UCA: what it's really like

Seeking a career in the creative industries? Want to experiment and create alongside like-minded peers? The University for the Creative Arts (UCA) may be the place for you!

UCA at a glance:

Elisha is a recruitment officer at the University for the Creative Arts, or UCA. She tells us what it's like to study there.
 

What’s the institution like?

UCA specialises in all areas of the creative industry – from the creative arts, to business and technology. We offer different study options, like professional practice years and integrated foundation years, meaning students can choose the best level of study for them.

We have connections to industry through our guest speakers, alumni, and even our academic staff, who've been in the industry or are still practising. The creators of children’s brands ‘Peppa Pig’, ‘Hey Duggee’, and ‘Where’s Wally’ are all part of our ever-growing alumni. And we’re proud that the winner of season 16 of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’, Nymphia Wind, is also one of our alumni.

To me, UCA is vibrant, innovative, and creative, and welcomes all students who are passionate about the arts.
 

What's it like for students to live in the local area?

We’re based across the south east of England. Our campuses are in Farnham, Epsom, Canterbury, and Maidstone TV Studios. They're all in town and city centres, so all the things you need are close by, like shops, supermarkets, cafes, and parks.Farnham won the world craft city status in 2020. It runs regular markets and community activities as well as a yearly food festival. Epsom also has regular markets and is close to Epsom Downs Racecourse. And Canterbury is a city full of beautiful architecture, including a cathedral alongside lots of niche bars and cafes.

All three campuses have great transport links, and are under an hour’s train ride away from London.

What accommodation options are available to students?

We have on-campus flats open to our first years. Within a flat, there can be about eight to ten people, depending on which area you’re in.I lived at Farnham in my first year, with seven other students. All our flats are non-catered, but come with plenty of kitchen space. It’s quite nice actually as you get to learn to cook, or even come up with meals with your flatmates. We made a whole Christmas dinner in my first year!

We also have plenty of options around our campuses, which you can find on sites like studenttenant.com. If you need it, however, our accommodation team is always happy to help if you don’t know where to look.

What facilities does the institution have that make it stand out from other institutions?

As a creative specialist uni, all our campuses are have industry standard facilities and studios. So it’s very hard to choose which ones to mention!

If I had to choose three off the top of my head, the first one would be the Virtual Production and Motion Capture Studios. These cutting-edge spaces are used by our games and film students in Farnham. Second would be our sewing machine rooms and pattern-cutting studios based at Epsom. These are used mainly by our fashion design and atelier students to develop their garments, and run alongside our extensive fashion studios and sewing facilities.

Finally, I'd say our printmaking studios for techniques like screen-printing, lithe, offset, and lino cutting. These are used by almost all our students and are a great example of something we offer similarly at all our campuses in some form. 

What is the top reason a student living in the UK or overseas should study here?

I think one of the best parts of studying at UCA is the sense of community. We have such a rich tapestry of people from all different backgrounds, cultures, and identities. Whoever you are or whoever you choose to be, you're welcome here. A lot of our students inspire each other by working together on projects.

We highly encourage collaboration between courses here. It’s a great way to get more exposure outside the classroom, but also it gives a sense of the industry, and just how many different people work together to create something amazing. This is reflected in the feedback from our students:

Who shouldn’t apply?

If you want to study science, medicine, or law-based courses, then we sadly won’t be the right uni for you. We specialise in the creative industry, but we do offer courses in business and technology!  

How does the institution meet the needs of students with different accessibility requirements?

At UCA, we know it’s our job to help students thrive during their studies. We offer a range of resources and support to all our students, from counselling services to advice on finance and housing.

We have access to an online wellbeing app, and free self-help tools like togetherall, with anonymous 24/7 peer support. And there’s Spectrum.Life, which is a confidential in-the-moment support service.We also have financial scholarships and bursaries for students, including a bursary for care leavers.

To find out more, visit our website uca.ac.uk – and type in ‘scholarships’.
 

Do you offer any work placements or study abroad options for students?

All our courses have the option for a short work placement in your second year, so you can gain experience in your industry of choice. We also offer a placement year, which is an extra year’s worth of work experience. Some of our film students, for example, have done placements on films like ‘The Favourite’ and series like ‘Game of Thrones’.

If you want to expand your horizons further, you can spend part of your degree studying abroad at one of our partner unis in Europe, the US, Asia, or even Australia.

Do you offer any unusual or unexpected courses?

We’ve recently announced our degree in body art. It will cover the art style, practices, and history of tattooing, plus lots of other topics like plastic surgery and hair colouring.

Want to explore more UK universities? Unifrog’s Shortlisting tool can help you put together a list of great potential courses. 

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