UAL Online

New students

Find everything you need for a smooth start to your course, including how to enrol and access your student account.

Getting started

What happens after you pay your deposit

If you’ve paid your deposit more than 2 months before teaching starts…

Right now, there’s nothing that you need to do. Activities will begin 2 months out from when teaching starts. While you wait, we'll send you a monthly email with information about your course, tips and tricks to prepare for your studies, your UAL Online community, resources, and your first unit.

2 months before teaching starts...

Approximately 2 months before teaching starts, you’ll be sent an email to the personal address we have on file from your application. This email will be used to set up your UAL email and network account, giving you access to UAL systems.

You’ll need to have set up your account with us before you can enrol.

1 month before teaching starts…

Roughly 1 month before teaching starts, you’ll be invited to enrol. We’ll send an email to your UAL email account with instructions and next steps. We'd strongly encourage you to complete your enrolment as soon as you receive our invitation. By completing enrolment, you'll get access to your UAL account and an induction unit in the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), which will provide key information to prepare you for your studies. You'll also be introduced to the Student Success Team.

You'll only be invited to enrol if you have already paid your deposit for your course. If you pay your deposit after the enrolment window has opened, there may be a small delay to your invitation to enrol but we’ll send instructions out to you as soon as possible.

During this month, you'll also be invited to a welcome webinar with other students from your first unit. Once you’ve completed your enrolment tasks, you'll be able to book a welcome call with someone from the Student Success Team.

On the first day of your first teaching block…

Before you start your studies, you'll need to have:

activated your UAL log-in and UAL email address to access UAL systems
completed your enrolment.

So long as you have completed these steps in advance of the associated deadlines, you'll be able to access your first unit at 12pm (UK time) on the first day of your teaching block.

Get support if you have a disability, or think you may have one

UAL’s Disability Service arranges adjustments and specialist support for disabled and neurodivergent students. We work to remove disabling barriers to study.

The students we work with include those with:

dyslexia or another Specific Learning Difference
autism
a long-term health or mental health condition
a sensory impairment
a physical impairment
another long-term condition which has an impact on your day-to-day life.

Each course has a named Disability Advisor who can set up any additional support and any adjustments that may be needed for your studies. If you don’t yet have a diagnosis, it’s still worth having a conversation, as they may still be able to provide support. They can meet with you online via Microsoft Teams or by phone.

The first appointment with your Disability Advisor usually involves:

identifying any disability related barriers to your studies
agreeing adjustments and support to remove these barriers
creating an Individual Support Agreement (ISA). An ISA sets out the reasonable adjustments you need for your studies. For example, this could include additional time for assignments. You and your Disability Advisor will agree who to share the ISA with
identifying equipment and assistive technology that may be useful
identifying disability related funding you may be eligible for
signposting to other services.

Conversations with your Disability Advisor are confidential to the Disability Service. We only share information with your tutors or other departments with your permission.

Both your Recruitment and Student Success Team can help connect you to Disability Services.

Setting up your UAL email and network account

You'll need to undertake 2 important steps to activate your UAL email and network account.

First, set up a password for your account

About 10 weeks before the start of your course, and once you have firmly accepted your offer, we'll send an email to the personal address we have on file from your application asking you to set up your UAL email and network account.
This email will contain your UAL network username and a single-use link to the UAL Password Self Service (PSS). Select the single-use link and follow the instructions to create a password and set up your account.

Second, set up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

During the set-up process, you’ll be asked to set up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for your UAL Account. We use MFA at UAL as an extra level of security to help keep you and the university safe. MFA confirms your identity by providing a one-time code to your phone through a security app that’s linked to your account. This makes it harder for criminals to access your data even if they know your password. If someone is trying to access your account and they enter the wrong code, access will be denied. Your identity and data will remain protected.

You’ll need to set up MFA in order to access your email and network account for the first time, and anytime you access your account from a new device and location. If you haven’t logged in for a while, you may also be prompted to complete MFA to get back into your account.

Learn more information about setting up Multi-Factor Authentication including the devices you can use and the steps you need to take.

After you've set up your password and MFA preferences, you’ll be able to access your UAL inbox from any computer or laptop by downloading Outlook via Office 365 using your UAL email address.

We’ll send important information about your studies to this email moving forward so we strongly encourage you to check your UAL inbox regularly.

If you have any difficulties setting up your account, please contact your Recruitment Advisor.

Students who already have a UAL email address

If you're a returning student, you'll not normally be asked to set up a new email account. To reset an expired or forgotten password, you can do this on Password Self Service by selecting ‘Forgotten Password (Students)’. You'll then be sent an email to your personal email address containing a link to set a new password. You can also update your personal email in the UAL Portal.

If you need any help with this, please contact studentsystemshelp@arts.ac.uk.

