Information on certain illustration BA courses
Hi! I'm applying to uni this month and I've narrowed down my choices to Falmouth University, University for the Creative Arts, Norwich University of the Arts, Arts University Bournemouth, and (edit: changed this from Brighton!) Leeds Art University. However I'm having trouble finding detailed sources online to be able to compare. Currently Falmouth is my first choice, and it's also the only university I've been able to visit due to being an international student, but I want to make sure I'm informed on all my choices, if that makes sense.
For UCA and Leeds, I'm applying for the Comic and Concept Art BA course instead, as this is more specialised to what I'd like to go into career-wise after university. However, I'm worried that I will end up with less transferrable skills if that's a way to put it? So if anyone has any insight on this e.g. your own input or whether the illustration fundamentals taught in these courses are "sufficient" please let me know!
I'd really appreciate any information and feedback, as I really like all these courses based on what I know about them. Thank you!
For UCA and Leeds, I'm applying for the Comic and Concept Art BA course instead, as this is more specialised to what I'd like to go into career-wise after university. However, I'm worried that I will end up with less transferrable skills if that's a way to put it? So if anyone has any insight on this e.g. your own input or whether the illustration fundamentals taught in these courses are "sufficient" please let me know!
I'd really appreciate any information and feedback, as I really like all these courses based on what I know about them. Thank you!
(edited 2 months ago)
Hello! I can provide a bit of context. I applied for 3/5 of these for Game Art and I had a close friend who studied Illustration at UCA Farnham.
UCA Farnham is a tiny, tiny university ostrocised in the middle of the surrey countryside in a little village. It has a very small amount of student accommodation that can make getting accommodation on campus very difficult. The only places to go out, really, are a slew of local pubs also populated by elderly locals and the student union bar. It is a pretty atypical "student experience" although the village is very pretty and the courses are well-funded. I had a good experience interviewing there, but the classrooms were very small and I felt a bit reluctant moving there from the city I was living in prior. Recently they had Sex Education do some filming there and student work featured in the background of some of the shots, which is cool. It also neighbors Guildford, which is a larger town that also has a university (Surrey Uni), so some students choose to live there instead.
Falmouth I didn't attend an open day for in person as it was a long way from where I was living at the time, but I did attend an in person regional interview, where they sent out people from Falmouth to hold interviews at a building in Manchester and spoke to students and lecturers about the course. This initiative was really cool and gave me a much better understanding of the Uni than I otherwise would've gotten. I got some great feedback from my interviewing lecturer and everyone was really enthusiastic. They would've been my insurance pick had I not got an unconditional from my firm.
Norwich I applied to, but I also didn't attend an open day in person but one of my friends did. She reported that it felt a bit school-like and the way they conducted the in-person interviews was in a group setting, with lots of people showing their work at once, and she didn't receive much feedback, leading her to feel as though it was all a bit unprofessional. Equally, i've heard from people that did end up going to Norwich who found it to be a well-equipped course. It is a specialist arts university and has some better career links than alternatives. This is probably the most personal and least reliable info of the lot I can give you, so take with a grain of salt.
I don't know anything about the university, but I've spent a lot of time in Brighton and it's a really cool city with a large student/young people demographic, lots of things to do. Lanes full of vintage shops, record shops, the sorts of independent places that sell all kinds of trinkets. I imagine it's a really fun place to go to Uni.
UCA Farnham is a tiny, tiny university ostrocised in the middle of the surrey countryside in a little village. It has a very small amount of student accommodation that can make getting accommodation on campus very difficult. The only places to go out, really, are a slew of local pubs also populated by elderly locals and the student union bar. It is a pretty atypical "student experience" although the village is very pretty and the courses are well-funded. I had a good experience interviewing there, but the classrooms were very small and I felt a bit reluctant moving there from the city I was living in prior. Recently they had Sex Education do some filming there and student work featured in the background of some of the shots, which is cool. It also neighbors Guildford, which is a larger town that also has a university (Surrey Uni), so some students choose to live there instead.
Falmouth I didn't attend an open day for in person as it was a long way from where I was living at the time, but I did attend an in person regional interview, where they sent out people from Falmouth to hold interviews at a building in Manchester and spoke to students and lecturers about the course. This initiative was really cool and gave me a much better understanding of the Uni than I otherwise would've gotten. I got some great feedback from my interviewing lecturer and everyone was really enthusiastic. They would've been my insurance pick had I not got an unconditional from my firm.
