International Student Guide
2026 University for the Creative Arts
Creative careers start here
Creative careers here
Everyone should get to love what they do. Choosing a degree is a big part of that, and it’s our job to support you to find opportunities that speak to you. This guide is designed to help.
Let’s get started with a few questions to think about.
What do you love?
Plenty of interests can be turned into careers when you’re willing to work hard at them. If you love organising parties, swapping style tips, watching films, playing games online or crafting social media posts that hit the right note, there are career options that build on those passions.
What are you good at?
You might have a specific creative talent you want to take to the next level, or be looking for a course that plays to your strengths, like problem solving, organising, understanding people or communicating ideas.
What do you care about?
You could help preserve our environment through sustainable architecture, create photography that spotlights inequalities, make animations that better represent diverse identities... Whatever change you want to make, your creativity is your biggest asset. Have a think about how you’d like to use it.
Why UCA?
If you’re thinking of studying a creative degree, UCA is a great place to do it. Here’s why.
Whatever your style, you’ll find your fit here. The creative communities you’ll discover on our campuses are home to bold opportunists, quiet innovators, curious experimentalists, out-of-the-box thinkers. Come join them!
We’ll give you the tools to help you turn your ideas into reality, plus the freedom to experiment, learn from mistakes and discover new ways of working.
And because our academic staff and technicians work – as well as teach –in the creative industries, you can be confident their up-to-date knowledge, experience and skills make them the best people to guide you on your way to your dream career.
While you’re here, we’ll use our impressive industry links to make sure you build plenty of professional connections, and practical experience, before you graduate. So, by the time you leave us, you’ll have everything you need to jump into the working world.
Whether you have a career in mind or are still researching your options, get inspired by some of the most popular roles our students go on to.
Designing future
Designing your
Architect
Interested in the environment around you, and how communities live and work? As an architect, you’ll design buildings that meet people’s daily needs, both now and in the future.
Interior Designer
Got an eye for amazing décor trends? As an interior designer, you’ll style spaces that combine practicality with comfort, creating environments that people love to spend time in.
Creative Marketer
If you’re across the latest trends, full of ideas and curious about people, marketing could be your thing. You’ll come up with striking, compelling content ideas and work out how best to reach your target audience.
Fashion Designer or Stylist
Do your outfits speak volumes? Is your style advice legendary? A career in fashion could have you designing and making clothes, or styling iconic looks that set new trends.
Fine Artist
If you’re a visual thinker full of ideas, opinions and original takes on everyday things, you could create and sell your own artwork or become a critic, art therapist, curator, teacher or community art organiser.
Photographer
Do you see the details others miss? Do your photos capture the exact vibe of a person or moment? From photojournalism to fashion, a career in photography will have you telling visual stories that stop viewers in their tracks.
Graphic Designer
Curious about how words and images combine to make an impact? As a graphic designer, you’ll use your talents to create eye-catching and purposeful typography, publications, packaging and interactive media.
Illustrator, Animator or Concept Artist
Love to create drawings that bring a story, idea, world or personality to life? You could build a career setting the visual tone across TV and films, animations, games, comics, books, marketing content and products.
Actor
If you’re curious about people and confident in front of them, a career in acting could have you playing characters on TV, film or stage, or lead to work in voice-over, directing, teaching, dramatherapy, community arts, producing or corporate training.
Games Creator
Into games, art and/or coding? The fast-growing games industry is full of opportunities – from creating the look and feel of virtual worlds to designing and developing game environments for players to explore.
Filmmaker
If you’re a collaborative person who loves video or photography and has an instinct for a great story, you could make a career writing, producing, editing or directing films, or even working on their sound, lighting or production design.
Craftsperson or Product Designer
A career in craft or product design could be for you if you have an eye for detail and enjoy making things with your hands. You could specialise in areas like textiles, jewellery, ceramics or furniture design.
To explore courses in detail, head to uca.ac.uk/courses
Picking a course is a big decision. Here’s a quick rundown of the subjects we offer.
