UCA School of Communications Guide

by Theo Matthews

We know creativity makes our world more innovative, more joyous, and more human. We’re outside the establishment, standing for fresh perspective and originality. With us, you’ll be a name, not a number, as we deliver an education tailored to you and your future.

“I love being part of the School of Communications because it gives us the opportunity to work with like minds, who have a shared vision for helping the young people of today, influence tomorrow. We have such a vibrant community of students and staff from a diverse variety of backgrounds and cultures at UCA.”

Join the CREATIVE UPRISING and be part of a 160-year tradition of doing things differently.

– Tom Northey, Head of School, Communications

Credit: Apostolos Peppas

Credit: Emily Larkin

Success after graduation

Our graduates go on to amazing things – here’s just some of the career paths they’ve taken:

Colin Banks – Designer

– Martin Lambie-Nairn –Broadcast Designer, Creator (Spitting Image)

Martin Handford – Illustrator (Where’s Wally?)

Richard Lyons - Designer (Apple)

Chris Cox - Lead Artist (ustwo games)

– Nina Elstad – Designer, Head (Zeus Publishing)

– Casey Highfield – Designer (20something)

– Faye Moorhouse – Illustrator and Animator

– Tom Dowse - Dry Cleaning (Post Punk) 4AD Records

– Sophie Mckeon – 2D artist (Poly Fruit Studios)

Course index

Course UCAS Code

BA (Hons) Graphic Design

BA (Hons) W217

BA (Hons) with Integrated Foundation Year W21A

BA (Hons) with International Foundation Year W21C

BA (Hons) with Professional Practice Year W216

BA (Hons) with Integrated Foundation Year AND Professional Practice Year W21B

BA (Hons) with International Foundation Year AND Professional Practice Year W21D

BA (Hons) Illustration

BA (Hons) W220

BA (Hons) with Integrated Foundation Year W22F

BA (Hons) with International Foundation Year W22H

BA (Hons) with Professional Practice Year W222

BA (Hons) with Integrated Foundation Year AND Professional Practice Year W22G

BA (Hons) with International Foundation Year AND Professional Practice Year W22J

BA (Hons) Journalism & Communications*

BA (Hons) P500

BA (Hons) with Integrated Foundation Year P50A

BA (Hons) with International Foundation Year P50C

BA (Hons) with Professional Practice Year P501

BA (Hons) with Integrated Foundation Year AND Professional Practice Year P50B

BA (Hons) with International Foundation Year AND Professional Practice Year P50D

BA (Hons) Photo & Digital Journalism*

BA (Hons) P502

BA (Hons) with Integrated Foundation Year P50F

BA (Hons) with International Foundation Year P50H

BA (Hons) with Professional Practice Year P503

BA (Hons) with Integrated Foundation Year AND Professional Practice Year P50G

BA (Hons) with International Foundation Year AND Professional Practice P50J

BSc (Hons) User Experience Design*

BSc (Hons) I140

BSc (Hons) with Integrated Foundation Year I14A

BSc (Hons) with International Foundation Year I14C

BSc (Hons) with Professional Practice Year I141

BSc (Hons) with Integrated Foundation Year AND Professional Practice Year I14B

BSc (Hons) with International Foundation Year AND Professional Practice Year I14D

BA (Hons) Studio Practice – Graphic Design

BA (Hons) W403

BA (Hons) Studio Practice – Illustration

BA (Hons) W404

Course UCAS Code

When thinking about your career, there’s only one thing as important as your education – building industry experience.

At UCA, you’ll be able to get both at once, building hands-on experience while you study through a range of opportunities designed to help you enhance your CV. From live industry briefs and work placements through to optional Professional Practice Years, there’s an option to suit you.

Professional Practice Years

Many of our undergraduate courses come with the option of an additional Professional Practice Year. If you choose this route, you’ll take a study break between years 2 and 3 to go on a year-long placement related to your studies – in a newsroom, graphic design studio or PR agency, for example. Learn more on the course pages at uca.ac.uk

Guaranteed work placements

Preparing graduates for successful careers underpins everything we do, and all School of Communications students will be offered an industry placement anywhere between two weeks and a year in length, depending on their individual needs. We’ll draw on our wide range of contacts within

the creative industries to ensure you’re offered opportunities that align with your interests and future career aspirations.

