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Arts London

UCAS Code: U65

Location: Mostly in central London Show on Map

Site: Six constituent art colleges across London

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Overview
Profile
Courses
Colleges
Student View
Applying
Open Days
Gallery
Contact

Europe’s largest university for the creative arts, a federation of six prestigious London art colleges. Member of the UKADIA group of universities.

Student Population

Total Students:	20,182
Undergraduates:	65%
Postgraduates:	14%
FE Students:	21%

Undergraduates

Total undergraduates:	13,149
Male:	28%
Female:	72%
Full Time:	96%
Mature on Entry:	33%
UK Students:	65%
Lower socio economic groups:	13%

Teaching Staff

Some 3000 (including 2000 associate lecturers)

Broad study areas

Art & design, fashion, media, communications, performing arts.

Freshers

Points on Entry (Mean):	322
Drop Out Rate:	3%
Accommodation:	Most first years housed in university halls.

Institution

Founded:	1986 as London Institute; university status in 2004. The colleges' histories date back to the nineteenth century.
Structural features:	Europe’s largest university for the arts, bringing together six celebrated colleges of art, design and communication. The colleges all have their own strong traditions and distinctive character, and each admits its own students. All students benefit from access to university resources and services. You can look up college profiles separately: Camberwell College of Arts; Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design; Chelsea College of Art & Design; London College of Communication; London College of Fashion; Wimbledon College of Art. Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon (CCW) co-operate in delivering one foundation course and also have a joint graduate school.
Site:	Numerous sites across London, from Oxford Street, to Archway, Hackney, Wimbledon and Southwark.
Special features:	The centrally-located Arts Gallery (open to the public) hosts a programme of work by university alumni; also 3 SU-run galleries showcase current students' work; large open-air gallery, the Rootstein Hopins Parade Ground, at Chelsea College has rolling installations and hosts the college's annual degree shows.

Student services & facilities

Student advice & services:	Student services provide advice and guidance about accommodation, careers and finance plus advice for students with disabilities and counselling. Also chaplaincy and prayer rooms.
Amenities:	College shops sell art and design materials. Central social and learning space for all university students in the Student Hub, including Arts Gallery, Learning Zone, café bar and open-access computing. Discounted access to many sporting, social and cultural facilities (including 200+ galleries and museums). SU runs sports clubs and societies (martial arts to ballroom dancing), a number of college bars and organises events and parties, including pathfinding week; also helps students with academic and accomodation issues, complaints and general advice.
Sporting facilities:	Central student activities studio. Student discounts at gyms and sports centres across London.
Accommodation:	2768 places in 13 residences across London; rents £83−£180 per week, contracts 42 or 51 weeks (depending on residence). Privately-rented accommodation available at £90−£350 pw plus bills.

Study opportunities & careers

Library & information services:	7 libraries, with 460,000+ titles, 3,500 journals and periodicals (art to web design), including 1,000 e-journals, 20,000 videos and DVDs; 130+ databases and 326 electronic books. Information provision, £48 pa spent for each student (FTE). Ratio 1:6 workstations to students; 12,000 internet access points, including 189 wi-fi points. IT help in open access areas and drop-in support sessions for electronic resources. Library and IT induction for all new students and IT skills courses available. Centrally located Learning Zone for students across the uUniversity, combines traditional and modern learning facilities including key texts, wi-fi, laptops, projectors, whiteboards and light-boxes, in a flexible and informal space.
Other learning resources:	Public theatre; newsrooms, TV and broadcast studios. Over 50 unique collections including the Diaghilev Costume Collection (at Camberwell), 800+ paper dressmaking patterns (at London College of Fashion), Stanley Kubrick film archive (at London College of Communication).
Study abroad:	Increasing numbers of students complete part of their course abroad.
Careers:	Specialist careers service provides 1-1 guidance to students, regular workshops, networking events, paid internships, advice from creative professionals revealing the trade secrets of how to secure that dream creative job.

Money

Living expenses budget:	Minimum budget of £6000–£10,000 pa (excluding tuition fees) recommended by university.
Term-time work:	No official university policy on term-time work. Students are encouraged to be aware of study needs and, if work is necessary, to seek work related to their course of study; careers service helps and provides some jobs within the university.
Financial help:	Bursaries of £400 pa for students whose family income is up to £25,000, and £280 for students whose household income is between £25,000 and £30,810. In addition, university offers a range of privately funded scholarships for prospective students, especially those on postgraduate courses.
University tuition fees:	Home students pay £9000 pa for first degree courses. International students pay £13,300 pa

Courses

Academic features:

The university offers a distinctive education in art, fashion, design, communication and performance. Learning is practice-based, creative and strongly linked with the creative arts through live briefs, placements, exhibitions and performances. It forges strong links with the creative industries by employing nearly 2000 practicing professionals as associate lecturers, all leading practitioners in their fields. Courses range from access and first diploma to PhD. Students often progress from a foundation course at one college to a degree course at another. New Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon graduate school offers large range of postgraduate courses in the art and design sector.

Student view

Living

It’s one of the most exciting creative institutions in the world. Made up of six colleges spread across London, Arts is a great place to study a wide range of disciplines. Regardless of which college they study at, every student has access to all the university’s facilities, including the new Student Hub development at Davies Street. Collectively, the college libraries are the best art and design resource in Europe, with thousands of books, journals, periodicals, videos and DVDs. Brand new SU office at Davies Street. Students’ union has a constantly growing number of sports clubs (including men and women’s football, rugby, basketball, netball, hockey teams) and various faith and cultural societies; also other services, including a social mentoring scheme for international students. Pathfinding week (university’s version of freshers week) is university-wide, as are Christmas party and summer fayre. Alumni include huge names in every area of art and design, many of whom remain close to the university through lectures, events and even, in some cases, tutoring. Although London can be a very daunting place, it has such a massive cultural diversity, it is anything but boring.

Summary

Housing: University halls of residence. Private accommodation: look in Loot, noticeboards, housing office at Davies Street; expect to pay £100 per week in shared house in zone 2. Eats: College cafeterias (meal for £2.50+); various sandwich shops around each college site. Drink: College bars and various pubs and bars near colleges. Nightlife: University SU runs parties and regular bar events; bar football, Sky sports. And there’s London. Student nights at venues across London every night; most clubs offer student discount. Locals: Mixed (depends where you live); SU and housing office can advise on a safe place to live. Sports: No university sports facilities but student rates at sports centres near most colleges. Travel: No travel scholarships. Travel in London cheaper with student card, but a bike will save you £60 a month if you don’t mind getting wet. Financial help: Access fund; hardship loans. Jobs: Plenty of part-time work in London. Tutors can sometimes help (good contacts). SU bar and design work, restaurants, NFT and other cinemas; retail hours easier than bar work. Informal name: Arts. Best features: It’s big, yet friendly and very well respected place to study. And worst: Lack of interaction between courses and cost of living.

Past Students

Trevor McDonald (broadcaster), Stella McCartney, Hussein Chalayan (fashion designers), Amish Kapoor (sculptor), Shonagh Marshall (fashion buyer); Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik (shoe designers); Peter Blake (artist), Pierce Brosnan (actor).