Britain has not always been perceived as a world leader in Art and Design, but right now it's probably our hottest property. We are in the throes of a creative renaissance. In fashion we can boast some of the biggest names in the world - think of Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen. The Sensation roadshow, with artists such as Damien Hirst, has made headlines everywhere. We also play host to some of the best names in stop-animation, 3D, and computer game design anywhere. And our architects, championed by Norman Foster and Richard Rogers, with their creations such as the new parliament buildings in Berlin (Reichstag) and the Lloyds building in London, are being fought over to engineer projects in capitals world-wide.

Art and Design Schools

At the heart of this renaissance are the Art and Design Schools. Institutions such as The Royal College of Art in London have helped to make the careers of several world famous names, such as Ridley Scott, David Hockney, James Dyson (designer of the Dyson Vacuum Cleaner), "Ossie" Clark, and Chris Svensson (Designer of the Ford KA) - and has been described by The Economist as "[turning] out the stars of tomorrow in everything from fashion through furniture to car design".

Getting In

Although competition for places is tough, more and more opportunities are opening up to foreign students. Many applicants find it useful to start with a foundation course - typically a year long course beginning in Autumn where students are able to find the field within art and design where their greatest strengths lay (called a "diagnostic" period), and then build upon this to produce a strong portfolio (called the "confirmatory" period). This will help give potential university students an edge in the applications procedures.

Types of Courses

There are three levels of Art and Design courses you can apply for in Britain: Further Education, Higher Education and Postgraduate. Applications for Further Education (e.g. for Foundation Courses) should be made directly to the institutions concerned; applications for first degree courses are made through UCAS (similar to VHS in Sweden, forms for which are available from the British Council in Sweden); and Postgraduate courses are again made directly to the institution concerned.
You can search for available courses at the EducationUK website:
www.educationuk.org

Short Courses in London

If you are interested in shorter courses in the Greater London Area, then try searching the official course database below at Floodlight.
www.floodlight.co.uk

Detailed Subject Guides

For more detailed info about applying for courses within Art and Design, please click on the links below to download each file in PDF format from this page. Unless indicated, file sizes are 80 to 150 KB. In order to view these documents, you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader® software installed on your computer. If you do not have Acrobat Reader yet, you can downloaad it from the Adobe web site.

Built and natural environment

• Architecture
• Interior design

Computing and ICT

• Computing
• Web design

Visual and creative arts

• Art and design
• Fashion design
• Performing arts