Live industry briefs

One of the most exciting features of UCA courses is the opportunity to take part in   live industry briefs and competitions. Students on our communications courses will collaborate on designs, creative briefs, and proposals which will not only prepare you for the world of work but will support you in making lifelong professional connections.

For example, Graphic Design students have had a long association with the makers of Nescafe Azera coffee to design special edition packaging. Ethan Salmon, one of those students, said: “It was really gratifying working with Nescafé Azera and finalising my design. This has been a great boost to starting my career.”

Sallyanne Theodosiou, senior lecturer in Graphic Design at UCA, added: “Students learned a lot about non-disclosure agreements and legal considerations, in addition to meeting the brief, and to see their designs finally appear on supermarket shelves was extremely exciting.”

A foot in the door

Welcome to Farnham

With its market town charm and its excellent transport links to London, the South East and the South Coast, Farnham is a town with much to offer.

Our campus, with its extensive specialist facilities and large on-site halls community, sits on the outskirts of the town, a stone’s throw away from the iconic Lion and Lamb Yard and a host of cafes, restaurants, pubs and independent shops.

Student favourites include the Slug and Lettuce and The Lost Boy in the town centre, together with the Starbucks close to campus. For a bit of culture, you’ll find regular shows, stand-up comedy, films and activities at Farnham Maltings, and some lively nightlife is just a short bus or train ride away in Guildford, with venues like

Wetherspoons and Popworld nightclub among the many places to have fun.

And for shopping, there’s plenty of choice, with a range of charity shops, bookstores, Elphick’s department store, Pullingers art supplies and 101 Collectors Records among the highlights.

You’ll also find stunning 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.

Meet our school community

Mark Hudson Programme Director, Graphic Design

“Our school is devoted to exploring visual fields and approaches and maximises the opportunities to explore these together. We hold regular chats between staff, and cross-campus activities that bind us together. After hours clubs such as our Print Club bring all years from Year 1 to postgrad students working together on their shared interests. Our aim is to use design to help everyone create meaningful and lifelong transformations around them.”

Liz Wilson Associate Lecturer & Printmaking Technician

“Collaborating with students on their creative journey is a fascinating and rewarding process. Through problem solving, experimentation and risktaking students are able to create innovative and exciting outcomes which push the boundaries of their practice.”

“With the guidance of the incredible tutors and technical staff and access to the huge variety of resources that UCA Farnham has to offer, I have been able to create work that I never thought possible. You are encouraged to discover and develop your own personal voice within the world of illustration, without ever feeling you have to fit into any particular style. The sense of community and the creative environment is something that I felt the second I stepped onto the campus. Looking back over my work from the past few years it has made me proud of what I have achieved and I am excited to continue on the creative journey that this course has started for me.”

“I absolutely loved my time at UCA. I loved that it not only focused on the design aesthetics of creating a brand but it also focused on the thinking behind it, which I know has definitely paid apart in getting me where I am today with Note and Shine.”

“I honestly loved my time at UCA. This is very much a cliché saying but I felt like a name and not a number. My course leader, lecturers and tutors all took the time to get to know me and my year group. They knew each of our strengths and worked hard to get the very best out of us. I made friends for life who are equally as passionate about design as I am and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know them.”

Ryan Waddon, BA (Hons) Illustration graduate Kelsey Layne, graduate in Graphic Communications Emily Kelly, graduate in Graphic Communications

Credit: Judy Jow

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.

Farnham halls of residence  Farnham has two halls of residence, both on campus and housing around 600 students. Prices ranged from £125 - £187 per week at the time of going to print (these are subject to change, but this gives you a rough idea of what to expect).

University Walk

Our newest accommodation, located next to our Film & Media Centre and library, comprises five buildings and each is identifiable by its coloured feature window - Austen House is purple, Watts House is red, Swift House is yellow, Cobbett House is orange and Godfrey House is green.

Our stylish accommodation is home for more than 250 students to settle in, with each flat sleeping eight students in single en-suite bedrooms, along with a shared kitchen and dining area.

There are six fully accessible bedrooms for students with disabilities too. One flat is adapted for students with disabilities.

Student Village

UCA Farnham’s Student Village comprises 45 purpose-built houses containing up to eight bedrooms each. Features include:

Shared facilities – two showers and two toilets per house

A single bed, bookcase/shelves, desk and chair, wardrobe and washbasin in each bedroom

– A shared kitchen/communal area with cookers and fridge-freezers, and small appliances including kettles and microwaves

There are 16 en-suite bedrooms, which are predominantly allocated to students with medical conditions and/or a disability.

