BA (Hons) Illustration and Visual Media

Home/EU/International

The course team welcomes applicants from a broad range of backgrounds from all over the world. The course attracts students who apply direct from A-level (or equivalent) or from Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, or other art or design courses, as well as mature students who may have previously worked in industry.

The standard entry requirements for this course are as follows:

80 UCAS tariff points, which can be made up of one or a combination of the following accepted full level 3 qualifications:

• A Levels at grade C or above (preferred subjects include: English; History; Media; Business; Art and Design, or other subjects within Social Sciences).
• Pass at Foundation Diploma in Art & Design (Level 3 or 4).
• Merit, Merit, Pass at BTEC Extended Diploma (preferred subjects: Art and Design, IT & Computing).
• Merit at UAL Extended Diploma.
• Access to Higher Education Diploma (preferred subject: Digital and Creative Media, Film and Production, Computing).
• OR equivalent EU/International qualifications, such as International Baccalaureate Diploma at 24 points minimum

And 3 GCSE passes at grade 4 or above (grade A*-C).

APEL - Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning

Applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered in exceptional cases. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:

• Related academic or work experience
• The quality of the personal statement
• A strong academic or other professional reference
• A combination of these factors.

Each application will be considered on its own merit but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case.

English Language requirements (International/EU)

IELTS level 6.0 or above, with at least 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Please check our main English language requirements page.

All classes are conducted in English. If English is not your first language you will be asked to provide evidence of your English language ability when you enrol.

The portfolio, along with the details on your UCAS application (including the academic reference and your personal statement) will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Visual language: quality of structure, use of line, shape - 2D or 3D, form, scale, space, light, colour, texture and time.
• Ideas generation: quality of ideas and thought process, expression of design thinking.
• Research and its application (including images from sketch books): evidence of investigation and use of appropriate resources.
• Materials, media exploration and experimentation; experimentation and testing of materials to achieve outcomes.
• Contextual awareness and its influence on the portfolio; understanding and application of subject knowledge and context.

Communicating with you

After you have successfully submitted your application, you will receive an email confirming we have successfully received your application and providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal. We will request any additional information from you, including inviting you to upload documents through the portal. You should check your UAL Portal regularly for any important updates and requests.

If you have achieved or expect to achieve the standard entry requirements we will consider you for a place on the course.

We make our offers based on the strength of the whole application, and therefore don’t routinely invite applicants to interview.

International applicants may be invited to an online interview. Interview details will be sent via the UAL Portal.

Please add @arts.ac.uk to your contacts to ensure that you do not miss any important updates re: your application to UAL.

Portfolio advice

Your portfolio of work is the most important part of your application, and you must clearly evidence development work as well as work from completed projects.

You are required to present a portfolio with a maximum of 20 images that you consider would help support your application.

What happens next?

We will advise you of your application outcome through UCAS Track. If you are an International applicant and have applied directly or through an agent, we will notify you through the UAL Portal.

We invite all offer holders to attend one of our online Offer Holder events. This is your opportunity to meet the academic team and fellow offer holders, find out more about the course, and get a taste of what it will be like to study here.

Requesting feedback

This course receives a high number of applications, and we can’t provide feedback to everyone who is unsuccessful. We can only provide feedback after you’ve had an interview.

If you would like to request feedback – please email lcc.ukeu@arts.ac.uk if you are a Home or EU applicant, or lcc.international@arts.ac.uk if International. We are only able to provide feedback to you directly, or to someone you have told us in writing can receive it on your behalf

Successful applicants will be guided through the rest of our admissions stages and towards enrolment on the course.

After graduation, our students enter into a wide and varied range of professional practices working in art, illustration or graphic design, for international and UK based companies including Alexander McQueen, Airside, Pentagram, John Brown Publishing, Vault 49 (New York) and Prologue (LA). Students also set up their own companies, operating as freelance illustrators or exhibiting artists and designers, or go on to study at MA level.

Our graduates have gone onto great success within the industry, highlighting the diverse, transferable skills and breadth of expertise they take with them into an increasingly diverse and interdisciplinary market.

Alumni include:

• Ben Reece, Apple and Research Studios
• Anna Francescutti, Alexander McQueen
• Jonathan Kenyon, Vault 49 NY
• Lauren Necati, Thames and Hudson
• Clare Willis, John Brown publishing
• Niall Thompson / Nils Pormann, Dandelion and Burdock
• Cecilia Carlstedt, Freelance Illustrator
• Anne Harild, Illustrator / Artist
• Jacqueline Ford, Rob Ryan studios
• Abigail Aked, The Spectator