TEACHING
QUALITY
University for the Creative Arts
74
th
NATIONAL
RANK
RANK
56.1%
FIRSTS
2:1s
2:1s
84.7%
COMPLETION
RATE
RATE
Key Stats
n/a
112th=
STUDENT
EXPERIENCE
EXPERIENCE
63rd=
RESEARCH
QUALITY
QUALITY
119th
GRADUATE
PROSPECTS
PROSPECTS
Contact details
ADDRESS
Falkner Road, Farnham, GU9 7DS View on map >
Telephone
Email
Website
Open days
September 27; October 15 and 29; November 15; December 3 (all campuses)
University Profile
The University for the Creative Arts (UCA) has moved out of the Maidstone campus that it shared with a further education college to focus activity on the four sites in Kent and Surrey that it owns. With more than 5,000 students in total, UCA is sizeable by the standards of specialist institutions.
It was the product of a merger between two well-established arts institutes straddling the two counties. The constituent colleges all date back to Victorian times, but university status arrived only in 2008. Graduates have included Tracey Emin, Karen Millen and Zandra Rhodes, the current Chancellor of the university.
The largest of the three Kent campuses, at Rochester, offers a full range of art and design, including fashion, photography and specialist design courses. The purpose-built campus is set on a hillside overlooking the city centre and River Medway. Halls of residence with 214 places are close to the campus, which has studio space, library and learning resource centre, and a gallery.
Students taking UCA’s popular media courses, who will continue to use studios in Maidstone at the largest independent studio complex in the UK, also have access the facilities of
At Canterbury, the accent is on architecture, but there are also degrees in fine art, interior design and more general art and design. The modern site is close to the city centre and contains purpose-built studios, workshops and lecture theatres. The Canterbury School of Architecture is the only such school to remain within a specialist art and design institution, encouraging collaboration between student architects, designers and fine artists.
By far the largest number of students is to be found at Farnham, in Surrey, which was declared a Craft Town in 2013, with active support from the university. More than 2,000 take courses in art, design, cinematics and communications there. A purpose-built student village in the centre of town has 350 rooms and there are two galleries, as well as teaching space and a library and learning centre.
The campus includes research centres in animation, crafts and sustainable design. Courses range from pre-degree Foundation courses in art and design to degrees in film production, sports journalism and three-dimensional design. A new suite of media and creative writing courses is starting in September 2014. Additional facilities have been provided for the growing computer games arts degree course, which now has a dedicated studio room with specialist computers.
The second base in Surrey, at Epsom, specialises in fashion, graphics and new media, although it offers general art and design courses at further education level. Degrees include music journalism and fashion promotion and imaging. There is a modern library and learning resource centre for more than 1,200 students, a bar and café on campus and three halls of residence, the latest of which opened in 2010.
A new £5.9m teaching block includes learning and resource facilities, a 200-seat auditorium and a digital media centre. Photovoltaic cells on the roof and solar water heating will ensure that at least 20% of the energy it uses is generated on site.
The university offers four-year degrees, incorporating a Foundation year, as well as the three-year format, and two-year Foundation degrees, which can be topped up to produce honours. UCA’s courses are also taught in five partner colleges, including one in India. Dr Simon Ofield-Kerr[corr], the vice-chancellor, is planning to increase the number of international students, while also maintaining the university’s local roots. All the students will be “required” to develop international perspectives, understanding and ambitions so that they are able to practise across the world.
Results in the National Student Survey have been poor over the years - as they have been for art and design in most universities - but improvements elsewhere, notably in the amount of money spent on services and facilities, have pushed UCA up this year’s rankings.
Many staff are practitioners as well as academics. There is also a strong research culture, although UCA had only limited success in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise. In all, 30% of the university’s submission was considered world-leading or internationally excellent, but this left it well down the ranking for art and design.
It was the product of a merger between two well-established arts institutes straddling the two counties. The constituent colleges all date back to Victorian times, but university status arrived only in 2008. Graduates have included Tracey Emin, Karen Millen and Zandra Rhodes, the current Chancellor of the university.
