How to Apply

First you should make sure you know all about the course that you are interested in by reading the relevant ‘Why Study Here?’ and ‘Course Details’ pages:

Foundation

BA (Hons) Conservation: Books & Paper

BA (Hons) Conservation: Stone, Wood & Decorative Surfaces

BA (Hons) Fine Art

BA (Hons) Carving: Architectural Stone

BA (Hons) Carving: Woodcarving & Gilding

BA (Hons) Illustration

GradDip Arts: Carving

PgDip Carving

MA Carving

MA Conservation

MA Fine Art

We strongly recommend you attend an Open Day to tour our studios and facilities, meet members of the teaching team and find out more about our courses.

You are also invited to attend a Student Virtual Chat where you can talk to current students about their experience of studying here.

Please note that Open Days and Student Virtual Chats for 2024/25 are now closed. We will be launching these events for 2025/26 in late Autumn.

For those of you who cannot attend an Open Day, you can download the Course Handbook at the end of this page, watch some of our videos or, if you prefer, we are happy to discuss the Art School and its courses with you via email or by phone.

Please follow the Art School’s Social Media accounts – Instagram, TikTok,  Facebook, LinkedIn – in order to get an insight of the day-to-day activities and events of the Art School.

We welcome applications from anyone committed to study with us and with the aptitude to do so. The Art School believes that everyone has something to offer and that each applicant and student have their individual specific needs and ways of learning. If you have a particular requirement that you need assistance for in your application process please consult our ‘What Advice & Guidance is available?‘ section below.

It is important to remember we manage our own applications, so if you have any enquiries about any of our courses, please contact us directly at, admissions@cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk

Yes, please see full information on our upcoming Open Days here.

Yes. Throughout the year, we run Student Virtual Chats where you can ask current students, who are studying on a range of our courses, about their experience of the course and what it’s like to study here. Register your place.

Attending an Open Day is another great way to meet and speak with current students. Please register via Eventbrite.

Receipt of application

Once your application is received by the Art School Admissions Office, you will receive an acknowledgement email that lists all the items received and any outstanding.

If upon receipt of your application, the course is full, you will be placed on a waiting list.

Application processing

The Admissions Office will check your application to ensure you meet the minimum entry requirements and make an assessment of your fee status.

Assuming your application is complete and you meet the minimum entry requirements, you will then be invited to interview.  Please ensure you complete all the relevant sections on the application form as an incomplete form may cause delays in the application process.

Interview invitation

The interview invitation details the date and time of your interview at the Art School. If you are living overseas, telephone/online-video interviews may be arranged.

Applicants with specific needs

If you are at all concerned that a disability might interfere or inhibit your interview, please let us know in your application: we will make any reasonable adjustment, which is within our capacity, so that you might fully participate in an interview.

If you are applying for our Foundation, Fine Art, Illustration and Carving courses then you must provide a link to a digital portfolio when completing our application form. For Conservation applications you have the option to include a digital portfolio but this is not a requirement.

For the digital portfolio, we recommend that you display 15-20 images. You should choose what you consider to be your strongest work undertaken within the last two years, representing the range of your interests and practice. We are not only interested in seeing finished work, so please include work in progress.

The interviewer makes their decision following the Interview and by assessing your whole application, not just the interview.

The assessment of your application is related to the specific selection criteria of your course, these criteria can be found in the Course Student Handbook that is available to download in the below section ‘Where can I find more information about the course I am interested in?‘

For the specific selection criteria for the course you are interested in please go to the following links:

Foundation

BA (Hons) Fine Art

BA (Hons) Illustration

MA Fine Art

BA (Hons) Conservation: Stone, Wood & Decorative Surfaces

BA (Hons) Conservation: Books & Paper

GradDip Arts: Conservation

MA Conservation

BA (Hons) Carving: Woodcarving & Gilding

BA (Hons) Carving: Architectural Stone

GradDip Arts: Carving

PgDip/MA Carving

Communicating interview decisions

We email the outcomes of interviews by the dates outlined in the application timelines.

Interview decisions

There are four possible interview decisions:

Please note that all successful applicants, even those with an unconditional offer, MUST provide documentary evidence by enrolment to support the claims made in their application, eg, proof of identity and prior academic achievement.