Choosing subject
Choosing your
Architecture & Interior Design
Our Architecture (ARB/RIBA Part 1) and Interior Design degrees are our biggest courses in this subject area. But we also offer more specialised courses in spatial design – Product & Furniture Design, Architectural Technology, Automotive & Transport Design, Interior Architecture, Landscape Architecture & Design, Urban Design & Planning, Interior Decoration & Styling, and Modelmaking.
Animation & Illustration
Our general Animation and Illustration degrees are ideal if you want to build skills you can apply in a range of industries. Or, if you’ve got your sights set on a specific area of work, check out our Comic & Concept Art, Games Animation, Visual Effects, and Virtual & Augmented Reality courses.
Creative Business & Management
Our business degrees are all designed with the demands of careers in the creative industries in mind. Our Business & Management course will teach you business fundamentals before you opt to focus in on one of six creative sectors. Or you can specialise from the start on our Fashion Business & Management, Events & Festivals Management or Music Business & Management courses.
Photography
If you love taking photos and want to experiment with different styles and subjects, our core Photography degree might be for you. To combine your talent with a love of style or storytelling, have a look at Fashion Photography or Photo & Digital Journalism.
Games & Creative Technology
We run a wide range of creative tech courses, from Games Arts, Games Design and Games Animation to Games Development and Virtual & Augmented Reality, and Visual Effects. If your focus goes beyond games and entertainment, check out our Computer Science, Creative Computing and User Experience Design courses.
Crafts
We’re proud of our reputation for hands-on, forward-looking crafts degrees. So whether you want to study Ceramics & Glass, Jewellery & Silversmithing or Product & Furniture Design, we have a course for you.
Marketing, Communications & Media
Our media degrees give you the chance to specialise in a wide range of fields. You could opt for a Graphic Design degree, combine this with other skills like illustration and animation on our Visual Communication course, or choose to specialise on our User Experience Design programme. If you want to hone your creative skills in a business context, have a look at our Advertising or Digital Marketing & Social Media courses. Or, if you see your future in publishing, check out our Journalism & Communication or Publishing degrees.
Fashion & Textiles
The world of fashion needs people with a range of different talents. While Fashion Design, Fashion Image & Styling and Fashion Photography make up our biggest courses, we also offer specialist degrees in Fashion Atelier & Tailoring, Fashion Branding & Communication, Fashion Business & Management, Make-up & Hair Design and Textiles.
Film, TV, Performing Arts & Music
Whether you see your future in front of the camera or behind it, we’ve got something for you, with courses in Acting, Film Production, Design for Theatre & Screen, Film & Screen Studies, Visual Effects, Music & Sound Production, Composition for Screen and Television Production.
Fine Art & Digital Art
If art is your thing, our Fine Art courses offer the chance to build your skills and knowledge across loads of different mediums and disciplines. If you’re interested in exploring the relationship between art and technology then our Digital Art course could be for you.
At each of our campuses you’ll find incredible specialist spaces, equipment and technicians who can help you bring your ideas to life.
Explore our facilities
our
Canterbury
Our light, spacious Fine Art studios contain everything you need to create paintings, frames, sculptures and larger installations.
However you want to process your photographs, there are a range of facilities to help you create them. Our Cyanotype room, colour and monochrome darkrooms and industry-standard film processors are all available to you.
Create eye-catching prints in the styles you choose with our screen printing, litho, offset, etching and lino-cutting facilities.
Our accessible machine and wood workshop has a mixture of hand tools and machinery to help you create all your small and large-scale designs and prototypes across our design courses.
Light and airy, with space to create, our architecture studios are the ideal place for you to create your blueprints.
Canterbury’s photographic studio is perfectly equipped for photoshoots, and is also where many of our students document their portfolio of work.
Scan for full info on UCA facilities.
Epsom
Epsom has a wealth of fashion-focused facilities where you can create head-totoe looks. In our Make-up & Hair Studio, you can learn the fundamentals before experimenting with your style.
A fashionista’s playground, the campus is home to textile dye labs, pattern cutting rooms and sewing studios, as well as our unique Gerber suite: everything you need to create your bespoke collection.
