All applications for our undergraduate programmes here at The Northern School of Art are made online at ucas.com. Our UCAS code is C71. UCAS Customer Support is available by calling 0371 468 0 468.

We are still accepting applications for the 2026/27 UCAS cycle. If there isn't an open day at a convenient time for you, contact studentrecruitment@northernart.ac.uk to book a tour of the campus.

Book on to an open day today.

WHEN TO APPLY
For applicants starting in 2027, the UCAS ‘on-time application’ deadline will be January 13th. Applicants are encouraged to apply by this date (in-line with other HE providers), however, The Northern School of Art will continue to accept applications after this date.

 

TAKING A YEAR OUT?
Applicants who are thinking of taking a gap year before starting a degree with us can still apply by selecting ‘deferred entry’ on the UCAS application form. Deferred applicants are still advised to apply early. If successful, an offer will be given to start the following year.​

 

SUPPORT FOR CARE LEAVERS

On the UCAS application, applicants are asked if they are a care leaver or a looked after young person. This is important because there may be extra financial support available. We encourage care leavers to tick this box. Those applicants, who have ticked this box when applying to The Northern School of Art will be contacted by our support team to find out if there is any additional support needed before the start of term. To find out more about support for care leavers, please visit our page here:

https://northernart.ac.uk/school/student-support-hartlepool/care-leavers/

APPLYING TO FOUNDATION DIPLOMA IN ART & DESIGN
Applications for our Foundation Diploma are made directly to the School. Applicants can apply on-line or by completing a paper form found in our Further Education prospectus. The course starts in September and applications are open throughout the year.​

 

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

We consider every application on its own merits. Because of the creative nature of our programmes, we are interested in your potential, creative interests, current skills, commitment and readiness to develop – not just your academic profile.

For our undergraduate programmes, the standard academic entry requirement is 96–112 UCAS Tariff points. These will normally come from Level 3 qualifications such as A Levels, T Levels, UAL Diplomas, BTEC Diplomas or a Foundation Diploma in Art & Design.

Your portfolio review is an important part of our admissions process. It gives you the opportunity to show us your work, talk about your ideas and interests, and demonstrate the skills, experience and potential you could bring to your chosen programme.

We recognise that applicants come from different educational backgrounds and have had different levels of access to creative opportunities. We therefore do not expect everyone to arrive with the same qualifications, experience or type and amount of portfolio work.

If you are predicted fewer than 96 UCAS Tariff points, have qualifications that do not fit the standard entry requirements, or have relevant professional or other experience, we may still be able to consider your application. Please contact our Admissions team for advice.

If you are a mature applicant aged 21 or over, particular consideration will be given to the skills, experience, creative potential and readiness for higher education that you demonstrate through your application and portfolio review.

Applicants should also be able to demonstrate appropriate literacy and written communication skills. This may be evidenced through relevant qualifications or, where appropriate, through other evidence such as written work, sketchbook annotations and discussion during your portfolio review.

If you are unsure whether your qualifications or experience meet our entry requirements, please contact Admissions. We will be happy to talk through your circumstances before you apply.

UCAS TARIFF TABLE
The UCAS website holds equivalency scores for all other qualifications aligned to the tariff system. Not all qualifications will have a defined tariff, in which case, applicants should contact the Admission Team for more information on eligibility.

CALCULATE YOUR UCAS TARIFF >

Or use our UCAS Tarrif Caculator below:

UCAS TARIFF POINTS
See below for an overview of the tariff points for the most popular courses studied by the majority of applicants:

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU APPLY

1. Portfolio review or audition

You will be invited to a portfolio review, or an audition if you have applied for Acting for Stage and Screen. This can take place in person or online. You will also have the opportunity to see our facilities, either during your visit or virtually.

 

2. Decision and offer

We will let you know the outcome of your application and, where appropriate, make you an offer.

 

3. Keeping in touch

If you accept an offer, we will keep in touch at key points throughout the year with useful information, events and opportunities to meet staff and future classmates.

 

4. Enrolment

Before you join us, we will share everything you need to know about getting started, Welcome Week and student life at The Northern School of Art.

 

What to bring or share

It is good to bring a small selection of work that gives us a picture of you and your creative interests. This could include:

· sketchbooks, drawings or paintings

· photographs, designs or illustrations

· models, samples or images of larger pieces

· digital work, moving image or animation

· writing, scripts, research or project reflections

· work in progress, experiments and early ideas.

Choose work you can talk about. We are often as interested in the ideas, research, changes of direction and experiments behind a piece as we are in a final outcome.

You do not need to include everything on this list, and you do not need work in every format. Your course page includes examples that may be especially relevant to your chosen subject.

If your work is digital, you can bring a laptop or tablet, share a link, or send material in advance where requested. Photographs of large, fragile or difficult-to-transport work are absolutely fine.

 

Written work

Our degrees are practical and creative, but you will also read, reflect, take notes and complete written work during your studies.

Please bring one example of writing if you can. This could be an essay extract, project reflection, journal, blog, review, script or another piece of writing that is your own. Around 500 to 1,000 words is a helpful guide, but you do not need to create something new if you already have a suitable example.