Offer letter

Offer letters detail:

• any academic condition of the offer;
• the fees liable along with how and when to pay them; and
• the Terms & Conditions relevant to the year of study.

Accepting an offer

The offer letter includes a Registration Form that must be signed and dated and returned to the Art School to confirm acceptance of both the offer and the Terms & Conditions.

Applicants usually have three weeks to accept an offer of a place, though this time may be shorter, later in the application cycle. The exact deadline to accept offers will be detailed in the offer letter.

Failure to accept an offer

Any offer of a place that is neither accepted nor declined by the required deadline, will automatically become deferred.

Registration and after

The return of the registration form, along with any fees required, confirms Registration with the Art School and a place on the course.

An official welcome letter is sent in July, which provides important enrolment and course information.

Withdrawal following registration

To withdraw following registration but prior to enrolment, the Art School must be informed in writing, for which the Model Cancellation Form can be used.

To be eligible for a full refund  notification must be provided within, whichever is the later date of:

• fourteen (14) days of the original formal acceptance of a place and the payment of deposit; or
• up to six (6) weeks before the start date of the course.

Please note:

• all refunds will be made to the individual or organisation that originally paid the fees; if a third party has paid the deposit on behalf of the student the refund is made to the third party;
• refunds can only be made to the account from which the original payment was made;
• if entitled, refunds will be processed within 21 days;
• all refunds will be made in GB pound sterling;
• any bank charges or currency conversion costs incurred in making a refund shall be borne by the student or the third party receiving the payment;
• for international students, tuition fees and deposit will become non-refundable after a CAS number is issued.

If you are an international student you will likely require a Student Visa to enable you to study on the course you are registered to begin.

If you require a Student visa, you will need a number, referred to as a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies number (CAS), which is issued by the Art School, before you can submit your Student Visa application.

We will check that the following conditions have been met by you, before we issue your CAS:

1. Full payment

You must have paid the tuition fee for the coming academic year in full, along with the successful application processing fee of £350.

Please note that should your student visa application be unsuccessful your tuition fee will not be refunded. Please see the Art School’s Student Fees, Refunds & Compensation Policy for further details.

2. Copy of your passport /current visa

You must provide the Art School with full-colour legible copies of your passport photo page and any current or past UK study visas. Please provide all relevant passport pages if you have had visas on more than one passport.

3. Bank statement

You may need to provide bank statement/s as evidence of your ability to cover your living expenses. For 2024/25 the living expense figure set by the government for students in London is £1,334 each month. You need only provide evidence equivalent to nine months of living expenses. This totals £12,006. The full amount of money must be held in the relevant account for at least the past 28 consecutive days. The money cannot drop below at any time during these 28 days. Any financial statements that belong to a third party have to be linked to you by the provision of proof of relationship.

Please note that the closing balance must not be more than 31 days old on the date you submit your visa application form and pay the visa application fee.

4. Previous academic qualifications

If you have not done so already, you must provide the Art School with copies of previous academic qualifications, along with certified translations where necessary.

5. English language qualifications

You must evidence your proficiency in English to study. This can include GCSE or A-level qualifications (in English speaking tuition), or standard language tests (SELT) from recognised providers which must have been carried out in the last 24 months.

You do not need to provide the above evidence however if:

• you hold a degree level qualification from OR are a national of: Antigua & Barbuda; Australia; the Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Canada; Dominica; Grenada; Guyana; Ireland; Jamaica; Malta; New Zealand; St Kitts & Nevis; St Lucia; St Vincent & the Grenadines; Trinidad & Tobago; UK; USA;
• OR you are applying to come to the UK for a study abroad programme as part of a university degree course in the USA.
• you have recently held a Tier 4 (Child) visa

We will issue your CAS in a letter which should be referred to when completing your student visa application.

You’ll find further information on applying for a student visa or any queries related to studying here as an international student here. Or you can contact our Registry Administrator: Admissions & International on admissions@cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk

For the 2024/25 term dates, please click here.

A student guide to accessing help and further advice

The Art School believes that everyone has something to offer and that each applicant and student have their individual specific needs and ways of learning.