Our business courses benefit from computer suites, lecture theatres, conference rooms, breakout spaces and video conferencing technology.
Scan for full info on UCA facilities.
Maidstone
The UK's largest regional independent broadcast facility is home to our TV Production students. Maidstone boasts three studios covering 19,000 square feet of floor space, and two professional galleries used by major companies like the BBC, ITV and Netflix.
Farnham
Offering freedom to move and explore, our acting spaces are ideal for stage and screencraft. Your larger performances will take place at at Farnham Maltings, a professional venue nearby.
Farnham has specialist jewellery and silversmithing facilities, which include a newly refurbished jewellery studio and hammer room, an enamelling room, casting area and associated machine rooms. In addition, there is a ceramic area, glass area, wood workshop and hot metal workshop.
Our state-of-the-art Virtual Production Studio allows students to design what are known as volumes – visual assets that provide CGI backdrops for filming content – and work on exciting motion capture processes for both games and film.
Animation is made in many media, and you will have all the tools you need to create your characters and worlds. This includes our stop motion studio, where you can emulate Aardman with your creations via DragonFrame.
However you want to communicate your message through your work, there are a range of printing options. From our book finishing room for binding, digital options and a printmaking workshop - including equipment for intaglio, relief, screen printing and letterpress – there’s plenty to choose from.
Our Fine Art facilities include studios to create your work and the exhibition space to show it off. Of course, you can also make use of all other facilities on campus – from printmaking to ceramics – to help you with your projects.
Photography students can access the campus photography studio for in-house work, and make use of the infinity table, analogue film processing and darkrooms (colour and black and white), plus a digital imaging studio.
Our gaming students have all the equipment they need to learn the entire development process – from state-of-theart games engines to help design your prototypes, and VR headsets to create virtual worlds, to Wacom Cintiq tablets for comic and concept art.
Scan for full info on UCA facilities.
Course directory
At UCA, we regularly update the courses we offer to meet changing skills needs in the creative industries. For the latest information, visit uca.ac.uk and search ‘courses’. Here is a full list of programmes expected to run for 2026/2027 entry:
C - Canterbury | E - Epsom | F - Farnham | M - Maidstone TV Studios
Integrated Foundation Year
(Hons) Film Production
(Hons) Television Production
PGT MSc Human Computer Interaction F
BA (Hons) Graphic Design F
UG
TOP-UP
BA (Hons) Illustration F
BA (Hons) Studio Practice (Graphic Design) F
MA Graphic Design F
MA Illustration F
BA (Hons) Studio Practice (Illustration) F PGT
MA User Experience Design F
MA Children’s Book Illustration F
UG BA (Hons) Fine Art
BA (Hons) Body Art
BA (Hons) Visual Communication
BA (Hons) Photography
BA (Hons) Ceramics & Glass F
BA (Hons) Jewellery & Silversmithing F TOP-UP
BA (Hons) Studio Practice (Visual Communication) C BA (Hons) Studio Practice (Fine Art)
Ceramics
Jewellery
Glass
Fine Art
(Hons) Architecture (RIBA/ARB Part 1)
BA (Hons) Interior Design
BA (Hons) Product Design
BA (Hons) Studio Practice (Interior Design)
BA (Hons) Studio Practice (Product Design)
Interior Design
Our community
Our students love UCA’s creative community; and how they find themselves in a supportive place full of like-minded people they know.
community
On our campuses, the social life fizzes with creativity. While it’s easy enough to hop on a train and head to a club or the bright lights of London, there’s plenty to do locally, too. Activities run by the UCA Students’ Union (UCASU) include everything from silent discos to winter craft markets, and a wealth of clubs and societies spanning K-Pop and hip-hop dance, life drawing, sports, gaming, comedy, culture, cinema and more.
If that’s the sort of university experience you’re looking for, then you’ve found your place. And – more importantly –your people.
