding potential.
The scholarships will cover the full (100%) cost for tuition for any full-time Futuregames’ program.
Deadline to apply for the scholarship
April 2, 2024.
OVERVIEW
Although Changemaker Educations / Futuregames can provide with some guidance regarding the Swedish Migration Agency, it is the student’s own responsibility to ensure that they are eligible for a Swedish residence permit for the duration of the study and fulfill all migration requirements.
EU/EEA citizens don’t need to apply neither for a residence permit nor a visa. More information for the EU/EEA citizens can be found here.
Residence permit for studies in higher education is only valid for one year. You will need to apply for a residence permit extension before the expiration of your existing residence permit. Read all about it and apply here.
Please read the residence permit application requirements carefully. There are several requirements you should pay a particular attention to:
A residence permit card is issued by the Swedish Migration Agency once your residence permit has been granted. The card is usually sent to your local Swedish embassy. You are allowed to come to Sweden once you have received your residence permit card. Read all about the residence permit card here.
Important: According to the Swedish Migration Agency, the process of obtaining a residence permit can take up to 4-5 months, therefore, we encourage all successful applicants to begin the process of their residence permit application as soon as their final admission letter from the school has been issued.
Only the accepted applicants receive the admission letter. The admission letter is issued soon after the school has received the deposit fee and the applicant has signed the agreement letter issued by the school. You receive both the invoice for the deposit and the agreement to sign soon after you have accepted the unconditional offer from Futuregames.
International students from certain countries may also need to obtain a valid visa for the duration of study. If uncertain if this is applicable for you, please visit this link: List of foreign citizens who require Visa for entry into Sweden. You can apply for a visa at your local Swedish embassy.
Since you will be residing in Sweden and studying for more than a year, both EU and non-EU citizens will be required to register with the Swedish Tax Agency upon your arrival in Sweden. Everyone who is registered in the Swedish Population Register receives a personal identity number as an identifier. To do so, you will need to visit one of the Swedish Tax Agency’s offices in Sweden.
A Swedish personal identity number is required if you want to have a Swedish phone number, open a Swedish bank account, visit a healthcare center, etc. It is also required when communicating with government authorities. In some cases, it can take up to 18 weeks to receive a personal identity number. Therefore, it is important that you apply for it as soon as possible.
Note: You will be required to show a document from school proving that you are registered and started your studies. The admission letter will not be sufficient. The school will issue a study certificate for you. Contact the school’s international student coordinator before visiting the Swedish Tax Agency and ask for the study certificate.
In order to comply with the guidelines from the Swedish Migration Agency, all students will have approximately 20 hours of teacher-led education per week over the course of their study. Exact hours each week may vary in relation to any given course. Teacher contact hours can be in the form of lectures, mentoring, assignment reviews, individual counseling, guest lectures, industry contact, seminars, etc.
EU/EEA citizens are allowed to work in Sweden upon their arrival. Non-EU citizens who received their residence permit for studies in higher education are usually also allowed to work within the duration of their studies. However, there might be some exceptions. It will be indicated on your residence permit card if you are allowed/not allowed to work while studying. If your residence permit card says “not allowed to work,” please contact the Swedish Migration Agency directly and ask for a clarification.
Since Changemaker Educations / Futuregames is a higher vocational college and not a university/university college, our international graduates from the non-EU countries don’t have the permission to stay in Sweden after the graduation. However, before your study permit expires, there is a possibility to apply for a permit called “Residence permit for looking for work after studies“. Unfortunately, there is no quarantee that all applicants will be granted this permit since every individual’s case is different. If you have any questions about this permit, please contact the Swedish Migration Agency directly.
If you wish to work in Sweden after the graduation, you will be required to leave Sweden and apply for a work permit from abroad (either from your home country or from a country where you have permission to stay). Read all about the work permit requirements here.
If you are offered a job during your internship, your internship company will need to initiate the work permit application. Please read the information here carefully and introduce your employer to it before the end of your internship.
Citizens from EU countries don’t need to have a work permit to stay and work in Sweden.
Last updated: 2023-12-01
For International students there are different possibilities and routines for student accommodation depending on the site. Please consult the relevant section for each site below for further information.
OVERVIEW
All students studying in Boden will need to apply for accommodation in Boden separately from their application to the school. Boden business park offers student apartments available near the school. For any questions regarding housing in Boden, please contact Boden Business Park: studentbostader@bodenbusinesspark.se. More information will be published on Boden Game Camp’s website.
All students studying in Karlstad will need to apply for accommodation in Karlstad separately from their application to the school. KBAB offers different types of student housing in Karlstad: Student – Karlstads Bostads AB (kbab.se).
All students studying in Skellefteå will need to apply for accommodation in Skellefteå separately from their application to the school. Skellefteå municipality via Skebo (https://www.skebo.se/) provides the students at Campus Skellefteå with an accommodation guarantee. The students need to contact Skebo if they have any questions regarding the accommodation.
