Art Degree without A-level

Is there the possibility you could do it as a joint honours / degree at St. Andrews? If not, then there should be clubs + societies at St. Andrews that you could join? Sorry, if this is of no help. You could also see if there is any way that you could do art-related stuff outside of the Uni - like in the town instead?

Reply 2

..M..

14

I don’t know what the chances are of you getting offers, but it’s definitely possible! When I was in year 12, this year 13 who studied science subjects was always at the back of my art classroom creating portfolios of artwork she had done in her spare time, and I remember my art teachers being really happy that she got accepted onto art courses without doing art for A Level :smile:

Reply 3

OP

Original post by Wibble04

Is there the possibility you could do it as a joint honours / degree at St. Andrews? If not, then there should be clubs + societies at St. Andrews that you could join? Sorry, if this is of no help. You could also see if there is any way that you could do art-related stuff outside of the Uni - like in the town instead?

Unfortunately St. A is completely academic focused and don't offer any creative courses! But yes, hopefully there will be other opportunities for me to do art if I still have to go there. I'll definitely have a look and see what I can find. Just seems miserable + a bit of a waste of money to spend 4 years studying a degree I don't particularly want to do only for the extracurriculars!

Reply 4

OP

Original post by ..M..

I don’t know what the chances are of you getting offers, but it’s definitely possible! When I was in year 12, this year 13 who studied science subjects was always at the back of my art classroom creating portfolios of artwork she had done in her spare time, and I remember my art teachers being really happy that she got accepted onto art courses without doing art for A Level :smile:

Thank you for this!! I've been in a real slump about it all, so the ray of hope is definitely appreciated :smile:

Reply 5

Original post by celestialkawa

Unfortunately St. A is completely academic focused and don't offer any creative courses! But yes, hopefully there will be other opportunities for me to do art if I still have to go there. I'll definitely have a look and see what I can find. Just seems miserable + a bit of a waste of money to spend 4 years studying a degree I don't particularly want to do only for the extracurriculars!

are you able to defer your entry year at all? cause then you could spend the year earning money (if you want) and at the same time looking and applying for an art degree elsewhere, and then if you don't get an offer from that you could still have your place at st andrews doing English.

Reply 6

OP

Original post by Wibble04

are you able to defer your entry year at all? cause then you could spend the year earning money (if you want) and at the same time looking and applying for an art degree elsewhere, and then if you don't get an offer from that you could still have your place at st andrews doing English.

That was my ideal scenario! But I don't think you can apply to uni whilst having a deferred place held for you unfortunately. It seems rather all or nothing...

Reply 7

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by celestialkawa

That was my ideal scenario! But I don't think you can apply to uni whilst having a deferred place held for you unfortunately. It seems rather all or nothing...

I honestly cannot say what you should do then. I mean, you could always do the English degree, aim for a good grade in it and then do art outside of the degree. And you would then at least have a degree on your side when applying to other stuff in the future, cause it has the possibility of opening more doors for you. If you choose to do the degree, you could also maybe do another degree in art when you have finished?

I myself am looking to do an art degree (starting hopefully 2022) and am trying to decide between Aberystwyth and Bath Spa. Most art courses don't require really high grades which is good, as they are attainable. BUT: quite a few art courses do require a portfolio of work, which you would usually take with you to the interview.

I would definitely say for now though, do not reject the unconditional at St. Andrews!! Clear your head and figure out why you definitely want to do art first, and if it is still the same when you have done that, think on it some more and ask friends and family what they think etc. If you keep the place and decide you really don't like it after some time doing it, you can always drop out and look for an art degree for 2022.

Reply 8

PQ

21

Are you only interested in studying at a Scottish university or would you consider English/Welsh/NI universities?

Do you have any artwork to put into a portfolio?

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 9

OP

Original post by PQ

Are you only interested in studying at a Scottish university or would you consider English/Welsh/NI universities?

Do you have any artwork to put into a portfolio?

I’d be happy to go to uni anywhere (St Andrews was actually the only Scottish uni I applied to). I have some bits and pieces that could go in a portfolio, but not enough to complete it. If I were to apply for Art then I would spend the first half of my gap year putting together things to make a proper portfolio.

Reply 10

username4591444

21

My understanding is the art portfolio is key, if you have your own artwork you should have a good shot, but you should research examples of A level portfolios so you can try to match the content, e.g. a bit of art research, showing the process etc. It's definitely doable if you can make your own portfolio.

Reply 11

OP

Original post by Wibble04

I honestly cannot say what you should do then. I mean, you could always do the English degree, aim for a good grade in it and then do art outside of the degree. And you would then at least have a degree on your side when applying to other stuff in the future, cause it has the possibility of opening more doors for you. If you choose to do the degree, you could also maybe do another degree in art when you have finished?

I myself am looking to do an art degree (starting hopefully 2022) and am trying to decide between Aberystwyth and Bath Spa. Most art courses don't require really high grades which is good, as they are attainable. BUT: quite a few art courses do require a portfolio of work, which you would usually take with you to the interview.

I would definitely say for now though, do not reject the unconditional at St. Andrews!! Clear your head and figure out why you definitely want to do art first, and if it is still the same when you have done that, think on it some more and ask friends and family what they think etc. If you keep the place and decide you really don't like it after some time doing it, you can always drop out and look for an art degree for 2022.

Yes, hopefully I would be able to pursue art via a post-grad or something similar if I end up just sticking with St Andrews!

Thank you for having a chat through options with me (genuinely very helpful!). I certainly won’t reject St Andrews without a very solid (and not risky) plan, and not without thinking about it for a long time if I do. Good luck with your Art application!! I’m sure you’ll smash it :smile:

Reply 12

OP

Original post by xxx0xxxo

My understanding is the art portfolio is key, if you have your own artwork you should have a good shot, but you should research examples of A level portfolios so you can try to match the content, e.g. a bit of art research, showing the process etc. It's definitely doable if you can make your own portfolio.

Yeah, that’s what university websites seemed to say. I’ve done a lot of research on A-level portfolios (wanted to make sure I could achieve similar things before thinking too seriously about this all), but I got a bit freaked by Loughborough saying they thought you wouldn’t be able to meet the standard without having done A-level!! But I suppose that’s only one uni, and it’s all on a case-by-case basis. Fingers crossed if I pursue it!!

Reply 13