Add a year to your UAL undergraduate degree
CCI offers 2 exciting diploma programmes that UAL undergraduates in year 2 can apply for to complement your UAL degree:
Both diplomas are full-time, one-year programmes designed for students who have completed their second year of undergraduate study at UAL. They aim to bridge creativity and technology, enhancing your creative practice with highly sought-after digital skills that will boost your employability and expand your creative horizons.
Why choose a CCI diploma?
- Boost your career prospects: Creative graduates with advanced computing skills are in high demand across the digital creative industries. The diplomas equip you with coding, app development, and emerging tech skills that open doors to exciting roles in web development, interactive experiences, smart products, and more.
- Learn in a specialist environment: Study alongside undergraduates from across UAL in a dedicated institute focused on the intersection of art, design, and technology. You’ll gain hands-on experience with industry-standard tools and frameworks.
- Expand your creative practice: The diplomas are designed to help you experiment with new technologies, collaborate on creative projects, and develop a portfolio that stands out to employers.
- Graduate with an enhanced degree title: On successful completion, you’ll graduate with a degree title that reflects your additional expertise in creative computing or apple development, giving you a competitive edge in the job market.
- Be part of our social mission: At CCI we're not just about tech; we're about making a positive impact. Our social mission revolves around creating opportunities for everyone to dive into creative technology, shaping technology to positively impact society and empowering individuals with entrepreneurship opportunities.
What you need to know
How to apply
Applications are now open to join a CCI Diploma in September 2026.You can apply through the links below, which can also be found on the diploma course pages. You’ll need to be logged in to your UAL email account to complete your application.
We have 2 rounds of application deadlines:
- Round 1: Sunday 22 February 2026, 6pm (UK time)
- Round 2: Sunday 31 May 2026, 6pm (UK time)
Round 1 application decisions will be sent out by Friday 6th March 2026 and round 2 application decisions by Friday 12th June 2026.
Information for international students
Your student visa
If you hold a Student Route visa, you must ensure your visa covers the length of the diploma. If not, you’ll need to request a new CAS and apply for a new Student Route visa.
On confirmation of offer, we’ll work with you to check if any extension to your visa is required.
Student fees
The diplomas are taken as an extra year of study between year 2 and 3 of your degree programme and will need to be funded by you. All international students joining a CCI diploma will need to pay an additional year of international undergraduate fees. You can find the most up-to-date information on fee amounts on each diploma course page.
For general funding, fees and visa advice, contact Student Services (student.services@arts.ac.uk).
Information for home students
Student fees and funding
The diplomas are taken as an extra year of study between year 2 and 3 of your degree programme and you’ll need to fund an additional year of home undergraduate fees. You can find the most up-to-date information on fee amounts on each diploma course page.
Home and EU students eligible for student finance can receive a 4th year of funding (3 for your current course, 1 for the CCI diploma).
To do this, you need to ensure you have the loan for the correct course. This will be your original course (with Creative Computing), for example, Fine Art (with Creative Computing).
- If you have already applied for funding for the correct course, you do not need to do anything.
- If you have approved funding for year 3 of your original course then our funding team can change the course for you.
- If you have not applied for funding yet, you can change the course yourself when you make the application. If you are unable to find your course, you can apply for your original course and the funding team will change the course for you once it has been set up on the database.
For general funding and fees advice, contact Student Services (student.services@arts.ac.uk).
Entry requirements
To apply for a place on one of CCI’s diplomas you will need to be in your second year of an undergraduate degree at UAL. Your performance on the first and second years of study on your current BA course will be taken into consideration. We are also looking for you to demonstrate that you have the skills, motivation and commitment necessary to undertake computational practice and to develop self-initiated projects. No prior experience with programming or computational practice is required.
More information on selection criteria can be found on the diploma course pages.
Recommended kit list
All our courses are part of a computing curriculum, so computing is our primary tool/medium. Whilst advantageous to have your own computer, it is not a requirement as you can borrow a laptop at all CCI locations for use anywhere on that site. Desktop PCs are also available in open-access and technical areas.
You can find more details on the recommended kit list for CCI students on the CCI Wiki, as well as more information on CCI resources, buildings and technical workshops.
How to contact us
If you have any questions or need further assistance, reach out to the CCI Team.
For questions about the diploma courses, you can contact the course leaders:
- UAL Diploma in Creative Computing, Murad Khan
- UAL Diploma in Apple Development, Joel Gethin Lewis
If you have questions about the application process, you can contact the CCI Programme Admin team.
We’re excited to have you onboard!
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Students in the studio, 2021, UAL Creative Computing Institute, ©Ana Escobar
UAL Diploma in Creative Computing
Enhance your UAL degree with cutting-edge skills in creative coding, app development, and emerging digital technologies. This Diploma equips you to innovate at the intersection of art, design, and technology, preparing you for dynamic careers in the digital creative industries. No prior coding experience is needed, just bring your creativity and curiosity to shape the future of technology-driven art and design.
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Student working on Swift code for the Apple Vision Pro, UAL Diploma in Apple Development, UAL Creative Computing Institute | Photograph: Dominic Whisson
UAL Diploma in Apple Development
Dive deep into the world of Apple ecosystem development with the UAL Diploma in Apple Development. This course is designed using a combination of materials from Apple themselves as well as brand new content from the teaching staff. Over one year, you’ll master Swift coding, app design, machine learning with Core ML, and create experiences for platforms like visionOS. Ideal for creative students eager to develop apps and digital products within Apple's innovative technologies, this Diploma combines hands-on projects with industry insights to launch your tech career.
Hear from our CCI community
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Belén Fernández, Year 3, UAL Diploma in Creative Computing, Creative Computing Institute, UAL
Meet CCI Diploma student Belén Fernández
Meet Belén Fernández who studied the UAL Diploma in Creative Computing at UAL Creative Computing Institute (CCI). We caught up with her and spoke about her experience studying a CCI Diploma and her project Babel which won the Industry Staff Award at the Creative Computing Festival 2025.
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Meet Creative Computing Diploma graduate Jade Pughe
Having studied Graphic Communication Design at Central Saint Martins, Jade Pughe undertook a year studying the UAL Diploma in Creative Computing at the Creative Computing Institute (CCI). We spoke about her experience studying the CCI Diploma, her favourite projects and how the course prepared her for a career as a Creative Technologist.