For students enrolled at City & Guilds of London Art School, the Access to Learning Department provides advice, help and support in the following areas:

• support for learning
• support for disability
• advice and support for health conditions
• advice and support for mental health
• advice and support with anxiety and depression
• the Learning Mentor
• counselling
• course-based Needs Assessments
• Personal Learning Plans
• assistance with DSA applications
• advocacy
• pastoral support
• general advice and information

Do not worry if you cannot immediately find what you want, there is an email address below if you need to contact us with any queries.

Any student, at any point in their program, can register with Access to Learning.

Registering your information allows us to observe our duty of care and the effective safeguarding of your rights to disclosure and confidentiality.

If you have any particular needs or support issues, early disclosure is essential to ensure the timely provision of any appropriate advice or assistance.

Access to Learning frequently asked questions

Q: How can I inform the Art School of my situation and needs?

A: If you have enrolled, and know that you will need some help with writing, or are worried that a long-term condition means you need to make regular doctors’ appointments and you might be late, you should first inform us of your situation or specific needs in one of the following ways

• disclose your situation on your Application or Enrolment Forms;
• make an appointment with Access to Learning, Mondays 09:30-16:30, term time only: access@cglas.ac.uk
• talk to your Pastoral Tutor, who will, with your permission, advise you and/or refer you to Access to Learning
• talk to your Personal Progress Tutor, or your Head of Department who will also advise and/or will, with your permission, refer you to Access to Learning.

Q: Will my information be treated as confidential?

A: The Art School respects your right to confidentiality in relation to your disclosure.

We will not give out information about your situation or your needs unless you give us permission to do so.

Q: What happens after I have disclosed/ completed registration with Access to Learning?

A: On receipt of the information you have provided, Access to Learning, will email you to arrange a meeting in the first few weeks of the term. The meeting will discuss and identify the type and level of assistance required and what the Art School may be able to provide.

There will be a formal assessment following the meeting to confirm arrangements for assistance, if it is required.

There may be another meeting with you to complete a Learning Plan or an Access Plan, (depending on your situation).

This Plan will set out any specific requirements agreed with you and will be used to ensure that you are provided with the agreed adjustment or support identified.

Q: What should I do if I am planning to apply for Government DSA funding? *

A: Please contact Access to Learning so that we can advise you on making an application. You will need to supply specific information to apply for DSA funding:

• For a specific learning difference such as dyslexia:

Evidence in the form of a post-16 diagnostic assessment, in English, from an educational psychologist or suitably qualified specialist teacher.

• If you have a disability:

Provide a diagnostic assessment from a relevant professional

• If you have an ongoing situation or health condition that impacts upon your access to learning, making, your well-being or attendance:

Provide diagnostic and/or valid documentary evidence of your situation or condition,(such as a letter from your GP or specialist).

Remember not all students are able to apply for DSA funding:

Foundation Diploma students, International students and students enrolled on Diploma courses are usually not funded by Student Finance DSA.

* Student Finance England Disabled Student Allowance: We encourage and assist students with a recognised condition and valid supporting documentation, to apply for government funding wherever possible. Students with a valid diagnosis for conditions such as Dyslexia, M.E, Depressions, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and many others, are recognised as eligible for DSA. Students enrolled on BA or MA courses can apply online at: http://www.yourdsa.com

Q: I have never been diagnosed with a learning difficulty, but feel that I need some extra advice, support or help, what should I do?

A: Email or visit Access to Learning to discuss your concerns and speak to your Pastoral Tutor for advice.

Q: I need confidential advice that isn’t listed above and I would rather discuss it before registering with Access to Learning what should I do?

A: Email or visit Access to Learning to discuss your concerns.

Q: I have a situation or condition that impacts upon my experience /learning /wellbeing what should I do?

A: We always recommend you share this information with your Pastoral Tutor Email or visit Access to Learning to discuss your concerns.

Q: Would tutors and technicians need to know about my situation?

A: Some staff members may need to know about your situation so that they can provide you with the appropriate assistance or support. It may be necessary to inform other tutors of any relevant information regarding your Learning or Access Plan to ensure you receive what you need to engage with the course.

Disclosure is discussed and agreed with you in advance.