Please regularly check your UAL inbox for important information.

How to access Office 365

All students at UAL have access to Office 365 for free, a comprehensive package that includes software critical to your studies, such as MS Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive and Outlook.

Before accessing Office 365, you'll need to have set up your UAL email and network account. We'll send you an email to your email address used from your application, asking you to set up your account approximately 10 weeks before your first unit.

To log in, go to office.com and select ‘sign in’. You’ll be prompted to enter your UAL email address. Then you’ll be asked for your UAL username and password. You may also need to go through Multi-Factor Authentication.

Recommended Microsoft apps

Once you log in, there are many different Microsoft apps available. You can access these online or you can download the free apps.

Probably the most important app is Outlook, which is used for all staff and student emails. You must regularly check your email account as this will be where your course team and any other UAL services will contact you and send you important information about your studies. It’s a good idea to download the free Outlook app on your phone as well as your device.

OneDrive is a useful tool. It’s a private cloud storage area so you can use it to store your coursework or other important documents online which you can then access from any of your devices. Please don’t risk losing your work by storing it on your hard drive.

UAL uses Teams for many online appointments and meetings with tutors. Word and PowerPoint will help you complete your coursework.

When you'll be invited to enrol

The enrolment window opens roughly 1 month prior to when teaching starts. We'll send you an email with your invitation to enrol. This email will also outline instructions for some steps you need to take to complete your enrolment.

Enrolment closes 1 week before teaching. If you have not completed your enrolment by this date, you'll have to start your studies in a later teaching block.

We'd strongly encourage you to complete your enrolment as soon as you receive our invitation. By completing enrolment, you'll get access to your UAL account and an induction unit in the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) which will provide key information to prepare you for your studies. You'll also be introduced to the Student Success Team.
You'll only be asked to enrol in full once just prior to commencement of your course. Following this, you'll only need to update your enrolment information if something changes during your studies. For instance, if you move countries from one teaching block to the next.
Please note that you'll only be invited to enrol if you have already paid your deposit for your course. If you pay your deposit after the enrolment window has opened, there may be a small delay to your invitation to enrol but we’ll seek to send it out to you as soon as possible.

How to enrol

Before you're eligible to enrol, you must have:

made your deposit payment
set up your UAL email and network account.

If you have not completed either of these steps, you'll not be able to enrol. If you're struggling to log in with your password, or have any other IT related issues, contact the IT Service Desk:

servicedesk@arts.ac.uk
+44 (0)20 7514 9898

There are 2 steps to the enrolment process.

Step 1: Online registration

In step 1, you’ll need to confirm key registration information in the UAL Portal, and provide copies of key documentation that we need in order to enrol you.

You’ll need to prepare (where applicable):

a copy of your passport
copies of your academic qualifications
copies of your visa and immigration documentation (if you're a foreign national residing in the UK). Further information can be found in the UAL Online Enrolment Terms and Conditions (PDF 229KB).
evidence of your funding arrangements
a headshot photo.

When uploading files, documents and images, please make sure you add your Student ID number at the start of the file name. You can find your student ID in the UAL Portal and any emails we have sent to you.

To start your online registration, log into the UAL Portal. It’s the same one you used after submitting your application. You may find this easier to do on a laptop rather than on your phone.

Once you’ve logged in, click on My Online Registration at the top of the screen. This will only appear once everything is ready for you to enrol. If you’ve forgotten how to log in, you can find details in your enrolment invitation.

You’ll need to complete all the sections shown in your online registration screen. They can be done in any order. And if you need to stop and come back at any point, you can. Just make sure you complete it as soon as possible.

When you’ve completed all sections and you’re ready to submit, you should check all information and make sure you’ve read the UAL Online Enrolment Terms and Conditions (PDF 229KB).

You can then click Complete Registration.

If you have any questions or problems with your enrolment, please get in touch with your Recruitment Advisor.

Step 2: Enrolment confirmation

In step 2, we’ll check that we have everything we need to complete your enrolment. We aim to make all our checks within 5 working days, but it may take a little longer during busier times. We’ll contact you as soon as we can.

If we’re able to complete your enrolment, we’ll send you an email confirmation.

If anything is missing from your online registration or something is incorrect, your enrolment will be paused. We’ll email you with details for what you’ll need to do next. Please check your inbox regularly. To avoid any delays, we'd strongly encourage you to complete your enrolment as soon as you receive our invitation.

Visa information and enrolment for UAL Online courses

As UAL Online courses are delivered fully online, there is no requirement to complete any portion of your course in person in the UK. UAL Online students are:

not required to have a UK visa to study on a UAL Online course
not eligible to apply for a UK visa by studying on a UAL Online course.