If you are unable to provide a conventional written example, please contact us before your review. We can discuss the best way for you to demonstrate your written communication.

 

Your portfolio review

Your portfolio review is relaxed and informal. It is an opportunity for us to get to know you, your work and your ambitions, as well as a chance for you to decide whether the course feels right for you.

We may ask about work that inspires you, creative things you enjoy, or experiences that have shaped your interests. There are no “right” cultural references. We simply want to understand what interests you and why.

Come with any questions you have about the course, facilities, student life, accommodation or studying in Hartlepool. It is completely fine not to know everything yet.

If you would like help preparing, need an adjustment, or are worried about travelling or joining online, please contact Admissions before your review. We want you to be able to show your best self.

 

Your own work and use of AI

All work submitted in support of your application must be your own.

If you have used digital or AI-assisted tools as part of your creative process, please tell us how you used them. We may ask you to talk through your process or verify authorship.

Deliberately misrepresenting work may lead to an application or offer being withdrawn in line with our Admissions Policy.

 

APPLYING TO BA (HONS) ACTING FOR STAGE & SCREEN
Applicants for BA (Hons) Acting for Stage & Screen will be invited to an audition.

We do not charge an audition fee.

For the audition you are required to prepare 2 contrasting monologues:

1. One classical piece
2. One contemporary piece

Each of these should last no longer than 2 minutes. The Classical piece should be Elizabethan or Jacobean (for example Shakespeare, Marlowe, Webster) and preferably in blank verse. Your Contemporary piece should come from a published play produced post 1980 although the more recent the better.

With the monologues try to choose pieces that suit your age and showcase your skills. You will perform the monologues to our panel and may be re-directed in one of them.

Your performance may be recorded on video by a member of the panel so that it can be reviewed at a later stage. The actual interview and audition will take about 10-15 minutes.

 

All masters programmes are delivered over a 12-month period.

 

HOW TO APPLY
All applications for postgraduate programmes are made directly to the School.

Application forms are available online or by contacting: interviews@northernart.ac.uk

 

WHEN TO APPLY
There is no set deadline for postgraduate applications but we encourage you to apply early enough to prepare for finance and accommodation in good time if required.

 

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Applicants must have one of the following:

• Degree at 2:2; or evidence of exempting experience; or
• Experiential learning in lieu of a degree to be assessed by interviewing panel;

Applicants holding other qualifications may also be considered provided that they have appropriate relevant professional experience.

 

REFERENCES
At least one written reference is required to support your application, but it is usual to supply two where possible. One of your references must be relatively recent and preferably from a previous or current academic tutor. We also accept references from previous or current employers as well as other creative practitioners.

 

YOUR MA PROPOSAL AND INTERVIEW
Applicants who meet the entry requirements will be required to submit a proposal outlining their intentions for MA study. This will be explored further if invited to an interview. The faculty staff will evaluate the proposal to determine its feasibility in the context of the resources required and the availability of specialist staff to support their chosen area of study.

 

Your proposal does not need to be detailed but should include:

MA Art, Culture & Curation:

Your proposal should be a maximum of 500 words (with supporting imagery if applicable). This does not need to be detailed but should include:

• A title
• Your reasons for applying to study MA Art, Culture & Curation at The Northern School of Art
• A description of your current practice
• The proposed direction of your MA study (including potential research ideas/themes)

 

MA Creative Enterprise:

Your proposal should be a maximum of 500 words (with supporting imagery if applicable). This does not need to be detailed but should include:

• A title
• Your reasons for applying to study MA Creative Enterprise at The Northern School of Art
• A description of your current practice
• The proposed direction of your MA study (including potential development ideas/themes)

 

MA Creative Practice:

Your proposal should be a maximum of 500 words (with supporting imagery if applicable). This does not need to be detailed but should include:

• A title
• Your reasons for applying to study MA Creative Practice at The Northern School of Art
• A description of your current practice
• The proposed direction of your MA study (including potential development ideas/themes)

 

MA Directing & Theatre Making

Your proposal should be a maximum of 500 words and include:

• Your reasons for applying to study MA Directing & Theatre Making at The Northern School of Art
• A proposed project
• Discuss what your chosen project would entail (style, influences and working methods)
• Discuss current developments within the sector and how your practice fits in
• You will also be required to perform a contemporary monologue at the audition (lasting 2-3mins).

 

Your interview will consist of:

1. Presentation of your proposal.
2. Q&A

 

Types of questions that will be asked at interview, but not confined to:

1. Why have you chosen this programme?
2. What are your strengths and weakness?
3. Specific questions about your proposal.

CONTACT
For more information on the application or interview process, please contact the Admissions Team at interviews@northernart.ac.uk or 01429 422 000.

 

DISCLAIMER
The Northern School of Art wholeheartedly supports the principle of equal opportunities in education and training and opposes all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination against a person who wishes to access education or training at this institution on the grounds of colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender, marital status, age, political or sexual orientation, mental or physical disability.