The largest of the three Kent campuses, at Rochester, offers a full range of art and design, including fashion, photography and specialist design courses. The purpose-built campus is set on a hillside overlooking the city centre and River Medway. Halls of residence with 214 places are close to the campus, which has studio space, library and learning resource centre, and a gallery.
Students taking UCA’s popular media courses, who will continue to use studios in Maidstone at the largest independent studio complex in the UK, also have access the facilities of
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the Rochester campus. Degrees in interactive media production and media business management are being added to the renamed existing degree in television production in 2015.At Canterbury, the accent is on architecture, but there are also degrees in fine art, interior design and more general art and design. The modern site is close to the city centre and contains purpose-built studios, workshops and lecture theatres. The Canterbury School of Architecture is the only such school to remain within a specialist art and design institution, encouraging collaboration between student architects, designers and fine artists.
By far the largest number of students is to be found at Farnham, in Surrey, which was declared a Craft Town in 2013, with active support from the university. More than 2,000 take courses in art, design, cinematics and communications there. A purpose-built student village in the centre of town has 350 rooms and there are two galleries, as well as teaching space and a library and learning centre.
The campus includes research centres in animation, crafts and sustainable design. Courses range from pre-degree Foundation courses in art and design to degrees in film production, sports journalism and three-dimensional design. A new suite of media and creative writing courses is starting in September 2014. Additional facilities have been provided for the growing computer games arts degree course, which now has a dedicated studio room with specialist computers.
The second base in Surrey, at Epsom, specialises in fashion, graphics and new media, although it offers general art and design courses at further education level. Degrees include music journalism and fashion promotion and imaging. There is a modern library and learning resource centre for more than 1,200 students, a bar and café on campus and three halls of residence, the latest of which opened in 2010.
A new £5.9m teaching block includes learning and resource facilities, a 200-seat auditorium and a digital media centre. Photovoltaic cells on the roof and solar water heating will ensure that at least 20% of the energy it uses is generated on site.
The university offers four-year degrees, incorporating a Foundation year, as well as the three-year format, and two-year Foundation degrees, which can be topped up to produce honours. UCA’s courses are also taught in five partner colleges, including one in India. Dr Simon Ofield-Kerr[corr], the vice-chancellor, is planning to increase the number of international students, while also maintaining the university’s local roots. All the students will be “required” to develop international perspectives, understanding and ambitions so that they are able to practise across the world.
Results in the National Student Survey have been poor over the years - as they have been for art and design in most universities - but improvements elsewhere, notably in the amount of money spent on services and facilities, have pushed UCA up this year’s rankings.
Many staff are practitioners as well as academics. There is also a strong research culture, although UCA had only limited success in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise. In all, 30% of the university’s submission was considered world-leading or internationally excellent, but this left it well down the ranking for art and design.
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Detailed Statistics
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
CATEGORY
SCORE
RANK
Ranking
-
74 (99)
Student experience
77.7
112th=
Research quality
5
63rd=
Ucas entry points
324
72nd=
Graduate prospects
49.5
119th
Firsts and 2:1s
56.1
108th
Completion rate
84.7
71st=
Student-staff ratio
12.5:1
12th
Services/facilities spend (£)
1,901
33rd
VITAL STATISTICS
Undergraduates
(Full-time)
4,960
Undergraduates
(Part-time)
90
Postgraduates
(Full-time)
185
Postgraduates
(Part-time)
105
Applications/places
6,520/1,785
Applications/places ratio
3.7:1
STUDENT CITIES
Jasmin Grimshaw, students’ union officer
Our four small intimate campuses quickly give you a sense of belonging.
You don’t come here to party: the towns are quite small, but they each offer a wider music and arts community.
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Cost of living
Nightlife
Transport
Culture
ACCOMMODATION
FEES
UK/EU fees
£9,000
Fees (international)
£11,030-£11,490
Finance website
Graduate salaries
£16,701
BURSARIES/SCHOLARSHIPS
>
Details of bursary scheme for those with household income below£25K to be announced.
>
15 creative scholarships of £3,000 in year 1.
SPORT
Sports points/rank
0, 121st=
Sport website
Student satisfaction
87.8%
81.7%