Canterbury
With its historic surroundings and café culture, Canterbury is a lovely place to explore while you study at UCA. Our relaxed and friendly campus, with its architecture studios, design labs, and fine art facilities, is located just on the edge of the city. The Cathedral and an array of shops, cafés and restaurants are only a short walk away. You’ll discover new things all the time, with a wealth of attractions, galleries and museums on offer. And on sunny days, it’s only a quick bus ride away from the Kent coastline.
Popular spots for students include The Penny Theatre pub, which offers live sport, meal deals, karaoke, and quizzes. For a tasty snack on the go, look no further than Cité Crêpes. You can catch blockbusters and the best indie releases at the Curzon Cinema or have a day out at Howletts Wild Animal Park for something completely different.
Westgate Gardens, which run alongside the River Stour, are a favourite hangout of students in the area, and we couldn’t talk about Canterbury without recommending a visit to the Cathedral to admire its impressive architecture and stained-glass windows.
Epsom
Our Epsom campus is located just on the edge of the town centre of Epsom, where you’ll find everything you need – from shops, bars, cafés and restaurants, to nights and days out.
Popular spots include Rosebery Park, which is opposite the university, for socialising and relaxing, and The Faraday pub, which offers regular karaoke, bottomless brunches, live sport, weekly quizzes, and an extensive vegan menu.
For shopping, there’s The Ashley Centre shopping mall, together with a large range of high-street stores. If you want a bigger day out, you’re close to the Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures theme parks and Epsom Downs racecourse, and a short train ride from central London. There’s also the Epsom Playhouse, which hosts a range of regular touring shows, well-known stand-up comics, and tribute acts.
Farnham
With its market town charm, World Craft Town status and excellent transport links to London, the South East and the south coast, Farnham has plenty to offer.
Our campus here has extensive specialist facilities and a large on-site halls community. It sits a stone’s throw away from the picturesque Lion and Lamb Yard and a host of cafés, restaurants, pubs, and independent shops.
Students’ favourite venues include the Slug & Lettuce and The Lost Boy pubs in the town centre. For a bit of culture, you’ll find a lively programme of shows, stand-up comedy, films, and activities at Farnham Maltings, and popular nightlife venues such as The Star Inn and Komo nightclub are just a short bus or train ride away in Guildford.
For shopping, there’s plenty of choice, with a range of charity shops, bookstores, Elphicks department store, Pullingers Art Shop, and 101 Collectors Records among the highlights.
You’ll also find stunning spots for countryside walks close to Farnham, including Bourne Woods, where many blockbuster movies have been filmed, and Caesar’s Camp, which gives spectacular views across Surrey and Hampshire.
My UCA Story
Nollywood filmmaker Emem Misodi, from Nigeria, is studying for her PhD, investigating the portrayal of cultural hybridity in Nollywood and what it means for the Nigerian film industry.
“I am finding my stay at UCA quite interesting. The lecturers are warm and supportive, and I particularly love the blend of creative energy at UCA. The fact that UCA is a community of creatives, and its diverse nature is what attracted me to it.’
Rose Rasali is studying BA (Hons) Fine Art at UCA Canterbury and is from Nepal.
“One of the best things that UCA has is the international student community. Everyone is so helpful and supportive of each other, and it’s really helpful to know that you are going in the direction that you want to be. I feel like I am at home here, because there is no judgement from anyone - you can do whatever you want. Art means the world to me.”
Cecilia Dibenedetto, from Italy, fulfilled her dream of studying in the UK by gaining her degree in BA (Hons) Fashion Photography.
Read more student stories at: uca.ac.uk/blogs
“What made me choose UCA goes beyond reputation. UCA stands out for its friendly and supportive campus environments. This university allows everyone to develop skills, it values freedom of expression and experimentation; provides solid academic programmes directed by professional tutors, and offers the opportunity to use different equipment.”
What happened next...?
What happened next?
A great many of our filmmaking graduates go on to enjoy full and busy careers behind the camera, from location scouting and costuming, to editing and supervising scripts for continuity.
