Study at University for the Creative Arts

Why study at University for the Creative Arts

UCA teaches creative subjects only, including animation, architecture, crafts, fashion, film and television, fine art, games, graphic design, illustration, photography, music and performing arts, alongside creative business. Its Business School for the Creative Industries is based at Epsom, and the Doctoral College supports PhD study. Farnham, its largest campus, houses film, media, crafts and galleries such as the James Hockey and Foyer Galleries.

Location and student life

UCA's main campuses are at Farnham in Surrey, Epsom in Surrey and Canterbury in Kent. Farnham, the largest campus, sits in a conservation area on the edge of a historic market town known for crafts, with studios, workshops, galleries and the Elaine Thomas Library on site. The Students' Union runs more than 65 clubs and societies across the campuses.

Each campus has student halls plus private housing nearby. UCA publishes commuting guidance covering rail and bus options, so check the pages for the campus offering your course before choosing where to live.

Courses and subjects

UCA's course finder lists animation, architecture, business and management, communication and media, creative technology, crafts, fashion, film and TV, fine art, games, graphic design, illustration, interior and spatial design, marketing, music, performing arts, photography and product design. Courses run at undergraduate, postgraduate and research levels.

The university also offers an integrated foundation year, an integrated pre-masters and pre-sessional English for applicants who need extra preparation before degree study. Many practice-based courses ask for a portfolio at application; check the relevant course page for briefs and deadlines.

Entry requirements for international students

International applicants apply with their country's school or university qualifications plus evidence of English; UCA publishes equivalent qualifications by country, so requirements vary by course and nationality. For IELTS, the published guide asks for overall 6.0 for undergraduate degrees, 6.5 for masters degrees, 5.5 for foundation or pre-masters routes and 7.0 for PhD study, with minimum component scores. Portfolio-based courses also assess creative work. Applicants below the English threshold can take UCA pre-sessional English before progressing; always confirm exact requirements on the course page.

Accommodation

UCA offers halls at Canterbury, Epsom and Farnham. At Farnham the two main sites are University Walk and the Student Village, together housing about 600 students; Canterbury offers Ian Dury House and the Riverside Student Quarter, and Epsom has houses including Crossways House. Halls places are subject to availability, and UCA also supports private renting, with a dedicated page for January entrants. Apply through the accommodation portal and check deadlines and prices for your campus.

Scholarships and funding

For 2027/28 UCA lists automatic international fee discounts: the Merit Scholarship (a £4,500 first-year deduction), Creative Development Scholarships (£3,000 first year), a Creative Europe Scholarship reducing fees to the home-fee level for eligible EU nationals, and an International PhD Scholarship (£5,000 in year one, £3,000 in years two and three). A £1,000 full-fee payment discount and progression discounts for International Foundation students are also published. Awards are limited and automatic where eligible; amounts change each year, so check the scholarships page.