Internet access

– Student wardens on-site for out-ofhours needs.

Private accommodation

If the idea of halls isn’t for you, or you don’t get a place in our halls, private accommodation is the way to go. There is a bit more to consider if you take this route, so preparation is key, as well as research and budgeting. We’ll help you with the process and finding the information you need.

Accommodation Guarantee

We’re proud to offer all first-year students a guaranteed accommodation offer –either through halls or privately – for 2023. To qualify, you must accept your offer from UCA by the UCAS deadline (usually mid-January). International students applying directly to UCA must apply by 30 April 2023 to qualify.

Here to help

You can find out more about our accommodation offering, our services, our contact details and more about our Accommodation Guarantee for first-year students, by scanning the QR code below.

Our facilities and resources

How do you want to communicate? Through a glossy coffee-table book, a printed poster, a smartphone app, a short piece to camera or a radio broadcast? However, you want to get your message across, we’ve got the facilities to help you do it.

At UCA Farnham, we’ve got a rich and wideranging suite of facilities and resources for you to discover and learn about. Whether that’s photographic equipment hire, to our

PC/Mac suites, or even our printing services and Film & Media Centre - nothing’s off limits, and we actively encourage you to push the boundaries not only on what you communicate, but how you do it.

Here’s a glimpse of just some of the facilities we’ve got on offer – and this isn’t even including our rich library resources and team of experienced technicians who can guide you on your way.

Facilities highlights

– Animation studios with Mac workstations, lightboxes, Wacom Cintiq tablets, line testers and hi-speed batch scanners

Animation rostrum rooms set up to capture stop-frame animation on DragonFrame

– Dedicated games art IT studios with specialist hardware and software

VR and game testing areas

Colour and black and white darkrooms

Photography studios with an infinity table  FAB LAB, a digital fabrication service with laser cutters and 3D printing facilities, offering a host of computer aided design and creation opportunities

– Digital print bureau providing a professional print and finishing service using an extensive range of materials, paper types, sizes, finishes and binding options

Film & Media Centre featuring a live performance room, control room for sound mixing, dubbing theatre, rehearsal studios and film soundstage with industry standard Arri film lighting rigs

250-seat lecture and film screening theatre with 4K digital projection and online streaming capabilities

Painting and sculpture studios

Traditional printmaking workshop including equipment for intaglio, relief, screen printing and letterpress

Craig’s life-changing design degree

Designer and artist Craig Maxwell is making a name for himself. He designs quirky pop culture greetings cards, and tour poster artwork for major music artists these days – but he’s crediting his “life-changing” UCA experience for his success.

It was during his BA (Hons) Graphic Design course that he discovered something new and earthshattering about himself – he was severely dyslexic.

“I actually had no idea I was dyslexic, I struggled with some subjects in high school such as Maths, but I just put that down to me not having a passion for the subject,” he said. “It was only when I had a crit with my tutor Sophie when she was reading through one of my essays and she said ‘Craig, I know you’re dyslexic but we really need to work on your written work’.

“I was like, ‘What? I’m not?’. So, she set up a test for me and it turned out I have severe dyslexia. At the time I did feel let down by the educational

system that it took me until I was at degree level for it to be spotted.

“I look at it in a different way now and it helps massively to just be aware of it, for example just taking time to double check things, or explaining something might just take you a little bit longer to do something. A lot of people think dyslexia is just bad spelling but it’s a lot broader than that, and also a misconception. When people say ‘you’re a bit stupid’, I tell them to go and say that to Richard Branson!”

This discovery, and the experience he had at UCA overall, gave Craig the confidence and contacts he needed to dive straight into the working world.

“My UCA experience was life-changing for me, not only academically but also personally. For the first time, I felt like I could really be myself, express who I was in an environment surrounded by likeminded individuals,” he said.

“The course itself put me outside my comfort zone.

I took away increased confidence in myself and my design ability, with a better idea of where I fitted in the design world. From doing presentations, receiving criticism, having group crits and working as a team - all aspects of the course really prepare you for once you step outside into the world of work, which can be really daunting.

“The great thing was, once I graduated I wasn’t left out to dry. I got in contact with one of my tutors after deciding I wanted to change jobs and they put me in touch with an agency that ended up leading to employment. The tutors almost become like your peers and there is a mutual respect they really want you to succeed.”