Craig Luck
Writer of Apple TV+ movie, FINCH BA (Hons) Film Production
While Craig was studying at UCA, he wrote a script for what was then a short film, which garnered some interest within the industry. But while prospects for the film simmered under the surface, Craig worked on Kenneth Branagh’s re-imagining of Cinderella, cult series Sense8 and Marvel origin story Doctor Strange. Then he sold the script he’d written years earlier, and the project attracted director Miguel Sapochnik and Tom Hanks, who played the titular role. In 2021, FINCH was premiered on streaming service Apple TV+.
Image credit: Apple TV+
Craig Luck
Writer of Apple TV+ movie, FINCH Film Production, UCA
A great many of our filmmaking graduates go on to enjoy full and busy careers behind the camera, from location scouting and costuming, to editing
script for a then short film, which garnered some interest within the industry. But while prospects
Cinderella, cult series Sense8 and Marvel origin story Doctor Strange. Then sold the script, with
Credit: Apple TV+
David Hulin
US advertising giant, creator of GEICO insurance character BA (Hons) Animation
While studying for his animation degree in the late 90s, a collaborative project with film students opened up a new world - CGI - for David. It led to a job with Framestore, and it was in this role he designed one of American advertising’s most recognisable faces – the GEICO insurance gecko. Initially booked to do nine commercials with the little lizard, David went on to help in the production of almost 100 adverts. Today, he is founder and Managing Director of Free Range VFX in New York.
Kate Herron
Director of Disney+ series, Loki BA (Hons) Film Production
After graduating from UCA, Kate began her career writing and directing short films, such as Frank and Rest Stop. She started her television career in 2017, working with Idris Elba on Five By Five on BBC Three. Two years later, she directed four episodes of the Netflix series Sex Education, before it was announced she would be directing and executive producing the first season of the Disney+ series Loki.
Mark Baker
Peppa Pig creator BA (Hons) Animation
Mark Baker is an English animator and producer whose works include the Oscar-nominated short films The Hill Farm (1988), The Village (1993) and Jolly Roger (1998). He is also known for co-creating Peppa Pig (2004–present) and Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom (2008-2013).
“I think it was in the very first term, in 1979, that the animation students went to the Cambridge Animation Festival,” he says. “I just soaked up the films. Everything seemed exciting and important. I had not the slightest doubt that being a Farnham animation student was the best thing to be in the world. And this feeling carried me through the three years. I was sad when it came to an end, and I had to enter the real world.”
Dame Zandra Rhodes
Fashion and textile designer
UCA’s Chancellor Emerita
Dame Zandra Rhodes is UCA’s Chancellor Emerita - a role she took up after serving as our first Chancellor from 2010 to 2018.
She has been a notorious figurehead of the UK fashion industry for five decades, celebrating her 50th year in fashion in September 2019 with a retrospective exhibition at the museum she founded.
Her notoriety as a print designer, combined with an affinity for fine fabrics and colour, has resulted in a signature aesthetic that is undeniably unique and continues to stand the test of time.
A eponymous pioneer of the British and international fashion scene since the late 60’s, Dame Zandra’s career has seen her collaborate with brands such as Valentino, Topshop and Mac Cosmetics. She is currently collaborating with UCA on ‘Colourful Heritage’, a project to digitally archive 150 of her fashion pieces, with her accessories photographed for the first time.
Read more student stories at: uca.ac.uk/blogs
Honorary doctorates
Jonathan Anderson
Honorary Doctor of Arts
Iconic fashion designer Jonathan Anderson was made an Honorary Doctor for his impact on the global fashion industry. With a curatorial approach to fashion making and brand building, Jonathan Anderson has earned both critical acclaim and commercial success with the collections he designs as the creative director of LOEWE and for his eponymous label, JW Anderson –earning him a place in Time Magazine’s Most Influential People of 2024 in its Time100 list.
Yinka Ilori MBE
Honorary Doctor of Arts
Designer and artist Yinka Ilori was made an Honorary Doctor for his work both with UCA on the multi-agency Kings Hill ‘Slices of Peace’ project and for his wider impact on art and design.