The University of the Arts London is a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) sponsor for students on residential programmes and holds a Student Sponsor Licence, however. This means that the University has a legal responsibility to ensure that all students domiciled in the UK for the duration of their studies, even if they are studying on an online course that does not require a visa, are legally cleared by immigration to remain in the UK.

As a result, if you're studying on a UAL Online course and are domiciled in the UK, you'll need to demonstrate under the University’s relevant procedure, at the point of enrolment, that you have a valid immigration status or visa to live in the UK and undertake your course.

If you fail to demonstrate that you have a valid immigration status, you'll not be entitled to enrol at the University.

Get help with enrolment

If you have any questions or problems with your enrolment, please get in touch with your Recruitment Advisor as soon as possible.

If you're struggling to log in with your email or UAL Portal passwords, or have any other IT-related issues, contact the IT Service Desk at servicedesk@arts.ac.uk or give them a call on +44 (0)20 7514 9898.

Access the VLE and your induction unit

Your Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) platform, Moodle, is the hub to your UAL community. Here you’ll find all the learning materials needed to thrive in your course. Inside, you’ll be able to gain access to all your teaching, course materials and technical resources, including:

reading and library materials
24/7 access to guided work and recorded content
forum spaces for collaboration and feedback
connecting with fellow course students
accessing briefs and projects.

You'll be able to access the VLE from your desktop, laptop, or mobile device. However, we'd advise that you use your laptop for submitting your coursework and assessments.

You’ll be able to access the VLE once you have completed your enrolment with us. You’ll receive an email to your UAL account with a link to access your VLE.

You'll find your ‘Induction’ in the units section of your course homepage. We strongly encourage you to complete this unit before the start of your course.

If you have any issues accessing or navigating your VLE, please contact the Student Success Team. If you have any technical issues, you can also log a request with the IT Service Desk.

Attendance requirements for UAL Online courses

It's not mandatory for you to attend live sessions and tutorials on our courses. However, we'd really strongly encourage you to do so whenever you can. Each session has been designed to best support your learning. They'll provide you with opportunities to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to help you successfully achieve your degree. They’ll also help you build connections with your tutor and the rest of your cohort.

We'd emphasise that a successful study strategy is holistic. It includes engagement with every element of your course.

While on your course, you’ll need to:

actively participate in teaching and learning activities
engage fully with the course-related learning resources and support materials that are held within the Virtual Learning Environment
regularly interact with your Academic Team, the Student Success Team and the administrative activities that will govern your studies.

We appreciate that you'll want to schedule your learning in your own time. Keep in mind though, that at Master’s level, you should set aside significant time each week (roughly 21 hours per week) to devote to your activities.

In the event that you do get stuck, please reach out to us as soon as possible. There’s a lot of support that we can offer.

Accessing your timetable

You’ll have a different timetable for each unit that will outline the Live, Guided and Independent Learning components of your studies. We aim to maintain a steady workload through each unit to make weekly studying manageable.

Live Learning will include regular live sessions and guided teaching. These are interactive sessions for engaging in discussions, sharing work, getting to know peers and developing project work.

Guided Learning will include a dynamic mix of self-paced activities and collaborative opportunities for discussion, peer review and project-based learning.

Independent Learning gives you the freedom to work through materials and activities at your own pace. You’ll make time for creative projects, experimenting and developing your work for your portfolio and assessments.

You’ll find the timetable for your live and guided learning on the homepage of your unit when it’s made available to you on the first day of each teaching block. You’ll have flexibility in planning your independent learning time around a schedule that works best for you.

Enrolment deadlines for each teaching block

Enrolment closes 1 week before teaching. If you have not completed your enrolment by this date, you'll have to start your studies in a later teaching block.

We'd strongly encourage you to complete your enrolment as soon as you receive our invitation. By completing enrolment, you'll get access to your UAL account and an induction unit in the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) which will provide key information to prepare you for your studies. You'll also be introduced to the Student Success Team.
You'll only be asked to enrol in full once just prior to commencement of your course. Following this, you'll only need to update your enrolment information if something changes during your studies. For instance, if you move countries from one teaching block to the next.
Please note that you'll only be invited to enrol if you have already paid your deposit for your course. If you pay your deposit after the enrolment window has opened, there may be a small delay to your invitation to enrol but we’ll seek to send it out to you as soon as possible.

Enrolment deadlines for each teaching block are:

2025/26

Autumn Block

Enrolment opens: 5 August 2025

Enrolment closes: 2 September 2025

Teaching begins: 9 September 2025

Spring Block

Enrolment opens: 9 December 2025

Enrolment closes: 6 January 2026

Teaching begins: 13 January 2026

Summer Block

Enrolment opens: 7 April 2026

Enrolment closes: 5 May 2026

Teaching begins: 12 May 2026

2026/27