As well as helping Craig improve his creative thinking skills, he also worked on live industry briefs – including designing tins for Nescafe Café Azera – which he said gave him the real-world skills he needed to make it within industry.

Using his skills, he now works as a designer of tour posters for major artists like Anne Marie and Little Mix, while on the side he founded his own business, MaxwellMakes.

“Maxwell Makes is mainly based around humour and pop culture, seeing something trending in the world and putting my own comedic spin on that. I approach a lot of my life with humour, humour is what gets me through difficult times.

“At the moment I’m really inspired by nostalgia, watching 1960’s series’ like The Prisoner and The Avengers. I think this year has made us all nostalgic, made us appreciate things a bit more.

“I am thinking of going back to where my original love for art as a whole came, and that was portrait painting. What better time to start it with the dark evenings upon us to relax and do some painting and start experimenting again? I really want to make MaxwellMakes itself into all different products; notebooks, candles, tote bags - the list goes on. I’d love to be that staple brand people come to for their niche pop culture needs!

“The next step is going to be trying to get my products into some independent retailers so I’m looking forward to pitching my range.”

“For my day job, designing tour artwork for bands and artists, if I don’t already know the artist, I will normally listen to their music, look at their album

covers, see if they’ve had previous tour artwork. Once I have that base, I build on that and think how can I put my spin on this but still keep it true to the artist. A lot of the time it’s manic and extremely fastpaced so I don’t have time to think!”

As with all our graduates, we like to ask the what advice they would share with current students, and Craig says it’s all about learning from mistakes – especially in terms of setting up your own enterprise.

“I’d say, take small steps every day, and don’t focus on perfecting. I think a lot of creatives including myself are hypercritical of ourselves and try to reach this unattainable level of perfection, so much so that we cripple ourselves and what we’ve created never gets seen. What you’re putting out there doesn’t need to be perfect, it needs to be great, and if it isn’t? Screw it you’ll learn, and the next thing you do will be better.”

He added: “I wish I could go back to Uni. It’s probably the most creative years of your life, you can literally do anything you want when you’re designing (as long as you have a rationale behind it) – so make the most of your freedom!”

You can see more of Craig’s work at his Instagram page, @maxwellmakes and his Etsy shop.

Read more student stories at uca.ac.uk/blogs

Lucy’s book tackles complexities of grief

UCA students are constantly creating work which can inspire, innovate and create conversation – take a project by Lucy Munt during the third year of her BA (Hons) Illustration degree.

Lucy created a book aimed at young adults, which offers advice on how to deal with grief. She used her own experience of losing someone close to her suddenly as her motivation for the four-month project.

“I created ‘How do I grieve?’ from a brief set by the charity Creative Conscience,” said Lucy. “I lost someone very close to me to a sudden death, which was so unexpected and an experience that I wish no one had to go through. But I found there were no engaging or visual books to help me understand what I was going through, and young adults are experiencing more problematic responses to loss than we think.

“From the project research, I learned that there are not any books on the market that are visual and metaphorical to help people understand grieving. They just show blocks of text and don’t seem to be well thought about. I felt this needed to change.

“I also found that bereavement, especially in young adults, leads to complicated grief or depression, and can result in an increase in drug, alcohol and tobacco use.”

The result of Lucy’s hard work was her beautiful book, which charted the story of Emma, who was going through the complicated journey of grieving after the loss of her best friend. Lucy used metaphorical objects to help the reader see grieving through symbolism and surrealism to communicate emotions and feelings.

To create her book, Lucy experimented with many mediums such as acrylic and watercolour paints, digital art and collages.

“I think it is important to be free with a variety of working methods in order to discover the appropriate medium to communicate such an important subject. I love Mixed Media, so my way of working

is mixing analogue and digital mediums together to form a collage of my visuals. Using Procreate allows me to quickly express my thoughts visually, using a variety of textured and analogue drawings that I photographed and mixed into my work to give it a much more personal touch,” said Lucy, who hopes to become a freelance illustrator.

Lucy chose to study BA (Hons) Illustration because of her passion for telling stories.

“I like making images that can make a difference to people whether that is educational books or simply just fun and creative illustrations to make people smile,” she said. “I wanted to widen my knowledge within the creative industry, to experiment with different styles and I wanted to use the facilities to work in different professional environments. The atmosphere at UCA is extremely creative and that’s what I love to surround myself in and get involved with.”