With an emphasis on bright colours, playful design, and a beautiful marriage of British and Nigerian influences, Yinka started out with the help of a grant from The Prince’s Trust. Since then, and with the establishment of his studio, he has worked with the likes of Marks & Spencer, Somerset House, Adidas, LEGO, ITV, Pepsi, citizenM Hotels and The Brit Awards, The Fashion Awards and Cannes Film Festival.
Photo credit - David Sims
Photo credit - Nikk Martin
Living at UCA
Moving away from home is a big moment. Wherever you’re staying while you study –campus halls of residence or privately rented flats, houses or lodgings –you’re about to have your first taste of independence in a diverse and tight-knit creative community, and we want to make sure you feel settled and happy.
Here’s what you need to know about accommodation at UCA.
Apply early for halls
We have a range of halls accommodation on offer – including new buildings at UCA Epsom and UCA Farnham – and offer rooms to as many new full-time students who want to live in halls as we can.
If you’ve firmly accepted an offer from us, you can apply for UCA halls accommodation through the Applicant Portal. Don’t wait for your exam results to come through first – applying early will give you the best chance of getting the accommodation you want.
Consider a private rental
If you don’t want to live in halls, or aren’t offered a room there, you can rent privately. Our accommodation team works with a network of agents and landlords near each of our campuses, and we’ll find you a homely and safe place to stay.
Private rentals are a great option if you want to live with a smaller group of people or are looking for a little more independence. This accommodation is often slightly separate from the campus and more in the heart of town life, which may suit you better.
We are here to help
Each campus has a team of staff who can help you with your accommodation needs. They’ll provide you with all the information you need and be on hand to help with any issues, from maintenance and emergencies to complaints and organising residents’ committees.
Although accommodation is not guaranteed, we are usually able to offer a room to the majority of international applicants who apply before the accommodation deadline.
UCA Canterbury
(Prices range from around £158 to £186 per week*)
Hall Room capacity
Ian Dury House 57 (all en-suite)
Riverside Quarter 150 (all en-suite)
Phone: +44 (0)1227 817380
Email: canterburyaccommodation@uca.ac.uk
You can find out more about our accommodation – as well as advice on finding private student lets – by scanning the QR code below:
UCA Epsom
(Prices range from around £170 to £198 per week*) Room capacity
Bradford House 99 (all en-suite)
Crossways House 99 (all en-suite)
Wilberforce Court 70 (shared facilities) 53 (all en-suite)
+44 (0)1372 202448 epsomaccommodation@uca.ac.uk
UCA Farnham
(Prices range from around £132 to £198 per week*)
Hall Room capacity
Student Village 345 (16 en-suite)
University Walk 252 (all en-suite)
Union Yard 128 (all en-suite)
Phone: +44 (0)1252 892974
Email: farnhamaccommodation@uca.ac.uk
*Prices subject to change
Supporting you at UCA
Coming to university is, for a lot of students, the first big life decision –and choosing a university, and a course, is just the start.
At UCA we want to help you through the process of applying – and support you while you’re with us. And that doesn’t just mean offering general information, but also a listening ear, help when you need it and, sometimes, more practical assistance.
From support with your visa or finances, to counselling, wellbeing and learning support. In each of our libraries you’ll find our student services team, who can help you in many ways. Visit our website to find out more about our Student Services and what they offer: uca.ac.uk/support
Wellbeing & counselling service
This is the place to go for support with your mental health and wellbeing. Our team will work with you to create a plan to help address your worries or concerns. We also have a university-wide wellbeing app full of useful tips and tools and offer access to 24/7 support online.
Disability and Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) if you have a disability or condition that you choose to let us know about, we have a dedicated team at each campus who can support you. They’ll work with you to understand your needs, help you apply for things like Disabled Students’ Allowance, and put in place tailored support.
Library and learning support
Specialist Advisers
This team offers confidential practical and personal support with issues such as managing money, relationships with family, friends or roommates, Visa applications/extensions or familiarising yourself with UK life.
We have Advisers in each library to help you get the very best from our library resources and services, Liaison Librarians who can provide information and guidance on how to search, use and reference our collections, and Learning Development Tutors to help you develop your academic skills, including managing your time effectively, understanding your assessment and improving your academic writing.
