Apply to an undergraduate course
We want you to feel confident throughout the application process, from choosing a course to applying through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).
We've set out 7 steps to apply to an undergraduate course at UAL and what happens after you apply. If you’re an international applicant, you'll also find information on the additional supporting documents you need to provide. Click through the headings below.
1. Check the entry requirements
Once you've chosen a course, read the 'Entry requirements' and 'Apply now' sections of the course webpage carefully before applying.
Qualifications
You'll need to add your qualifications to your UCAS application. Make sure these are clear and accurate so we can properly assess your application
We accept a range of qualifications including but not limited to:
- A-Levels
- T-Levels
- BTEC Extended Diplomas
- UAL Extended Diploma
- The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma
- Equivalent international qualifications.
Many students complete a pre-degree course to help prepare them for an undergraduate course.
Personal statement
All of our courses ask for a personal statement. It's your opportunity to share your story and show how your skills and experiences make you a good match for your chosen course. Personal statements are added to your UCAS application.
See step 3 for personal statement guidance.
Academic references
You'll need a written recommendation from a teacher, adviser or professional who knows you academically, or who can comment on your ability and potential as a student. They need to agree to be your reference and you will add their contact details to your UCAS application.
UCAS has a useful guide on academic references: References for undergraduate applications.
Digital portfolio
Many practice-based courses ask for a digital portfolio as part of the application process. You don't upload your digital portfolio to your UCAS application. We request it by email after you submit your UCAS application.
Our portfolio advice page will give you all the guidelines needed to create a strong digital portfolio to support your application.
Written or video task
A small number of our courses also ask for a written or video task. You'll upload these later in the application process, not as part of your UCAS application. If your course asks for a written or video task, you'll find guidance on your course webpage.
2. Think about fees and funding
You’ll find the tuition fee for your chosen course on the course webpage.
You can get an idea of how much your studies will cost with our student fees and funding guide.
We also have lots of advice on financial support and living in London.
3. Prepare your personal statement
A personal statement is your opportunity to share your story and show how your skills and experiences make you a good match for your subject area.
Undergraduate applicants need to answer 3 separate questions provided by UCAS. The total character limit is 4,000 characters or less.
The questions are:
1. Why do you want to study this course or subject?
2. How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?
3. What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?
These questions encourage you to reflect on your journey so far, as well as your future.
While the questions are separate, bridging the gap between the past, present and future is really important. It shows you’ve made an informed decision about your chosen course or subject area.
The UCAS website explains more about what to include in each personal statement question: Writing your personal statement
Tips for your personal statement
- It's all about you: your personal story is what makes you unique and stand out from the crowd. Think critically about using AI tools. Your writing should be your own work and an honest reflection of you.
- Make it relevant: talk about examples and experiences that match your course criteria. What about extra-curricular activities? Do you do any volunteering or have any hobbies?
- Keep it clear and concise: create a clear narrative and avoid long sentences and complex words.
- Watch out for errors: ask someone else to read it and check for mistakes.
- Practice makes perfect: you may need to write a few drafts before you're happy.
- Read aloud: before submitting your statement, read it aloud as a final check.
Making personal statements fair
We use a fair and transparent admissions process to make sure that all information you provide is honest and accurate.
UCAS submits all personal statements to their similarity detection software to check that your work does not contain the same or similar text to websites, another applicant's personal statement, or other documents.
More information about the similarity detection process can be found on the UCAS website.
If you have applied to us and have been notified that UCAS has detected similarity in your personal statement, you can contact us directly to explain the similarity by emailing ucas.enquiries@arts.ac.uk.
4. Apply through UCAS
All applicants apply through UCAS. The UCAS deadline for entry in September 2026 is 14 January 2026 at 6pm (UK time). If you miss the UCAS deadline you might still be able to apply for some of our courses. Check the course webpages for more information.
How to apply through UCAS
The first step is to register with UCAS to set up your UCAS Hub.
You can then start to complete your application on the UCAS Hub. The application form asks for information including your personal details, how you’ll fund your studies, personal statement, academic references and your course choices.
UCAS has a useful guide to applying which outlines each section of the application. We recommend you read this guide before you start your application.
Once you have submitted your application, you can follow its progress through your UCAS Hub. Your application is automatically sent to the institutions you have applied to, so you don't need to check with them.
UAL's University code for UCAS is U65. You'll find individual UCAS course codes on each of our undergraduate course webpages. Searching by course code can make it easier to add your chosen course to your UCAS Hub.