Read more student stories at uca.ac.uk/blogs

At UCA, we understand that you might need to develop your portfolio and skills, or maybe you haven’t studied creative subjects at college. We don’t believe these things should stop you from achieving your dreams.

Which is why we offer our Foundation Years to those students who need it. The Foundation Year is designed to bridge the gap from where you are now, to where you need to be so that you can begin your degree with confidence. All of our courses feature a foundation year if you need to take one – whether you’re a UK or international student.

Integrated Foundation Year

For UK students, the Integrated Foundation Year is designed to give you the skills you’ll need to start your

degree in the best possible way –with confidence, solid knowledge of creative practice, study skills and more. You’ll explore a range of creative techniques and develop your portfolio, with your chosen subject in mind. We’ll work with you throughout the year to ensure you’re on the right track and give you the tools to achieve your highest potential on your degree.

Integrated International Foundation Year

For our students coming from a nonUK educational background, your Integrated International Foundation Year is exactly the same as for our UK students – but with a few small changes to help you settle in and be the best you can be, including the English speaking and writing skills you’ll need to progress.

success

Our courses

BA (Hons) Graphic Design

Credit: Marcelina Slabuszewska

From branding to typography, UI/UX design to print media and digital publishing, BA (Hons) Graphic Design introduces you to the many exciting avenues within the industry.

You’ll take part in challenging live projects, competitions and extra-curricular industry placements, so that by the time you graduate you’ll have a wealth of knowledge and experience to take forward into your career.

The course enables you to specialise in your area of interest while building a strong entrepreneurial skillset, and you’ll be encouraged to collaborate, socialise and share ideas within our unique community of creative students.

Recent students have designed window displays for Benetton’s flagship stores, worked with Sky on the creation of a new TV channel and undertaken live projects for Bestival.

Year 1

You’ll explore graphic experimentation, with emphasis placed firmly on communication, and learn the guiding principles and processes of Graphic Design, with three main focal points – typography, creative methodology and visual communication.

Year 2

A key objective of the second year is to explore multimodal approaches to design and relate them to your own practice and to the professional world. You’ll also develop critical thinking, creative and technical skills related to working with large amounts of text and be introduced to graphic design for screen.

Year 3

Your final year is an opportunity to showcase your skills in a variety of ways – from taking part in industry-led student competitions – including Red Dot, D&AD, the International Society of Typographic Designers and YCN – your portfolio of work and your final major project.

BA (Hons) Illustration

We believe the best illustration is based on exciting, original ideas. Our BA (Hons) Illustration degree course will help you achieve just thatthrough drawing, text, sequential design, book production, moving image and more.

As well as a wealth of fundamental skills, you’ll develop a personal style and learn business and selfpromotion skills to help you build a career as soon as you graduate.

You’ll be taught through studio-based projects, workshops and a lively programme of visiting speakers, skills-based workshops, pop-up exhibitions and external visits. There’s also a wealth of exceptional facilities to take advantage of, including printmaking, ceramics, digital printing, textiles and 3D printing.

The course benefits from a wide range of industry links with partners including the Association of Illustrators, Ambit Magazine and the V&A.

Year 1

Through learning the building blocks of illustration, you’ll begin to consider the reach and impact of illustration in its current and speculative forms, and conclude the year taking part in school-wide events and showcases.

Year 2

You’ll extend your core illustration studio skills, including drawing, printmaking, composition, photography, and key software, and you’ll consolidate the studio culture you’ve been introduced to. You’ll work on specialist design briefs from a spectrum of image-making sub-disciplines, and you’ll also begin to consider your professional position after graduation, including organising a work placement.

Year 3

In a jam-packed final year, you’ll complete a series of tasks aimed at fully showcasing your work and illustration identity. You’ll complete a written design project, a collaborative brief, and a competition brief from a recognised national or international competition or awards scheme and conclude your studies with your Final Major Project – to be exhibited in the end-of-year Degree Show.

Credit: Sophie Mckeon

Credit: Ting Yi Hseih

BA (Hons) Studio Practice (Graphic Design)

BA (Hons) Studio Practice (Illustration)

Our new Studio Practice top-up course in Graphic Design at UCA Farnham will give you the chance to gain all the skills you need to progress in your career.

This year long course is equivalent to the final year of a BA course; allowing you to progress to a Master’s degree in a streamlined way.

