The University of the Arts London (UAL) is a leading institution for art, design, and creative industries in the UK, comprising six specialist colleges: Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion,
| Acronym | UAL |
| Motto / Slogan | First among artists |
| Colour | Black and White |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Location | City of London, England, United Kingdom |
| Address | 272 High Holborn London WC1V 7EY |
The University of the Arts London's (UAL) mission statement focuses on challenging colonial and imperial legacies, fostering social, cultural, and institutional change, and empowering emerging practitioners. Specifically, it aims to disrupt established ways of thinking and making in the arts and education, and to make creativity accessible to more students.
The University of the Arts London's (UAL) vision statement is to "change the world through creative endeavour".
The University of the Arts London's primary objective is to cultivate creativity and innovation to benefit society. This is achieved through a commitment to providing high-quality creative education, research, and engagement, fostering a diverse and inclusive environment, and pushing for social change.
Ranked Top 2 in the world for Art and Design (QS 2025), UAL offers a diverse range of creative courses across six renowned Colleges. Beyond rankings, we provide strong student support, world-class teaching, excellent facilities, and career opportunities. Discover our exceptional resources and hear insights from staff, students, and graduates, and see why studying at UAL could be the perfect choice for you.
Across our six Colleges, UAL offers state-of-the-art facilities from advanced technology to traditional tools designed to help you bring your creative ideas to life. Expert technicians provide hands-on support to develop your skills. You’ll also have access to unique collections and archives, including the renowned Stanley Kubrick Archive at the London College of Communication, a favourite among students.
At UAL, we help students transform their passion into a career through hands-on learning. Students take part in live industry briefs and internships to gain real-world experience, supported by our dedicated careers team offering résumé guidance and advice. We partner with leading brands and studios across the creative industry, including Puma, Nike, L’Oréal Professionnel, and Samsung, to provide exciting opportunities for our students.
Study with us and you'll graduate into the UAL Alumni Association, a global community of over 200,000 creative practitioners. You'll have the opportunity to attend events, share opportunities, network and collaborate.
Entry requirements vary by course. Check the course page to see the requirements for your course.
Entry requirements vary by course. Check course page to see requirements.
IELTS level 6.5 or above, with at least 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking (please check our main English language requirements webpage).
1: Initial application
As part of your application through the UCAS website you'll need to submit a personal statement.
2: Digital portfolio
We will review your initial application. If you have met the standard entry requirements, we will ask you to submit a digital portfolio.
You’ll need to submit this via PebblePad, our online portfolio tool.
3: Interview
You may be invited to an interview following our review of your application. All interviews are held online and last 15 to 20 minutes.
For top tips, see our Interview advice.
Apply For Admission
Accommodation: Whether you choose to live in one of our halls or in a privately rented property, the Accommodation Services team is here to support you throughout your time at UAL.
Research Center: Research centers operate across the University, providing a focus for excellent research in identified areas of strength. They support groups of researchers in a range of activities that extend beyond the remit of individual projects, creating an environment where debate can flourish, providing a sound foundation for future work.
ICT: We provide IT systems and support to the UAL community.
UAL is delighted to announce that Professor Karen Stanton has been appointed as its permanent Vice-Chancellor. Karen has been the Interim Vice-Chancellor since the departure of James Purnell in September 2024, utilizing her in-depth knowledge of higher education and empathetic approach to support UAL through a crucial period of change.
Seema has been instrumental in launching and growing the digital arm of businesses within the media and entertainment sector. She was responsible for bringing Raconteur online, publisher of special interest reports for The Times and The Sunday Times, and driving their transformation plans to bring digital to the centre of a print-led business. She then worked as an innovation consultant, enabling complex organisations to innovate and get digital products to market like startups do. She worked with Essex County Council and Birmingham City Council on their agile transformation programmes and helped to create the minimum viable product for a startup publishing news in 360 video and virtual reality.
She later went on to drive the UK digital strategy to launch Disney Theatrical Group’s Aladdin the Musical into London’s West End, whilst simultaneously leading the online strategy for other Disney stage productions including The Lion King.
Seema is also the Founder and CEO of Project Optimum, a consultancy focused on delivering voice-based training. This was following a five-year stint as a voice over artist for the BBC and a three-year study, which involved interviewing 200 senior executives from top global brands and startups, to understand how voice influences their decision-making.
She is a director of Deft. Space, an interdisciplinary architecture, design, and research practice. Current projects include the Canning Town estate regeneration and a design research project on Rye Lane in Peckham as part of the London Borough of Southwark’s High Street Recovery Fund. Deft. Space is featured in the Architecture Foundation’s ‘New Architects 4’ publication.
After graduating with a Master’s degree in Photography from London College of Communication in 2007, Peter began teaching at undergraduate level in 2008. He received his PhD in the Department of Visual Cultures at Goldsmiths, University of London. His practice-based thesis, The Museum and the Computational Imaging Technology of Mobile Phones (2024), explores the relationship between the visitor and the governance of new forms of imaging technology in this space.
University of the Arts London (UAL) generates and inspires the creativity the world needs for a better future. Since 1842 our Colleges have been defining creative education. With curiosity, imagination and intent we make work which creates lasting change for people and our planet.