Digital portfolios and most other supporting documents are uploaded later in the process and are not included in the UCAS application.
International applicants
All applicants apply through UCAS. However, if you’re an international applicant, you may be able to get personalised application support from a UAL representative in your country. They can guide you through the process and advise on the courses we offer, portfolio preparation and the application process. They can also advise on interviews, visas and immigration, accommodation and more.
Any students living in Iran, Crimea region, Cuba, North Korea, or Syria will not be able to make their application via UCAS. This is due to a restriction imposed by one of UCAS's technology suppliers based in the US. Please contact our admissions team at admissions@arts.ac.uk for further instructions on how to apply.
Deadlines and timings
Once you've submitted your UCAS application, you have 14 days to make changes to your university and course choices through your UCAS Hub. If you wish to change the course you have applied to at UAL after 14 days, you can contact us directly, but we can’t guarantee that a change will be possible.
If you do change your application through your UCAS Hub after the 14 January 2026 deadline, your application will be marked as late.
If you miss the UCAS deadline, you might still be able to apply for some of our courses. Check the course webpages for more information. You might also be able to apply for some of our courses through Clearing. Visit our website in June/July to find out more.
We'll make decisions on all on-time applications made through UCAS as soon as possible, but no later than 13 May 2026.
If you apply after 14 January 2026 at 6pm (UK time), your application will not be reviewed until after those that met the 14 January deadline. The final deadline to submit an application via UCAS for a course that is still open is 30 June 2026 at 6pm (UK time).
UCAS Extra
UCAS Extra lets you make an additional course choice between 26 February and 30 June 2026, but only if you have used all 5 choices and you are not holding any offers.
You can read more about Extra on the UCAS website: UCAS Extra.
Clearing
Clearing is the final opportunity for applicants not holding a place to apply for a course. Not all courses will have space. Those that do will be advertised on our website and on the UCAS website from June 2026. You can only receive an offer through Clearing if you already have your results.
5. Check your emails
After you’ve applied, you’ll get a confirmation email with your login details for the UAL Portal.
We’ll also contact you by email if we need to ask you to upload any additional information to the UAL Portal, including inviting you to upload supporting documents, or book an interview.
See step 6 for more information and advice on the documents and materials you may need to upload.
Make sure you check your email regularly, including your spam folders.
6. Upload portfolio and documents
Digital portfolio, written task or video task
You may be asked to submit a digital portfolio, written or video task through PebblePad – our online portfolio tool. Check your course webpage to see if this is needed.
Our portfolio advice page will give you all the guidelines needed to create a strong digital portfolio to support your application. And our how to upload your portfolio page will give you instructions about how to upload it to PebblePad.
Academic transcripts
We may ask you to upload your academic transcripts to your UAL Portal. This is an official document which lists your academic history, including qualifications, grades and credits you've been awarded.
We may ask you to upload these while we assess your application or after we've made you an offer.
Transcripts must be official copies translated into English. We won’t accept screenshots.
International applicants: Supporting documents
There are also additional entry requirements and supporting documents to prepare and upload to the UAL Portal if you are an international applicant. You should upload documents to the UAL Portal by the deadline we email to you. Check your course webpage for specific details of supporting documents and entry requirements. We may ask you to upload:
English language certificate
If you don’t meet our English Language requirements, you will need to prove your language level with a qualification like the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
We’ll ask you to upload your English Language certificate to the UAL Portal.
English language test certificates must be official copies translated into English. We won’t accept screenshots.
Find out more about English language requirements and qualifications we accept.
Visa
Depending on your nationality and UK immigration status, you may need a Student Visa to study in the UK. The amount of time you can study in the UK is limited. You should plan your study carefully so you can complete all of your chosen courses. Visit Student Visa for more information.
Our Student Advice Service and our official representatives can help you with your visa application. Visit the Home Office and UK Council for International Student Affairs websites for official guidance.
Passport
You may need to provide a digital copy of your passport.
Immigration History Form
You’ll find the Immigration History Form in the ‘My Applications’ tab of your UAL Portal and you should submit it as soon as possible after submitting your application to UAL.
The Immigration History Form (IMH) is part of our Immigration Compliance Checks. It helps us check that you have the right to study in the UK, and that we can sponsor you for a student route visa if needed
Anyone who is not a UK national must complete the IMH, even if you’ve never studied in the UK. You’ll also need to complete it if you currently have an immigration status in the UK or you have had one in the past. This includes pre-settled, or settled status in the UK or another permission which allows you to stay in the UK.