Study abroad
UCA is proud to offer you the opportunity to expand your creative practice while broadening your geographical horizons.
If you join us as a student at UCA, you will be given the opportunity to spend part of your degree overseas, to continue your courses in an additional inspiring location. We offer summer, semester or full-year options with our partners around the world.
Scan the code to find out more about the Study Abroad programme and where you could study:
How to apply
Applying to UCA
When you’ve found a course that you want to apply to, you can fill out an application form at ucas.com, or directly at uca.ac.uk – make sure you do this before 29 January 2025.
Prepare your portfolio/online audition
Head to pages 38-39 for more detail about your portfolio or online audition – if you’ve applied for a course that requires one, this is the time to get it all ready!
Accommodation
We’ll let you know as soon as you can apply for accommodation. It’s usually in March for courses starting in September.
Funding your studies
If you want to apply to UCA, here are the main things you need to know: 01 02 03 04
UCA has a range of scholarships you can apply for. You can find out more about fees and scholarships at uca.ac.uk/fees
Portfolio advice
At UCA, we know you’re about more than just grades. To us, exams are only part of the picture – your creativity and what you can do are just as important. Which is why, when you apply to most of our courses, we ask to see a portfolio or invite you to an online audition.
Your portfolio is a collection of your best work; you might want to show us sketches and paintings, digital art and design, photography, fabric swatches or patterns, sound work, musical compositions, short films, or even essays and creative writing.
Once you have submitted your work, we may invite you to an online interview, where we’ll get the chance to learn more about your work, and you as a person.
We want to see what inspires you, what you create and what makes you unique. And if your course doesn’t ask for a portfolio but you still want to show us your work, we’d love to see it anyway.
Portfolio tips
1. Share your thoughts
We’d like to know how you approach your work – what inspires you, how you come up with ideas, how you research them and what plans you put in place to make them a reality. A sketchbook (physical or digital) is a good way to do this.
2. Take us on a journey
Show us your work’s journey from start to finish. Include drafts, unfinished products, edits. If you feel a particular project shows off your strengths, then put it in – even if it didn’t work out how you expected.
Remember that we’ll want you to talk us through your portfolio at your interview, so prepare some notes, too.
3. Put your best work front and centre Don’t save your show-stopper for the last page – get your favorite pieces in early. We want to be wowed by you! We’d also like you to put your work into some kind of order – perhaps arrange it chronologically, or by theme.
4. Keep it tidy
A professional-looking portfolio will help you make a positive impression. Include about ten to 15 pieces of work and keep your portfolio either entirely portrait, or entirely landscape (it’s best not to mix).
If you include any audio or video in your portfolio, it should be under two minutes long.
5. Prepare to get digital
Upload your portfolio to your Applicant Portal. Once we’ve received your application, we’ll let you know about next steps.
6. Steal the show
For our performing arts courses, we’ll invite you to an online audition, where you’ll be asked to perform a monologue. It’s best to pick the text you feel most comfortable with, as you’ll need to memorise it and be prepared to perform it in more than one way.
More questions about your portfolio?
Scan this code to find out more:
Entry requirements
When looking at whether to offer you a place on one of our courses, we will consider your academic credentials alongside the creative talent shown in your portfolio, if required.
International Pathway Courses
For our International Foundation in Creative Practice and Integrated Foundation courses, we usually require a minimum of 12 years of schooling with good grades. For countries where 11 years of schooling is comparable to this level of entry, this will be accepted.
For our Integrated Pre-Masters we require at least a recognised bachelor’s degree or three year diploma with a strong portfolio (where required) in a relevant subject.
Undergraduate Courses
For our bachelor’s courses, we require 13 years of education (or the equivalent of A-Levels) with good grades.
Postgraduate Courses
For our master’s courses, we require a bachelor’s degree with good grades from a recognised university. A portfolio is required for applicable courses.