International students studying in Stockholm will need to rent accommodation privately. The rental market is highly regulated in Sweden and consists of ‘first-hand’ or ‘second-hand’ rental arrangements. ‘First-hand’ agreements generally require a Swedish personal ID number or guaranteed income, so, these will typically be off-limits to international students. Most students live in ‘second-hand’ rental apartments where the accommodation agreement is made directly between yourself and either the owner of the apartment or the holder of the ‘first-hand’ rental contract. Students must sign a paper contract as proof of the arrangement. Students should be aware of potential fraudulent behavior, such as property owners asking for a deposit before the signing of a contract.
The school is unable to help directly in finding accommodation for students in Stockholm, but it is suggested that international students contact their classmates and the Stockholm student union, GameChangers, for advice and help.
General information on studying in Sweden from The Swedish Institute: https://studyinsweden.se
General information on studying in Sweden from Nordic Co-operation: https://www.norden.org/en/info-norden/moving-sweden-abroad
Useful apps for living in Sweden – Swish, Bank ID, etc.: https://studyinsweden.se/blogs/2018/10/21/useful-apps-to-help-you-navigate-life-in-sweden/
Last updated: 2023-12-01
With 25 years of experience in game development education, Futuregames has consistently ranked as one of the best game educations in the world. Our former students make up over 14% of the Swedish games industry working across game art, game design, programming, game marketing, and more.
Swedish and Nordic residents (residents of Denmark, Finland, Iceland or Norway) are government-funded. These students apply to our programs on our website via the application button on the program page and not via the email international@futuregames.nu.
If you are unsure about your right for a tuition-free YH education, please contact us via international@futuregames.nu
To be considered a Nordic student who qualifies for a tuition-free YH education (Higher Vocational Education), you MUST hold a Nordic social security number AND fulfil at least one of the following criteria:
1) Be a citizen of Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Finland or any of the related territories.
2) Have a permanent right of residence in one of the countries mentioned above.
3) Have a temporary right of residence in Sweden at the time of your application. If your current right of residence has expired and you are now waiting for it to be extended, you can still apply. In that case, you will be asked to upload a copy of your right of residence/receipt showing that you have applied for the permit extension. There is no legislation demanding that you must hold a certain type of right of residence upon the time of your application. However, make sure to check what rules apply to you if you are currently residing in Sweden and thinking of changing your current type of residence during your education to the residence permit for studies in higher education. To do that, please visit this link and read the section “If you are already in Sweden”.
In short, your right of residence must not be dependent on your studies at Futuregames. Please note that Futuregames is unable to provide immigration support of any kind to the Nordic students.
Deadline for the application submissions and all important dates for the international applicants are announced on our international student page under the tab “Apply”.
Once you have decided which education/s you want to apply to, please send your application documents to international@futuregames.nu. All documents must be saved in a PDF or JPEG format. Name your application email “Application_Program name”.
Important: All documents must be submitted in English. School diplomas and transcripts of grades must have a certified translation in English. If your name/surname has changed since the last time you studied, please send us a document that proves it.
By the end of the application submissions period, we will send you a Written Test/Admissions Test. The test is nothing you can prepare for in advance and it is in a form of a questionnaire. This test will help us be sure that we are the right school for you.
Once we have assessed your application, we will contact you with a decision about whether you have been accepted or not. We will guide the accepted applicants through the process of registration, payment of fees, residence permit application for non-EU applicants, finding accommodation and answer as many of your questions as we can about moving to Sweden!
There are several ways how you can prove your English:
English test. These are the tests we accept and the scores you must have: Duolingo (110), IELTS (6,5), TOEFL (87-109) and Cambridge test (C1 Advanced (CAE)).
English from a university. If you have previously studied at a university and had English courses, please attach your university diploma together with the transcript of your grades.
English-speaking school. If you have studied at an English-speaking school, please send us a document that proves this.
English as a native language. If your native language is English, it should be clear from some your submitted documentation. Alternatively, you can upload a copy of your passport.
Certificate from an employer. Have you worked at an English-speaking workplace for at least a year? Then simply send us your employer’s certificate and we will check if we can validate it as being sufficient.
Once you have successfully completed one of our programs, you will receive a Higher Vocational Education degree in your respective area of study.
After a successfully completed short course, you will receive a certificate issued by Changemaker Educations/ Futuregames.
Information about the application for a residence permit and visas can be found on our international student page under the tab “Residence Permit/Visa”.
For international students, there are different possibilities and routines for student accommodation depending on the site. To learn more, please visit the section “Accommodation” on our international student page.
In some cases, previous study can be validated for particular courses.
Futuregames grants one merit scholarship per year for any of our full-time programs. Read more and apply here.
Tuition fees for our long educations are paid in installments – one installment per semester. Each installment is paid before the start of a new semester.
Tuition fees for our short courses are paid at once before the start of the course.
Read all about the tuition fees on our international student page under the tab “Tuition fees”.
Yes! Our student union is called GameChangers. You can read all about them here.
