If you are planning to pursue your passion for a creative subject by studying it at a higher or further education level, there are several routes you can take to get there, as seen on the graph below:

infographic showing different routes to university

You can view all of the creative Higher Education courses offered by UCA here.

Check out our advice and useful tips about applying for creative pathways below!

Useful
information

For many creative courses, you will be required to put together a portfolio of your work as part of the application process.

Portfolios are made up of a collection of artwork, designs or creative ideas that best showcase your creative talents and interests. Find out more about putting together your portfolio by watching the video below:

You can also find out more about putting together your portfolio here.

When applying for some creative courses, you will be asked to attend an interview. Interviews are usually a meeting with a tutor or member of staff from the course you have applied for and may take place virtually or in person. Interviews are a chance for the university to get to know you and your work, and for you to explain your creative interests and show off your portfolio.

Have an interview coming up? We have put together some top tips to help you prepare:

1. Be enthusiastic

If you have applied for a creative HE course, it’s likely that you are creative or passionate about creative subjects. Interviewers love to see enthusiastic and passionate interviewees, so make sure you let them know about your creative interests; whether that’s the subjects you study at school, any extra-curricular activities you do or any hobbies you have. You might also want to talk about any artists or designers that inspire you, your favourite art movements or film genre, or anything else that inspires you creatively. As you have applied for a creative course, interviewers will want to see that you are keen and have creative interests.

2. Refer to your portfolio

An interview is usually an opportunity for you to show off your portfolio and explain the work within it. Interviewers might ask you questions about the work you have included, so make sure you are able to briefly explain why you chose to include each piece. You can refer to your portfolio throughout your interview and it can be a great tool to remind yourself of things you would like to mention to your interviewer. You can find further advice and about putting together a portfolio above.

3. Ask questions

Just as the interviewers will be asking questions to find out about you, you might also want to find out more about them, the university and the course you have applied for. Use your interview as an opportunity to ask any questions you may have such as what might be involved in the course, what the studios are like or what the weekly structure is. Asking questions will also show that you are keen and interested in the course, which will be well received by the interviewer.

UCA interviews usually take place on our Applicant Days. To find out more information about Applicant Days and interviews, check out the video below:

Further information for applicants can be found here. 

When applying for some creative courses, you may be asked to write a personal statement which gives further information about you and why you would like to study the course you are applying for. You can find out more about writing a personal statement and some useful tips and advice here.

 

An important part of the University application process is fees and finance. To find out more about fees and whether you are eligible for any financial support, check out our Fees and Finance page here. 

You can also check out our student money-saving tips here.

For further information on student support and the student services available at UCA, click here. 

Further information for current applicants can be found here. 

Further information on how to apply for UCA courses can be found here. 

Interested in creative HE? Check out the links below for some further reading:

Creative careers information:

University/careers information:

Get in touch

If you have any further questions about Creative HE or applying for creative HE courses, please contact us at outreach@uca.ac.uk

Get in touch