You’ll begin to develop your practice and produce your final major project, bringing together your career aspirations and practical work. You’ll participate in competitions and live industry briefs to develop your professional portfolio.

Our Studio Practice top-up course in Illustration will give you the chance to develop your illustration skills and progress further to postgraduate study in the UK.

As you join the course you’ll be alongside final year undergraduate students, meaning you’ll get straight to the action with practical and research-based projects.

You’ll develop your creative skills and production to a high standard and prepare your professional portfolio. You’ll also have the opportunity to participate in external competitions and live industry briefs.

Credit: Jinning Yang

Credit: Zhuoxun Li

New for 2023

BSc (Hons) User Experience Design

If you want to become a graphic designer with a difference, our new degree in User Experience Design gives you the opportunity to take conventional graphic design into the digital space. With more industry sectors employing interactive designers, from architects to retail brands and from healthcare providers to the military, this course presents an ideal opportunity to explore how design can work on an interactive level.

BA (Hons) Journalism & Communications

Telling stories and conveying them in a way that catches the eye of the reader or viewer, is what our new degree in Journalism & Communications is about. On this course you’ll learn how to tell stories for a news purpose, and how to tell them in other ways - on behalf of an organisation or company, for example. From punchy headlines to learning house style, this course will get you ready for an exciting career.

BA (Hons) Photo & Digital Journalism

Specialise your journalistic skills on our new degree that concerns the power of photojournalism, and the rise in digital journalism. On this course, you’ll learn how photos can influence or dictate a story, how online journalism can reach corners of society that print or broadcast cannot – and crucially, you’ll learn how to do both.

Credit: Lei Liu

Credit: Thomas Baxter

Credit: Ewa Krzeszewska

Next steps

1.

Applying

For full time undergraduate courses, fill out an application form via ucas.com (deadline 25 January). The institution name is UCA, the institution code is C93, and campus codes are C, E, F and M (for Maidstone TV Studios).

OR

For Further Education or parttime undergraduate courses, fill out an application form directly with us using the ‘Apply now’ link on the course pages at uca.ac.uk

2.

Your application

Once you’ve submitted your application, you’ll receive an email from us with your username and password for the UCA Applicant Portal.

3.

Create a portfolio

We really hope you’ve got all the information you need and are feeling excited about starting the next stage of your journey with us at UCA.

If you’d like to apply to become a student here, there are a few things you need to do. So, we’ve put together this checklist of tasks for you to tick off as you go.

4.

Come to your applicant day

Depending on your course, you may need to create a portfolio of your work. Here are some tips (see page 42-43 for more):

Include 12-20 pieces of work, neatly presented.

Lead with your show-stopping pieces.

Show us how you thinkdocument your ideas to show us your creative potential

Present examples of your research that show idea development

You may be invited to an interview, where you’ll learn more about your course and meet the tutors.

5.

Read your offer email carefully If your application is successful, you’ll receive an offer email from us that explains the full terms and conditions of your offer. You can also find details of your offer in your UCA Applicant Portal.

–

Let your personality shine through and tell us what or who inspires you.

For some courses, we would love to see sketchbooks, blogs, prep work, printed outputs, and screenbased work

– And make sure your portfolio is organised – it’s got to clearly represent your artistic development.

Accept your offer

For UCAS applications, accept by logging into UCAS Track

OR

For direct applications, accept using the task in your Applicant Portal.

International students: Pay your tuition fee deposit

Receive your CAS number

– Use your CAS number to apply for a visa.

7.

Apply for accommodation

As soon as you can apply for accommodation, we’ll contact you to let you know. This is usually in March for courses starting in September.

8.

Apply for a student loan

To apply, visit: gov.uk/student-finance

9.

Confirm your accommodation

For halls or local accommodation, make sure you’ve: Made your advance payment

– Confirmed your moving in date.

10.

Take your place at UCA Settle into your accommodation

Enrol on your course

– Meet your new friends Enjoy your creative journey!

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.

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.

At our Applicant Days (or in an online interview if you submitted your portfolio digitally), we’ll get the opportunity to meet you and learn more about you as a person. They usually take place between December and March, and are a fun, informal next step in the application process.

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

We’ll ask for 12-20 examples of your current work which shows off your experience, interests, aspirations and passion for the subject. Remember, we’re all about quality rather than quantity. And we’re happy for work to be provided digitally where sensible.