Norwich I applied to, but I also didn't attend an open day in person but one of my friends did. She reported that it felt a bit school-like and the way they conducted the in-person interviews was in a group setting, with lots of people showing their work at once, and she didn't receive much feedback, leading her to feel as though it was all a bit unprofessional. Equally, i've heard from people that did end up going to Norwich who found it to be a well-equipped course. It is a specialist arts university and has some better career links than alternatives. This is probably the most personal and least reliable info of the lot I can give you, so take with a grain of salt.
I don't know anything about the university, but I've spent a lot of time in Brighton and it's a really cool city with a large student/young people demographic, lots of things to do. Lanes full of vintage shops, record shops, the sorts of independent places that sell all kinds of trinkets. I imagine it's a really fun place to go to Uni.
(edited 2 months ago)
Original post by aspalax
Hello! I can provide a bit of context. I applied for 3/5 of these for Game Art and I had a close friend who studied Illustration at UCA Farnham.
UCA Farnham is a tiny, tiny university ostrocised in the middle of the surrey countryside in a little village. It has a very small amount of student accommodation that can make getting accommodation on campus very difficult. The only places to go out, really, are a slew of local pubs also populated by elderly locals and the student union bar. It is a pretty atypical "student experience" although the village is very pretty and the courses are well-funded. I had a good experience interviewing there, but the classrooms were very small and I felt a bit reluctant moving there from the city I was living in prior. Recently they had Sex Education do some filming there and student work featured in the background of some of the shots, which is cool. It also neighbors Guildford, which is a larger town that also has a university (Surrey Uni), so some students choose to live there instead.
Falmouth I didn't attend an open day for in person as it was a long way from where I was living at the time, but I did attend an in person regional interview, where they sent out people from Falmouth to hold interviews at a building in Manchester and spoke to students and lecturers about the course. This initiative was really cool and gave me a much better understanding of the Uni than I otherwise would've gotten. I got some great feedback from my interviewing lecturer and everyone was really enthusiastic. They would've been my insurance pick had I not got an unconditional from my firm.
Norwich I applied to, but I also didn't attend an open day in person but one of my friends did. She reported that it felt a bit school-like and the way they conducted the in-person interviews was in a group setting, with lots of people showing their work at once, and she didn't receive much feedback, leading her to feel as though it was all a bit unprofessional. Equally, i've heard from people that did end up going to Norwich who found it to be a well-equipped course. It is a specialist arts university and has some better career links than alternatives. This is probably the most personal and least reliable info of the lot I can give you, so take with a grain of salt.
I don't know anything about the university, but I've spent a lot of time in Brighton and it's a really cool city with a large student/young people demographic, lots of things to do. Lanes full of vintage shops, record shops, the sorts of independent places that sell all kinds of trinkets. I imagine it's a really fun place to go to Uni.
UCA Farnham is a tiny, tiny university ostrocised in the middle of the surrey countryside in a little village. It has a very small amount of student accommodation that can make getting accommodation on campus very difficult. The only places to go out, really, are a slew of local pubs also populated by elderly locals and the student union bar. It is a pretty atypical "student experience" although the village is very pretty and the courses are well-funded. I had a good experience interviewing there, but the classrooms were very small and I felt a bit reluctant moving there from the city I was living in prior. Recently they had Sex Education do some filming there and student work featured in the background of some of the shots, which is cool. It also neighbors Guildford, which is a larger town that also has a university (Surrey Uni), so some students choose to live there instead.
Falmouth I didn't attend an open day for in person as it was a long way from where I was living at the time, but I did attend an in person regional interview, where they sent out people from Falmouth to hold interviews at a building in Manchester and spoke to students and lecturers about the course. This initiative was really cool and gave me a much better understanding of the Uni than I otherwise would've gotten. I got some great feedback from my interviewing lecturer and everyone was really enthusiastic. They would've been my insurance pick had I not got an unconditional from my firm.
Norwich I applied to, but I also didn't attend an open day in person but one of my friends did. She reported that it felt a bit school-like and the way they conducted the in-person interviews was in a group setting, with lots of people showing their work at once, and she didn't receive much feedback, leading her to feel as though it was all a bit unprofessional. Equally, i've heard from people that did end up going to Norwich who found it to be a well-equipped course. It is a specialist arts university and has some better career links than alternatives. This is probably the most personal and least reliable info of the lot I can give you, so take with a grain of salt.