You must submit any copies of Biometric Resident permits you have held in the UK and a share code to your current status.
7. Wait for a decision
Once we’ve reviewed and assessed your application, we’ll contact you via your UCAS Hub or the UAL Portal to let you know whether your application has been successful.
We'll make decisions on all on-time applications made through UCAS as soon as possible, but no later than 13 May 2026.
We receive a large number of applications from talented students from the UK and across the world and it’s very important that each one gets the consideration it deserves.
The amount of time it takes to reach a decision depends on many factors, including volume of applications, level of competition and whether your application is portfolio-based.
In some cases, you may receive an offer from a different course or College from the one you applied to. This happens when your application has not been successful for your chosen course, but our admissions tutors have found another course that they believe would be a strong match for your skills and interests.
Next steps
The outcome of your application determines what you need to do next.
Find out what happens after you've applied.
Apply or transfer to a course in year 2 or 3
Most undergraduate students at UAL apply to begin their course in year 1. In some cases, you can apply for entry to year 2 or 3. Click the headings below to find out if you're eligible for advanced entry and how to apply:
Entry to year 2: Are you eligible?
We may be able to consider applications directly into year 2 of a UAL undergraduate course, with decisions made at the discretion of the admitting College (subject to space and compatibility).
We can consider applications from:
- Current UAL students who are applying to transfer from one undergraduate degree to another. Please read the UAL transfer policy for further information.
- External applicants who have studied and successfully completed (or who will successfully complete in time to meet the conditions of any offer) the first year of an undergraduate degree programme at UAL or elsewhere. Your course must be considered equivalent in level and volume to year 1 of a UAL degree.
- External applicants who have not studied at higher education level but who can demonstrate professional experience equivalent to year 1 of a UAL degree (APEL). The College you are applying to will decide whether your professional qualifications are equivalent to this level of study.
- Applicants who are applying for entry to year 2 of an undergraduate course at UAL under a valid progression with advanced entry/articulation agreement with a partner university.
Entry to year 3: Are you eligible?
In most cases we don't accept applications to year 3 of a UAL undergraduate course. This is because you must complete two thirds of a UAL course to be eligible for the final award for that course.
At the discretion of the course and College you are applying to (and subject to space and compatibility), we may be able to consider applications from:
- Applicants who have already completed at UAL the first 2 years of the same undergraduate degree they are applying to.
- Applicants who have already completed at UAL the first 2 years of an undergraduate degree which is sufficiently closely related to the course they're applying to. The College you're applying to will decide whether the course is sufficiently closely related.
- Applicants who have completed (or who will complete in time to meet the conditions of any offer) a full year of study at UAL as a Study Abroad Student. You must be applying for entry to year 3 of the same undergraduate course or an undergraduate course which is sufficiently closely related. The College you are applying to will decide whether the course is sufficiently closely related.
- Applicants who are applying for entry to year 3 of an undergraduate course at UAL under a valid progression with advanced entry/articulation agreement with a partner university.
If you've completed (or will complete) 2 or more years of an undergraduate course at a different university, you can only apply for entry to years 1 or 2 of a UAL undergraduate course. We will not consider you for entry to year 3. This is because you will not meet the institutional credit requirement to complete two thirds of a UAL degree.
Returning students
If you previously studied at UAL but did not finish your course, you can apply to return and complete your degree.
There are limits to how long you can wait before completing your degree. You may be considered beyond these time limits on a case-by-case basis.
How to apply for entry to year 2 or 3
If you're eligible, you should apply for your chosen course through UCAS. Select 'Point of Entry 2' (for year 2) or 'Point of Entry 3' (for year 3) when you apply.
When we receive your application, we’ll contact you for information about the studies you have completed. This includes your university study level if you studied outside of the UK. We may also ask about your immigration history.
We'll assess whether there are any spaces available in year 2 or 3 of your chosen course and if you appear to meet the Advanced Entry eligibility criteria. If so, you’ll be placed into the standard application process for that course, where your application and eligibility will be reviewed further.
The application process may include a request for a digital portfolio, written task or interview, depending on the course requirements.
If you're interested in applying for advanced or transfer entry, we recommend you apply as soon as possible for a better chance of finding an available place on your chosen course.