Need to know
All the important information to help you get set-up and settled in safely.
Joining UAL
Set up a network account and enrol
When you join UAL you need to enrol. You should have already set up your UAL email and network account; you’ll need this to enrol via our UAL Portal. If you haven’t already, learn how to set up you UAL email and network account.
Term dates
We have general term dates for the start of the academic year in September, but specific dates may vary for some courses – check your timetable to see your schedule. The autumn term starts on different dates for Higher Education courses (Undergraduate or Postgraduate) and Further Education courses (Foundation or Pre-degree):
- Higher Education: Monday 26 September 2022 – Friday 9 December 2022
- Further Education: Monday 5 September 2022 – Friday 16 December 2022
Welcome Week starts on 20 September, where there will be many events and activities to join in as part of your UAL Big Welcome!
There are also several public holidays (bank holidays) in the UK throughout the year. The University will be closed on these days, as well as most businesses and nonessential services.
We're aware that the start of our Higher Education term clashes this year with Rosh Hashanah on 26 and 27 September 2022 and falls within Navaratri. If this affects you and your course has programming on those days, please contact your College course support team:
- Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon College of Arts - ccwstudentsupport@arts.ac.uk
- Central Saint Martins contact your Programme Administration and Course Support Teams (PDF, 331KB)
- London College of Communication contact your Programme Administration and Course Support Teams (PDF, 96KB)
- London College of Fashion - coursesupport@fashion.arts.ac.uk
You can also contact Student Services, which includes the UAL Chaplaincy and Faith Advisors.
Student ID
You'll need a Student ID card to access your College site and classrooms. You can collect your Student ID card or entry wristband when you arrive for your first day on site. You'll be directed to collection spots across all the Colleges when you arrive.
The card will be pre-programmed to give you access to the rooms and areas you’ll need for your course. Remember to bring your ID card with you every day, as you’ll need it to access the sites and for printing.
Information about where and when to collect your card will be provided closer to the start of term.
Immigration and visas
If you're joining us from a country outside of the UK, you'll need visa or immigration permission allowing you to live and study in the UK. Before you travel, check what requirements there are and that you have applied for the right type of study visa for your needs.
Health and safety
We want UAL to be a safe place for all students, staff and visitors. We take health and safety very seriously.
Health and wellness
We're committed to keeping our community safe and well while enjoying a rich and engaging university life.
We ask that you:
- stay at home when unwell, especially with symptoms of viruses
- follow University, UK government and NHS guidance
- use sanitising resources
- respect members of the community who choose to wear a face covering.
Security
We want to make sure you always feel safe on our site. If you have an urgent security concern, please report it to the site reception, or to one of the security team.
Or, you can report any damage, trespass or crime through our security incident reporting form.
Safe working
When you start your course, you'll be given an induction to the site and safe working practices while on and off site. You’ll be given detailed safety information, like fire and emergency procedures and rules for using machinery in a safe and sensible way. You need to be directly supervised by a technician to work in high-risk areas.
For your own safety, we ask that you don’t work alone in our rooms and that there should always be at least 3 people in a room at any time. This is important because if an accident happens, one person can stay with the injured person and the other can go for help.
Evacuation assistance
If you need assistance to evacuate a building in an emergency, your course leader will make sure a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) is completed with you. Your PEEP will describe what you need to do in an emergency and what assistance will be provided by other people.
Risk assessments
During your studies you may need to complete a risk assessment for your work. This is an important part of planning your work, identifying any hazards, keeping you and other people safe. You can find the general risk assessment form in your course handbook and on Moodle.
You can find guidance on completing a risk assessment and you can speak to your tutors or the College Health and Safety Advisor for more information.
Hazardous substances
There are several activities, processes and pieces of equipment at UAL that are potentially hazardous. We take action to limit these hazards as much as we can, but also expect you to follow the instructions and safety rules when using ladders, lathes, milling and cutting machinery, electrical equipment and chemicals.
We may also ask you to wear protective equipment such as ear defenders or safety glasses, or to use other safety equipment like equipment guards. You'll be told about these requirements at your workshop and studio inductions; and you can find guidance on identifying and assessing hazardous substances. If you have any questions or need advice, please speak to your tutor or one of the technicians.
Health and Safety Induction for Students