I don't know anything about the university, but I've spent a lot of time in Brighton and it's a really cool city with a large student/young people demographic, lots of things to do. Lanes full of vintage shops, record shops, the sorts of independent places that sell all kinds of trinkets. I imagine it's a really fun place to go to Uni.
thanks for the input!!
Original post by rudasg
Hi! I'm applying to uni this month and I've narrowed down my choices to Falmouth University, University for the Creative Arts, Norwich University of the Arts, Arts University Bournemouth, and Brighton University to study illustration. However I'm having trouble finding detailed sources online to be able to compare. Currently Falmouth is my first choice, and it's also the only university I've been able to visit due to being an international student, but I want to make sure I'm informed on all my choices, if that makes sense.
For UCA, I'm also considering applying for the Comic and Concept Art BA course instead, as this is more specialised to what I'd like to go into career-wise after university. However, I'm worried that I will end up with less transferrable skills if that's a way to put it?
I'd really appreciate any information and feedback, as I really like all these courses based on what I know about them. Thank you!
For UCA, I'm also considering applying for the Comic and Concept Art BA course instead, as this is more specialised to what I'd like to go into career-wise after university. However, I'm worried that I will end up with less transferrable skills if that's a way to put it?
I'd really appreciate any information and feedback, as I really like all these courses based on what I know about them. Thank you!
Have you looked at online graduate shows for each of your choices?
What sort of town/city are you used to living in? Do you have any specific hobbies that you enjoy doing?
Original post by PQ
Have you looked at online graduate shows for each of your choices?
What sort of town/city are you used to living in? Do you have any specific hobbies that you enjoy doing?
What sort of town/city are you used to living in? Do you have any specific hobbies that you enjoy doing?
Hi!
As far as I know, UCA is the only one that has a gradshow website, which I’ve looked over already
As for location, I’m really not picky, and I’d much rather live in a smaller less busy area actually. I don’t tend to go out much anyway, so I don’t mind there not being a lot to do - I like more mundane stuff like going on walks or visiting small shops
Original post by rudasg
Hi!
As far as I know, UCA is the only one that has a gradshow website, which I’ve looked over already
As for location, I’m really not picky, and I’d much rather live in a smaller less busy area actually. I don’t tend to go out much anyway, so I don’t mind there not being a lot to do - I like more mundane stuff like going on walks or visiting small shops
As far as I know, UCA is the only one that has a gradshow website, which I’ve looked over already
As for location, I’m really not picky, and I’d much rather live in a smaller less busy area actually. I don’t tend to go out much anyway, so I don’t mind there not being a lot to do - I like more mundane stuff like going on walks or visiting small shops
AUB grad shows: https://aub.ac.uk/showcase
NUA showcase (note this is curated not all grads): https://gradfestshowcase.com/undergraduate/courses/illustration/
Brighton 2020 online show: https://artandmediagraduateshow.brighton.ac.uk/category/illustration-ba-hons/
It sounds like Bournemouth or Falmouth might be the best fit for you in terms of your interests. Brighton is a very busy city. Norwich is a smaller and less busy city but it's still a city.
Original post by PQ
AUB grad shows: https://aub.ac.uk/showcase
NUA showcase (note this is curated not all grads): https://gradfestshowcase.com/undergraduate/courses/illustration/
Brighton 2020 online show: https://artandmediagraduateshow.brighton.ac.uk/category/illustration-ba-hons/
It sounds like Bournemouth or Falmouth might be the best fit for you in terms of your interests. Brighton is a very busy city. Norwich is a smaller and less busy city but it's still a city.
NUA showcase (note this is curated not all grads): https://gradfestshowcase.com/undergraduate/courses/illustration/
Brighton 2020 online show: https://artandmediagraduateshow.brighton.ac.uk/category/illustration-ba-hons/
It sounds like Bournemouth or Falmouth might be the best fit for you in terms of your interests. Brighton is a very busy city. Norwich is a smaller and less busy city but it's still a city.
thank you!
