The Student Room Group

Falmouth uni or UAL for fine art

I have an interview for Falmouth this upcoming week for the integrated foundation degree with fine art. I’m also looking to apply for the UAL art foundation diploma. Would just like to know of people’s experiences at UAL studying the foundation and subsequently the degree at CSM or Chelsea as I hear mixed reviews, so am currently torn between Falmouth and UAL.
UAL foundation is a behemoth.

Do you currently live in London? These aren’t your only 2 choices and you don’t have to decide this yet.
Reply 2
No I don’t, not sure now maybe to look at a foundation closer to home and then apply straight for the ba at CSM or Chelsea after, or just do the integrated degree at fal.
Original post by sof1ao
No I don’t, not sure now maybe to look at a foundation closer to home and then apply straight for the ba at CSM or Chelsea after, or just do the integrated degree at fal.

Taking a foundation diploma locally will give you the most options. You could still go into yr1 of a ba at Falmouth instead of paying tuition fees for the integrated foundation - or you could pick from any degree you get an offer for through UCAS.

What are you studying at the moment?

Is there something in particular about fine art at UAL or Falmouth that appeals to you? They’re very different environments!
Reply 4
Currently doing my A-levels: art, photography and french. i know the environments are so different so not sure why i’m struggling so much aha! i met the lecturers in falmouth and they were lovely, it felt like a very supported environment. however im just worried that being in that location i’d get bored, especially being so far away. with ual obviously the connections are really good, i can’t imagine i’d get bored and feel that if i ever wanted to live in london this would be my only opportunity really. again just worried about the mixed opinions of UAL is all, however if i were to do the foundation locally then i might look at slade and kingston along with ual. i’m just potentially worried about a lack of support from tutors at ual. thank you so much for all you help :smile:
Original post by sof1ao
Currently doing my A-levels: art, photography and french. i know the environments are so different so not sure why i’m struggling so much aha! i met the lecturers in falmouth and they were lovely, it felt like a very supported environment. however im just worried that being in that location i’d get bored, especially being so far away. with ual obviously the connections are really good, i can’t imagine i’d get bored and feel that if i ever wanted to live in london this would be my only opportunity really. again just worried about the mixed opinions of UAL is all, however if i were to do the foundation locally then i might look at slade and kingston along with ual. i’m just potentially worried about a lack of support from tutors at ual. thank you so much for all you help :smile:


If you’re taking 3 A levels then why are you looking at the integrated foundation at Falmouth and not starting in year 1?
Why not look at other universities similar to Falmouth that are in less isolated locations? AUB in Bournemouth, AUP in Plymouth, NUA in Norwich, LAU in Leeds? That way you get the supportive and creative environment of an arts university in a bigger town/city but without the sausage factory feel of UAL.
Reply 6
Well I wanted to do the foundation year to explore a range of mediums that I have not had access to during A-levels, and feel more comfortable and confident going into year 1. However, looking at a thread of yours I did not realise that a Foundation year and diploma are two separate things, and it seems as though I would benefit a lot more from the diploma. Could you perhaps elaborate on how you feel about UAL as currently it is what I am gravitating towards the most, or other unis in London such as Kingston as I want those connections that London offers.
Original post by sof1ao
Well I wanted to do the foundation year to explore a range of mediums that I have not had access to during A-levels, and feel more comfortable and confident going into year 1. However, looking at a thread of yours I did not realise that a Foundation year and diploma are two separate things, and it seems as though I would benefit a lot more from the diploma. Could you perhaps elaborate on how you feel about UAL as currently it is what I am gravitating towards the most, or other unis in London such as Kingston as I want those connections that London offers.

The foundation at UAL is enormous - it was merged from 2 colleges into a new location this year but the merger overran so half the students this year are being taught elsewhere. They’re saying that everyone will be moved onto one site for 2025 entry but I would caution wariness personally - they haven’t demonstrated that the merger and move has been well managed so far. It’s a 9 month course so not one that you want to be impacted by being Guinea pigs for a new setup.

Most people study foundation close to home because there’s no maintenance loan. If you don’t currently live in London then a FAD at UAL is likely to be unaffordable.
Reply 8
Yes I was warned about that by a lecturer at Bath Spa, and since I don’t live in London despite the diploma being free I would not be able to afford to live there. Looking at the diploma at Oxford Brookes, since it’s also free but my dad lives in Oxford so I could commute. This is at the forefront of my mind now as didn’t realise there was a difference between a foundation year and diploma, so am straying away from doing the foundation year either at Fal or Bath Spa. Thank you so much for all of your help.
Original post by sof1ao
Yes I was warned about that by a lecturer at Bath Spa, and since I don’t live in London despite the diploma being free I would not be able to afford to live there. Looking at the diploma at Oxford Brookes, since it’s also free but my dad lives in Oxford so I could commute. This is at the forefront of my mind now as didn’t realise there was a difference between a foundation year and diploma, so am straying away from doing the foundation year either at Fal or Bath Spa. Thank you so much for all of your help.

You’re welcome

Brookes sounds like a perfect option for you. If you do get in then please do pop back to TSR to let us know how you’ve found it - getting good feedback on FAD courses is really difficult!

It’s worth trying to get to final year shows for a bunch of different universities in may/june/july. They’re a great way to get a feel for the differences between different fine art BAs and sometimes you can meet staff and students too (like a mini open day but with a focus on the work produced by the graduating students). Then when you come to start your 2027 entry UCAS application you’ll have a bit more of a feel for where you want to study.
Reply 10
You’re welcome
Brookes sounds like a perfect option for you. If you do get in then please do pop back to TSR to let us know how you’ve found it - getting good feedback on FAD courses is really difficult!
It’s worth trying to get to final year shows for a bunch of different universities in may/june/july. They’re a great way to get a feel for the differences between different fine art BAs and sometimes you can meet staff and students too (like a mini open day but with a focus on the work produced by the graduating students). Then when you come to start your 2027 entry UCAS application you’ll have a bit more of a feel for where you want to study.
That’s what I’m thinking, yes I could give feedback 🙂 Going to the final shows is a great idea! I’ll definitely do that! Honestly thank you so so much for all of your help, I appreciate it and it has really helped solidify my choices.

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