Overview

Pursue your passion for creativity in your chosen specialism.

UWS’s BA (Hons) Creative Practice provides entry to exciting career opportunities for the next generation of visual artists. Whether through photography, illustration, graphic design, printmaking, contemporary art practice, ceramics, or the production of animations, you will build a professional portfolio that will develop your creativity, skills, and employability across the contemporary creative and cultural industries.

With teaching led by creative, experienced professionals you will work in our contemporary art and photography studios and computer labs at our scenic new Dumfries and Galloway campus.

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Course highlights

  • With a focus on multi-disciplinary learning, you’ll have access to industry-leading facilities such as art, printmaking and photography studios, computer labs and exhibition spaces.
  • You’ll develop transferable skills in content production, research methods and professional communication – meaning you can develop your portfolio.
  • You will work with industry specialists, such as designers, photographers, and visual artists.
  • Focus on practical approaches for creating visual arts content including graphics, illustration, animation, installation and time-based art, photography, ceramics, printmaking and drawing and painting.

Course details

  • BA (Hons) Creative Practice will help you develop the essential professional and technical skills required to work in creative industries such as publishing, cultural heritage, animation, contemporary art practice and public/community arts.
  • The programme will help you build up a portfolio of work to prepare you for future developments in the ever-changing landscape of visual arts, culture, and communications.
  • By keeping up with these cultural and industry trends, the programme will equip you with the creative and critical learning skills to effectively explore relationships between visual art-making, the emerging technologies in your practice area and how these relate to and reflect the political, social, cultural, and historical contexts around us.
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Career prospects

Graduates will develop specialist skills and experience to support careers in:

  • Commercial and Fine Art
  • Photography
  • Animation
  • Illustration and Graphic Design
  • Contemporary Art Practice
  • Public and Community Art
  • Visual Communications
  • Social Media and Online Content generation
  • Self-employment

Entry requirements

Candidates must be able to satisfy the general admission requirements of the University of the West of Scotland as specified in Chapter 2 of the University Regulatory Framework together with the following programme requirements: 

SQA National Qualifications/Edexcel Foundation

 
Year 2 HN in Art, Design, Computer Arts, Contemporary Art Practice, Film craft, Animation, Photography, Visual Communication, Audio Visual Technology, Digital Media, Sound Production, Technical Theatre, Production Arts or relevant discipline and English Higher (B grade or above) or relevant alternative. 

All applicants will be expected to submit a personal statement, reference, and portfolio. Full explanation of this will be provided to applicants through an Admissions Staff contact. Initial offers and rejections will be made based on the above. Should places remain available after this first stage, remaining applicants will be invited for interview. Full details of the interview criteria will be provided to the applicants ahead of their interview date through an Admissions Staff contact.

Applicants should demonstrate at least basic competence in some or all of the following: 

  • Observational drawing.
  • Familiarity with conventions inherent in the visual arts, such as composition, perspective, and proportion.
  • Applied knowledge or skill in media such as printmaking, painting, photography, or sculpture.
  • Some knowledge of notable historical and current creative practice.
  • Applied knowledge or skill in computer-based applications such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Procreate or similar equivalent. 

Other routes for admission 

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) 

APL refers to certificated learning of full or part completion of academic qualifications for which there is an agreed, general credit rating or recommendation as set out in the University’s Regulatory Framework:

“Appropriate learning, wherever acquired, provided that it has been subject to reliable and valid methods of assessment, is accepted for the purpose of gaining academic credit towards an award of the University.” 
 
Applicants who have successfully completed a programme of certificated learning at a recognised UK awarding institution are considered for admission with credit, at an appropriate point on the programme of study for which entry is being sought. 

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) 

APEL is defined as learning that has its source in experience, for example at work or in the community. The assessment of APEL is undertaken by the University. 

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Tuition Fees 2023-24

Use the Link below to download details of our full-time, part-time tuition fees for Bachelor, Masters, Research, and English Language pre-sessional courses for session 2023-24.

Tuition Fees

Undergraduate tuition fees

Tuition fees for this course 2024/25

Scottish

£1,820 cost per year of study (usually paid by the Scottish Government via SAAS*)

All other UK & Republic of Ireland

£9,250 Cost per year of study, but not more than £27,750

Channel Islands & Isle of Man

£9,250 Cost per year of study, but not more than £27,750

International (all other EU plus Non-EU)

£15,500 per year of study

More on tuition fees and funding

Apply through clearing

This programme is in clearing for students resident in Scotland, Rest of the UK, Republic of Ireland, EU.

Those not applying through an agent or partner, should apply through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).

 

Apply on UCAS

Apply

Full-time (domestic & EU/EEA)

All UK and EU applicants for undergraduate study, not applying through an agent or partner, should apply through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service)

The on-time application deadline for 2025/26 entry is 29 January 2025, 18:00 (UK time). For some courses it may still be possible to apply beyond this period, subject to suitable vacancies remaining. The final deadline for late applications via UCAS is 30 June 2025. Beyond this deadline, you may be able to apply via ‘UCAS Clearing’ if the course you are interested in has remaining places.

Please refer to our Undergraduate Application Guide for domestic & EU/EEA to find more information on when and how to apply to study at UWS.

Apply on UCAS

Full-time (non-EU/non-EEA), Part-time & Online (all students), Erasmus & International Exchange

Students from non-EU/non-EEA countries can apply directly to UWS via our dedicated online application system. The latest we can process your application is 6 weeks before the course start date to allow for visa processing times. For more information on when and how to apply to study at UWS please refer to our International Undergraduate Application Guide.

For part-time & online study, you should apply directly to the University through our online application system, not through UCAS. Please select the part-time mode of study when submitting your application. Before you begin your application, it is important to read the part-time application step-by-step guide for a smooth process.

To come to UWS as a visiting student on a study abroad or exchange programme, you must apply entirely through our online system.

An ATAS certificate is not required for overseas students applying for this course.

Get in touch

Do you have a question about applying for this course? Get in touch. We are here to help!

We will always try to make sure that we publish accurate course information but we do not accept responsibility for any mistakes or omissions. We will also try to make sure that we deliver our courses in line with our published information. However, we may not always be able to do so and you can find further information about this in our enrolment terms and conditions.