We would love to see your creative potential, from sketchbooks through to completed project work. Make sure your portfolio includes a range of work that illustrates the breadth of your creative skills. You could include typography, text and image, photographic and illustrative work.

For Graphic Design and Visual Communications, your portfolio could include sketchbooks, blogs, prep work, printed outputs, and screenbased work.

For Illustration, we would love to see observational/experimental drawing, sketchbooks, reflective writing, examples that showcase your personal interest in illustration, and examples of any 3D work that you may have.

If it’s not practical to bring physical work, photograph it, add it to a memory stick or upload it online. When uploading any work digitally, remember that if it’s a password protected site, we will need access. Try to use a platform that doesn’t require a login.

More questions about your portfolio? Scan to find out more.

Entry requirements

When looking at whether to offer you a place on one of our courses, we’ll consider your academic credentials.

Here’s a breakdown of the usual academic requirements for each of our courses.

Integrated Foundation Year of a BA/BSc (Hons) degree:

A-level results adding up to 64 UCAS tariff points

Or a Diploma in Art & Design –Foundation Studies (Level 3 or 4) with a Pass

– Or a BTEC Extended Diploma/ BTEC National Extended Diploma with Merit | Pass | Pass

Or a UAL Extended Diploma with a Pass

Or a combination of accepted Level 3 qualifications adding up to 64 UCAS tariff points

– Or an IB (International Baccalaureate) with a score of 24 or above

And:

Four GCSE passes at grade 9 to 4 and/or A* to C, including English (or Functional Skills English/Key Skills Communication Level 2)

BA/BSc (Hons) degrees

– A-level results adding up to 112 UCAS tariff points

– Or a Diploma in Art & Design –Foundation Studies (Level 3 or 4) with a Pass

Or a BTEC Extended Diploma/ BTEC National Extended Diploma with Distinction | Merit | Merit

Or a UAL Extended Diploma with a Merit

Or an Access to Higher Education Diploma

–

Or a combination of accepted Level 3 qualifications adding up to 112 UCAS tariff points

Or an IB (International Baccalaureate) with a score of 27–30 (at least 15 IB points at Higher Level)

And:

– Four GCSE passes at grade 9 to 4 and/or A* to C, including English (or Functional Skills English/Key Skills Communication Level 2)

International students

International students can view typical entry requirements by country on our website. If your first language is not English, you will be required to provide evidence of your English language ability –usually a total score of 6.0 on the IELTS for UKVI Academic or IELTS Academic tests, with no less than 5.5 in any component. More information on our English language entry requirements and other evidence we can accept is available at: uca.ac.uk

Other qualifications

We can consider other relevant and equivalent UK/EU/international qualifications on an individual basis.

Sometimes, we 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.

Open Days

Coming to an Open Day - whether virtually or in person - is a great way to find out more about UCA, the courses we offer, and whether this is the right place for you.

Whether you visit us in person or attend our online events, you’ll get a feel for life in our creative community and a taste of how our courses can help you turn your passions into an exciting and impactful career.

In-person Open Days

If you decide to come to an in-person open day, you’ll need to book a place on our website. It’s easy and free to do, and you’ll be able to register for any talks you’d like to go along to at the same time – from course-specific presentations to more general ones about life at UCA and funding your studies.

There will also be campus and accommodation tours, and a subject exhibition where you can meet lecturers and chat to our student ambassadors about what life here is really like.

Chat to a student: uca.ac.uk/chat

Explore our online talks: uca.ac.uk/ events/future-students

UCA Open Days

2022/23

Saturday 26th November 2022

– Wednesday 18th January 2023

Wednesday 26th April 2023

– Saturday 17th June 2023

Saturday 1st July 2023

Book your place

UCA Farnham

Heathrow Airport UCA Farnham

London Channel Tunnel

Maidstone Television Studios

UCA Canterbury Gatwick Airport

UCA Epsom

Heathrow Airport

CONNECT WITH US

Join us at #UCAlive

Chat with our students

All information is correct at time of print. For the latest information please visit uca.ac.uk

We run live Q&A sessions where you can ask us anything you like about what it’s like to live and study here at UCA. Visit our website and follow us on social media to find out about our next #UCAlive session.

If you’re looking to find out more about student life at UCA, our Unibuddy scheme gives you the chance to chat with people who are studying here right now. To chat with a student in your subject area, visit: uca.ac.uk/chat