University in United Kingdom
Plymouth, England, United Kingdom
University profile
Arts University Plymouth is a specialist arts university in Plymouth, Devon, delivering practice-based creative education across art, design, craft and digital media. Founded in 1856 as the Plymouth Drawing School and known for much of its history as Plymouth College of Art, it was granted university title in 2022. It is an independent, creative-led university offering pre-degree, undergraduate and postgraduate study.
Teaching is concentrated in Plymouth city centre. The main undergraduate campus at Tavistock Place sits alongside the Postgraduate Centre at Studio 44 on Regent Street and the Pre-Degree campus at Palace Court and Palace Studios on Buckwell Street, near the Barbican. Across six buildings the university has more than 13,000 square metres of studios, labs and workshops, and the campus is home to over 1,600 student artists, designers and makers.
Undergraduate study covers BA (Hons) degrees in Content Creation, Costume Production, Craft & Material Practices, Fashion Design, Fashion Media & Marketing, Film & Screen Arts, Fine Art, Game Arts & Animation, Graphic Design, Illustration, Interior Design, Painting, Drawing & Printmaking, Photography and Textile Design, with a four-year Integrated Foundation option, CertHE courses and the Foundation Diploma in Art & Design. Postgraduate MA programmes include Fine Art, Design (with Built Environment, Communication, Fashion and Textiles pathways), 3D Design Crafts, Glass, Immersive Media and Museum Studies. A formal agreement with the Royal College of Art supports postgraduate progression from 13 undergraduate courses.
Tavistock Place houses Fab Lab South West, Plymouth Arts Cinema and MIRROR, the university's public gallery for contemporary visual art. Research is organised through the Material Futures, Making Learning and Memory, Site & Artefact research groups, the international Making Futures platform and the Centre for Circular Materials, founded in 2026.
The university does not own halls of residence; Homes for Students is its recommended accommodation partner (The Old Dairy, Frobisher House and Cross House), alongside other recommended providers within walking distance of campus. Free Student Support services cover counselling, wellbeing, disability and learning support, and the Students' Union (AUP:SU) runs clubs, societies, an SU bar and a food bank. International students have a dedicated international team, online portfolio review and interviews, pre-sessional English courses, and recommended accommodation with a no visa, no pay policy.
Arts University Plymouth is on the Office for Students Register of English higher education providers and is an exempt charity whose Instrument and Articles of Government received Privy Council approval in May 2022. It holds a TEF Silver rating (2023), is a member of GuildHE and an Advance HE member, and its Pre-Degree and Sixth Form campus is rated Good by Ofsted.
For 2026 entry, the application, portfolio and English language evidence had to be submitted by 25 February 2026 to be eligible. Enquiries: [email protected].
A non-repayable cash award for undergraduate and postgraduate students facing unforeseen and severe financial hardship who are enrolled, attending and up to date with fee payments. Applicants are expected to have applied for all other available funding first.
Graduates of the university's pre-degree, Foundation or undergraduate programmes receive a 15% discount on MA fees.
For 2027/28 entry the RCA offers up to five £5,000 scholarships for Home fee status applicants and one £9,000 scholarship for an International fee status applicant among graduates of the 13 courses covered by the progression agreement; the RCA selects recipients.
Eligible UK students can apply to Student Finance England for Tuition Fee and Maintenance Loans, Disabled Students' Allowance and other grants, and eligible postgraduates for a Postgraduate Masters Loan (up to £12,858 in 2025/26). Care leavers may be entitled to a £2,000 bursary from their local authority.
Undergraduate fees and funding | Postgraduate fees and funding | International fees and scholarships
Arts University Plymouth Creative Scholarships (International) →
Arts University Plymouth Materials Bursary →
Arts University Plymouth Alumni Progression Award →
Browse the scholarships listed for Arts University Plymouth and check each award’s eligibility.
View scholarships for Arts University Plymouth →Full-time BA (Hons) and four-year Integrated Foundation applications are made through UCAS using institution code P65 and the course code shown on each course page; part-time applications are made through the course page. Typical offers are 104–120 UCAS tariff points, and qualifications and relevant experience from less traditional routes are considered. Applicants who meet the entry requirements are invited to submit a portfolio, digitally or in person at an Applicant Experience Day; in exceptional cases an online interview with a course leader may follow.
The January deadline for September 2027 entry is 6pm on Wednesday 13 January 2027. Clearing runs from July to October for applicants without an offer where places remain. Applicants who received free school meals during secondary education may be eligible to have the UCAS application fee (£34.50) waived for the 2027 cycle.
Applications can be made at any time of year directly to the university. Entry requires a full Level 3 qualification and GCSEs including English and Maths, and all offers are subject to interview and a portfolio or showreel.
International applicants apply through UCAS and submit portfolios online, with interviews held online or by telephone. Country-specific entry requirements are set out for each country; for example, applicants with WAEC/SSCE must first complete a recognised foundation course, such as the university's UAL Foundation Diploma, while applicants who have completed a first year at university can be considered for Year 1 entry. Results from INTO, Kaplan, CATs or Navitas foundation programmes are accepted for English at 60% overall with no section below 55%.
SELT certificates are valid for two years. Nationals of majority English-speaking countries listed by the university, including Canada, and holders of degree-equivalent qualifications from those countries are exempt. Pre-sessional English courses of 10 weeks (for applicants 1.0 IELTS band below the direct entry level) and 5 weeks (0.5 below) run with Anglo Continental School of English.
MA applicants are normally expected to hold an undergraduate degree at 2:2 or above, though creative practice and other experience are taken into account at interview. Applications are made directly to the university through the Apply Now link on each course page, with digital images of work and a personal statement of about 300 words. Applicants who meet the requirements are invited to interview within three weeks of applying.
International students need a Student Route visa. Applicants who require a Student visa must pay a non-refundable deposit of £2,000 before a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) is issued, and the remaining tuition fee balance is payable in full on enrolment.
Admissions: [email protected], +44 (0)1752 203402. International: [email protected]. Apply.
Facilities span more than 13,000 square metres across six buildings, including:
Accommodation: the university does not own halls. Homes for Students is the recommended partner (The Old Dairy, Frobisher House and Cross House), with other recommended providers including Saltwater Place, Capitol Students halls, Beckley Point, The Reservoir, Mary Parker House and Astor House.
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