Program Overview

Studio Practice (Visual Communication) (top-up) at UCA

Our Studio Practice top-up course in Visual Communication at UCA Canterbury will give you the chance to gain all the skills you need to progress to postgraduate study and boost your knowledge and experience.

Ideal for international students and also suitable to UK students looking to build upon existing qualifications, this course is aligned with the final year of our BA (Hons) Visual Communication degree, so you can progress to a Master's degree in a streamlined way.

You'll get right into the action from the start, undertaking research and practical projects, working on collaborative activities and building your skills, knowledge and confidence.

Course entry options

• BA (Hons) (top-up)
  • Equivalent to the final year of an undergraduate degree, this course enables you to build upon an existing qualification such as a foundation degree or an HND.

Specifications

• Course information 2025/26 entry
• Student regulations

What you'll study

The content of the course may be subject to change. Curriculum content is provided as a guide.

Year one (equivalent in level to year 3 of BA course)

• Launch: This is your opportunity to share ideas that you will have developed over the summer about your critical research project, receive feedback from tutors and peers and fine tune it before you start actively working on it as part of your last year at university.
• Critical Research and Practice: This unit involves the research, development, and construction of a self-directed research project that informs, guides, motivates and drives subsequent professional and creative work in year 3. This project requires you to consolidate and articulate your knowledge, understanding, skills, and experience, alongside the interests that you have developed over the duration of the course.
• Professional Practices: This unit helps you to explore contemporary and future definitions of creative practice leading to a professional career in the varied fields of Visual Communication (or related creative disciplines).
• Opportunity: This is your opportunity to explore, through field visits, external settings for visual communication in national and international locations. As well as to the contexts and forms relevant for Visual Communication.
• Self-Directed Final Major Project: This unit provides you with a framework within which to research, develop and realise a major self-initiated project of your own choosing. It enables you to develop a written project proposal that effectively and succinctly communicates the key elements of your conceptual, technical, aesthetic and theoretical concerns and intentions. It allows you to develop work that demonstrates a high level of maturity through its clarity and focus.

Fees & funding

Tuition fees - 2026/26

• BA (top-up) course: £9,535

Tuition fees - 2025/26

• BA (top-up) course: £9,535 (see fee discount information)

Tuition fees - 2025/26

• BA (top-up) course: £17,500

Please note: The fees listed on this webpage are correct for the stated academic year only, for details of previous years please see the full fee schedules.

UCA scholarships and fee discounts

At UCA we have a number of scholarships and fee discounts available to assist you with the cost of your studies.

Financial support

There are lots of ways you can access additional financial support to help you fund your studies - both from UCA and from external sources. Discover what support you might qualify for please see our financial support information.

Additional course costs

In addition to the tuition fees there may be other costs for your course. The things that you are likely to need to budget for to get the most out of a creative arts education will include books, printing costs, occasional or optional study trips and/or project materials.

Facilities

Visual Communication facilities include dedicated studios with space for both personal and group working; digital media suites with Macs running the latest industry design software, including Adobe Creative Suite, Final Cut Studio, Final Cut Pro, Soundtrack Pro and Autodesk Maya. We have photography studios and processing and printing darkrooms for black and white film-based photography; printmaking studios with access to lithography, screen-printing, etching and relief printing.

Entry & portfolio requirements

UK

• BA (Hons) course (top-up)
  • The standard entry requirements* for this course are:
    • 240 credits from a relevant degree (120 credits at level 4 and 120 credits at level 5), with a minimum of 55% overall
    • Foundation Degree in a relevant subject
    • Higher National Diploma in a relevant subject
  • And/or Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)

International and EU

• BA (Hons) course (top-up)
  • The entry requirements for these courses will depend on the country your qualifications are from, please check the equivalent qualifications for your country:
    • Non-UK equivalent qualifications
  • Any additional entry requirements listed in the UK requirements section, e.g., subject requirements, work experience or professional qualifications, also apply to international applicants applying with equivalent qualifications.

Portfolio requirements

You will be required to submit an online portfolio for review. Further information on specific portfolio requirements and how to submit your portfolio will be sent to you after we have reviewed your application. View more portfolio advice