Other accepted qualifications
We will consider other relevant and equivalent qualifications from your home country for entry onto our pathway, Bachelor’s and Master’s courses. Each application we receive is considered individually and therefore these qualifications are provided as a guide – we may make offers with lower entry requirements to students who have faced difficulties that have affected their performance, and who were expected to achieve higher results.
For more information on the accepted qualifications from your home country, visit: uca.ac.uk/international/ equivalent-qualifications
English Language Requirements
If your first language is not English, you will be required to provide evidence of your English language ability to meet the requirements for your course. The table below shows the required scores on the IELTS Academic test.
Pre-Doctorate: Research Degree Preparation 6.0 or equivalent
MPhil / PhD 7.0 overall with 7.0 for writing no component below 6.5
If your IELTS scores are 0.5 below the entry requirement, then you can take our 6-week Pre-sessional English course.
If your IELTS scores are 1.0 below the entry requirement, then you can take our 10-week Pre-sessional English course.
If your IELTS scores are 1.5 below the entry requirement, then you can take our 15-week Pre-sessional English language course (online).
For more information on our English language entry requirements and a list of our accepted English language tests, scan the code below:
Fees and scholarships
Level of Study Tuition Fee* EU Fees with Scholarship
Integrated Foundation
Integrated Pre-Masters (30 weeks)
Pre-Doctorate: Research Degree Preparation
Undergraduate (BA, BSc)
MA, MSc
£18,000
£18,020
£4,800 or £6,000 (plus English module)
£18,000 (£3,490 for the Professional Practice Year)
£18,540
£18,000
£9,790
£10,800
£4,800 or £6,000 (plus English module)
£9,790 (£1,955 for the Professional Practice Year)
£10,800 Master of Architecture (MArch)
£9,790
MA Filmmaking, MA Luxury Business Management, Global MBM £19,050
MPhil / PhD
For more information about fees, visit: uca.ac.uk/fees
*Subject to change. Fees shown are correct at the time of publication: 2 April 2026
Early Full Fee Payment Discount
£1,000 additional fee reduction per year
UCA Creative Europe Scholarship Fee reduction to the equivalent of home student fees for the duration of the course
UCA Creative Development Scholarship
Continuing Performance Scholarship
UCA Merit Scholarship
UCA International PhD Scholarship
£3,000 fee reduction for the first year
£4,000 fee reduction per progessing year
£4,500 fee reduction for the first year
£5,000 fee reduction for the 1st year, £3,000 fee reduction for year 2 and 3
All full-time courses
All full-time courses including PhD
International (non-EU) applicants who pay their full tuition fees (after scholarships) before or at CAS issuance
All applicants who are residents in the European Union
All full-time courses (excludes one semester Pre Masters)
All full-time courses (excludes one semester Pre Masters and PhD)
All full-time courses (excludes one semester Pre Masters)
All full-time PhD courses
All international applicants
All international applicants (non-EU)
All international applicants
All international offer holders
You can only receive one scholarship or fee reduction per academic year (excluding Early Full Fee Discount). Further details on scholarships can be found here: uca.ac.uk/scholarships
All fees and scholarships shown are correct at the time of publication: 2 April 2026
Find the full list of eligibility and criteria here:
Where we are
Find out more Interested
1. Head to our website
Want to know more about UCA and our courses, or chat to someone who already studies here? Visit uca.ac.uk
3. Explore our Virtual Open Day
We offer virtual campus tours, videos of courses, accommodation and student life. Explore them at uca.ac.uk/opendays
2. Follow us on social media
Our Instagram and TikTok are the ideal way to get a taste of UCA life, see our students’ amazing work and hear about our graduates’ career successes. Search @unicreativearts / @uniforcreativearts
4. Sign up for an online webinar
You can join us for an online webinar, where we cover a wide range of topics. These events are occurring all the time, visit the link below for the latest! uca.ac.uk/events/international
Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this prospectus at the time of publication (April 2026). The University reserves the right to make changes, and applicants are advised to check the website for the most up-to-date information.
enquiries@uca.ac.uk
uca.ac.uk/international
Student artwork - Bill Martin, BA (Hons) Illustration