Original post by rudasg
Hi! I'm applying to uni this month and I've narrowed down my choices to Falmouth University, University for the Creative Arts, Norwich University of the Arts, Arts University Bournemouth, and (edit: changed this from Brighton!) Leeds Art University. However I'm having trouble finding detailed sources online to be able to compare. Currently Falmouth is my first choice, and it's also the only university I've been able to visit due to being an international student, but I want to make sure I'm informed on all my choices, if that makes sense.
For UCA and Leeds, I'm applying for the Comic and Concept Art BA course instead, as this is more specialised to what I'd like to go into career-wise after university. However, I'm worried that I will end up with less transferrable skills if that's a way to put it? So if anyone has any insight on this e.g. your own input or whether the illustration fundamentals taught in these courses are "sufficient" please let me know!
I'd really appreciate any information and feedback, as I really like all these courses based on what I know about them. Thank you!
For UCA and Leeds, I'm applying for the Comic and Concept Art BA course instead, as this is more specialised to what I'd like to go into career-wise after university. However, I'm worried that I will end up with less transferrable skills if that's a way to put it? So if anyone has any insight on this e.g. your own input or whether the illustration fundamentals taught in these courses are "sufficient" please let me know!
I'd really appreciate any information and feedback, as I really like all these courses based on what I know about them. Thank you!
Hi 😀,
It’s great to hear you're wanting to study BA (Hons) Comic and Concept Art. This experiential course gives you space to explore the theory, practice, and professional contexts of comic and concept art. Discover the diverse possibilities of these exciting fields through practical, transdisciplinary, and industry-relevant skills.
The course will allow you to develop your understanding of studio and freelance practice while gaining expert skills suitable for a range of creative careers. Former students have forged successful careers in concept art for film and gaming industries, published comics, and even worked in theatre design. You can find out more about the course on the link below:
https://www.leeds-art.ac.uk/courses/ba-hons-comic-and-concept-art
Leeds is a great city to study in with a thriving arts community. There’s always something different to do so you are guaranteed an excellent social life. Our campus is based next to the city centre, so you have a range of great cafes, shops, green spaces and galleries at your doorstep. The Sunday Times has recently named it as the best place to live in the north. I have enclosed a link below with some of our must-visit places:
https://www.leeds-art.ac.uk/life-in-leeds
You can find out more about the course and studying at the university at our online open day.
https://www.leeds-art.ac.uk/open-days/undergraduate-on-demand-open-day
You can also chat with one of our current BA (Hons) Comic and Concept Art if you have any questions about the course or studying in Leeds.
https://www.leeds-art.ac.uk/chat-to-a-student
If you have any more questions please let me know. 😎
Leeds Arts University Rep!
Original post by rudasg
Hi! I'm applying to uni this month and I've narrowed down my choices to Falmouth University, University for the Creative Arts, Norwich University of the Arts, Arts University Bournemouth, and (edit: changed this from Brighton!) Leeds Art University. However I'm having trouble finding detailed sources online to be able to compare. Currently Falmouth is my first choice, and it's also the only university I've been able to visit due to being an international student, but I want to make sure I'm informed on all my choices, if that makes sense.
For UCA and Leeds, I'm applying for the Comic and Concept Art BA course instead, as this is more specialised to what I'd like to go into career-wise after university. However, I'm worried that I will end up with less transferrable skills if that's a way to put it? So if anyone has any insight on this e.g. your own input or whether the illustration fundamentals taught in these courses are "sufficient" please let me know!
I'd really appreciate any information and feedback, as I really like all these courses based on what I know about them. Thank you!
For UCA and Leeds, I'm applying for the Comic and Concept Art BA course instead, as this is more specialised to what I'd like to go into career-wise after university. However, I'm worried that I will end up with less transferrable skills if that's a way to put it? So if anyone has any insight on this e.g. your own input or whether the illustration fundamentals taught in these courses are "sufficient" please let me know!
I'd really appreciate any information and feedback, as I really like all these courses based on what I know about them. Thank you!
Hiya,
Thank you so much for considering us as your place of study. You can find our course content and details as well as career options after uni on our undergrad Norwich Uni Arts courses page. Likewise, we have loads of information regarding what we have to offer in our prospectuses. I personally collected about 10 prospectuses when I was looking for a uni, as I found this the easiest way to compare across my options.
Hope this helps.
Charlotte, Student Ambassador 🙂
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