Q: How will staff be told about my situation?

A: Where required staff members will be informed about your needs via the Learning or Access Plan made after your first meeting. We may also email, phone or meet with them, if appropriate.

With your permission we might email your tutor and arrange a meeting to discuss your Learning or Access Plan.

Q: What if I don’t want anyone to know about my situation?

A: You may choose to keep all information about your situation, condition or Learning/Access Plans entirely confidential so that information cannot be disclosed to any other person.  It is your right to do this – but please be aware that the School will be restricted in its ability to meet your needs if you do so.

Q: Is there ever a time when disclosure may occur without my permission?

A: In the case of an emergency, or if there are concerns about the health safety and/or well-being of you, another student or student group, our Duty of Care will be observed and this may result in disclosure to an appropriate person.

For further information on Student Support here at the Art School, please read our Equality & Diversity and our Inclusive Learning & Participation policies describing our attitude to access.

For more detailed information about course units, learning outcomes and reading lists, download the Course Handbook from the Course Details section of your chosen course:

• Foundation
• BA (Hons) Conservation: Stone, Wood & Decorative Surfaces
• BA (Hons) Conservation: Books & Paper
• BA (Hons) Fine Art
• BA (Hons) Carving: Architectural Stone
• BA (Hons) Carving: Woodcarving & Gilding
• BA (Hons) Illustration
• PgDip Carving
• MA Carving
• MA Conservation
• MA Fine Art

To make an application please submit a completed application form and academic reference form to admissions@cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk

It is inevitable that, on occasion, someone will want to change their course of study.

While the Art School has only six undergraduate courses, it may be possible to transfer from one to another early on in the first year, depending on your previous experience, your portfolio and your aptitude. If you wish to change your course you will need to make a fresh application.

If you wish to transfer, make a new application or withdraw, you should talk to the Art School as soon as possible to consider your options.

Withdrawal following registration

Following Registration but prior to Enrolment a place on a course can be forfeited, and a refund of any tuition fees received (including the deposit) is permissible, provided the Art School receives a notification of your decision (in writing)

The written notification must be received by the Art School at least six weeks before the start of the course, unless the Art School offer of a place was received eight weeks or less before the start off the course, in which case the written notification must be received within 14 days of the original formal acceptance of a place.

Should you decide to cancel the contract outside of this period you will not be eligible for a refund of the deposit.

Please note:

• all refunds will be made to the individual or organisation that originally paid the fees; if a third party has paid the deposit on behalf of the student the refund is made to the third party;
• refunds can only be made to the account from which the original payment was made;
• if entitled, refunds will be processed within 21 days of receiving the request;
• all refunds will be made in GB pound sterling;
• any bank charges or currency conversion costs incurred in making a refund shall be borne by the student or the third party receiving the payment;
• for international students, tuition fees and deposit will become non-refundable after a CAS number is issued.

Please see the Art School’s Student Fees, Refunds & Compensation Policy for full details.

For 2025/26, it may be possible to transfer to the second year of our BA Fine Art after completing the first year of a BA Fine Art course at another education provider.

To be able to transfer to the Fine Art course at the Art School, you’ll need to meet the following criteria:

• you must meet all of the entry requirements for BA Fine Art at first year entry level
• the first-year content on your current course should be similar to the first year syllabus on our BA Fine Art course
• to join the 2^nd year in October 2025 you will need to have successfully passed all of your 1^styear units/modules and achieved 120 credits
• you will need to be able to demonstrate through your portfolio and at interview that you have the appetite, knowledge and ability to thrive on the course

If you’d like to find out more about Fine Art at the Art School, you are advised to attend an online open day or join a virtual chat with current students – you can book your place here.

To apply to transfer to the 2^nd year of our BA Fine Art course (2025/26), you will need to email a completed application form, with your digital portfolio, and ask your referee to send a completed academic reference form to admissions@cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk. Please explain in the email that you wish to transfer to the second year of BA Fine Art for 2025/26.

For more information and to discuss the application process with our Admissions Team, please email admissions@cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk

If you have a question that is not answered on this page or on the Course Page of your choice, please do not hesitate to contact our Admissions Office at admissions@cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk