Applying to Us

As we're a creative arts university, we'll assess you on your own individual merit and potential to succeed on your chosen course of study with us. While we have minimum entry requirements, we appreciate that not all applicants come to us with standard qualifications and we consider a wide range of equivalent level qualifications from around the world, and professional experience or self-directed learning instead.

It’s true that entry to Falmouth can be competitive, but keep in mind that we consider your unique set of qualifications, skills and experience – we don’t look at grades in isolation. We are most interested in applicants who can demonstrate their skills, their enthusiasm and commitment to their subject. If you think you can do this, we encourage you to apply.

Standard entry requirements

Our standard minimum entry requirements vary according to the level of study you apply for and these are outlined below. We work within the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ)

1) Undergraduate Courses

You will have Level 3 equivalent qualifications, such as A Levels, a BTEC Extended Diploma or a Foundation Diploma. You will also have a portfolio of creative work for some of our courses. If you have studied a relevant subject or qualification, it may help to strengthen your application or your skills or portfolio. However, your application will not be discounted automatically if you have not, unless it is listed as a pre-requisite for study. More information can be found below, under the heading 'Specific Entry Requirements'.

A typical offer is between 104 and 120 UCAS points, primarily from your Level 3 qualifications. For more information and to see how many points your qualifications may be worth, please see the information under the heading 'UCAS points' below.

We will also consider a range of equivalent level qualifications from around the world or current, relevant experience.

2) Postgraduate Taught Courses

You will have a Level 6 equivalent qualification for entry to postgraduate taught level study. Typically, this will be an undergraduate honours degree in a relevant subject area. You will have a demonstrable interest in your chosen subject and the self-motivation required to succeed at postgraduate level.

We will also consider equivalent degrees from around the world, or current, relevant experience.

Specific entry requirements

A small number of our courses have an additional course-specific grade requirement in a certain subject, to ensure that you are academically prepared to study your chosen subject at university level.

Some of our courses may ask you to fulfil certain additional tasks, and these tasks vary from subject to subject. These are designed to enable you to demonstrate your creative skills and to help us assess your potential to succeed in you chosen subject at Falmouth. For example, you may be required to upload some of your work, and/or participate in an audition or interview, to help us learn more about you.

In each case, we will publish any additional requirements on the relevant course web page. We will also notify you of any tasks you may need to complete after you have applied. Please do not send us anything extra until we ask you to.

To see if the course you’re interested in currently has any specific entry requirements, please refer to the Courses & Specific Entry Requirements page.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you’ll need to provide evidence that you have English language skills that are of an equivalent standard in reading, writing, listening and speaking. We accept a range of recognised English language tests that are equivalent to the Common European Framework of Reference levels below.

Your test must be taken no earlier than two years before you start your course at Falmouth.

For more examples of other language tests that we will accept for entry to Falmouth, please visit our International Qualifications page.

Please note, if you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, you will need to take a Secure English Language Test (SELT). For an up-to-date list of tests and providers that are approved by the Government, please visit the gov.uk website

Whichever course you choose to apply to study at Falmouth, you will apply online. We use the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) for applications to most of our undergraduate courses, while we have our own application system for our other courses. UCAS will charge you a fee to apply, which varies depending on how many applications you choose to make. You can make up to five choices using UCAS. These can be five different courses at Falmouth, or five different universities, or a combination of both. There is no choice order visible, and all courses and universities will receive the same application from you at the same time.

When you apply, we aim to acknowledge that we have received your application within two working days of submission. We will email you, so please make sure you let us or UCAS know about any changes.

You will be given log in details to our online Falmouth Applicant Portal. The information you see in the Portal is bespoke and it will outline the next steps in your particular application process. For example, we will list any evidence you may need to upload for us, such as the need to supply proof of residency, or proof of English language ability, or proof of identity. We will also use the Portal to list any course-specific tasks you may need to complete, such as uploading examples of your work, and to invite you to an interview.

All course-specific application processes will be listed under 'How to Apply' on each course web page. To select the course you are interested in, please visit our course list

At Falmouth, we interview all applicants who demonstrate potential in their initial application. Interviews are two-way: they give you the opportunity to show your creative skills and interview us; and they help us further assess your potential in your chosen subject. You'll be invited to interview via the Applicant Portal, which you can also use to request another date or time, or to request an online interview if you can’t come to the campus in person.

Remember, we will guide you through the process, step-by-step, once you apply. If anything is unclear, let us know at the time so we can clarify it before you move on to the next step.

All application deadlines will be published on each course page under 'How to Apply'. To see if there is a deadline for your chosen course, please visit the relevant course page

Where there is no official deadline listed, it means we accept applications throughout the admissions cycle. In this case, we recommend you apply early to avoid disappointment, and to give yourself plenty of time to prepare a strong application.

All UCAS courses have an equal consideration deadline of 15 January. If you apply by the deadline, we guarantee to consider your application, equally, along with all other applications that are made on time. If you apply after the deadline, your application will be processed in the date order we receive it and any other late applications. We may be able to consider a late application, but we cannot guarantee it.

We will consider late applications only if there are places available on your chosen course at the time we come to process it. In the case of popular and competitive courses, we will prioritise on-time applications and we may decide we cannot consider any late applications once we have made decisions on our on-time applications. If are not accepting late applications on a particular course, we will make this clear on the relevant Falmouth course web page and the UCAS website as applicable.

If we have any late vacancies for UCAS courses, we will advertise them using UCAS ‘Extra’ or ‘Clearing’ and our own website. If you’re not sure if we’re still accepting applications, we encourage you to check with us before you apply. For more information about the UCAS application process, please visit their Apply and Track page

We use the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) for applications to most of our undergraduate courses.

The UCAS tariff is changing from September 2017 entry onwards. Therefore, the points range for our UCAS offers is changing too. From September 2017 entry, a typical offer to Falmouth is between 104 and 120 UCAS points (Until September 2016 entry, a typical offer to study at Falmouth is between 260 and 300 UCAS points).

However, it’s important to note that our entry requirements have not changed. You will still need to achieve the same A Level, BTEC or Foundation Diploma grades (or the same equivalent level qualifications from around the world or demonstrate your current, relevant experience).

Here is an example of some of the most commonly received qualifications at Falmouth and how they compare in the new tariff:

UCAS have designed an indicative online Tariff Calculator, to enable you to enter your qualifications and see how many points they're worth. Please visit the UCAS New Tariff to use the calculator.

Don’t worry if your qualifications aren’t listed there; the list is not exhaustive. UCAS are aiming to add more qualifications to the Tariff in the future. In the meantime, we encourage you to contact us if you’re not sure how your qualifications or your experience may compare. There’s a good chance we’ll be able to consider your unique set of qualifications, skills and experience for entry to Falmouth.

Deferral means you wish to apply for a place, or hold a place open on a course, for the following academic year.

If you would like to take a year out before starting an undergraduate degree at Falmouth, we encourage you to apply for deferred entry through UCAS by the 15 January deadline. UCAS allows you to select the forthcoming academic year, or the one following it, in your online application. You will go through the normal application process in the current year and if you are made an offer and you accept it, we will hold it for you for the following year. This way, you can plan your year out and we can plan our available places.

We do not normally grant deferrals after you have been made an offer, unless you have serious and unforeseen personal circumstances that would prevent you from studying that year. If you want to request a deferral after we have made you an offer, you will need to put your request in writing. We may suggest that you re-apply when you are ready to study.

We do not normally consider deferred applications for Postgraduate Taught courses. Instead, we would encourage you to re-apply when you are ready to study.

We welcome students who wish to transfer to Falmouth from other universities. You will be studying a similar or related subject and on track to achieve the necessary HE credits to transfer across to Falmouth for entry to second or third year.

You will apply through UCAS, as usual, and select the level of entry you wish to study at Falmouth. For example, you can select ‘2’ for second year entry and we will receive this as part of your application. If you wish to transfer into second year, you must have a minimum of 120 HE credits or equivalent by the time you commence your studies with us. If you wish to transfer into third year, you must have a minimum of 240 HE credits or equivalent by the time you start at Falmouth.

When we receive your application, you will participate in the normal application process, which may involve completing some additional tasks and/or attending an audition or interview. The academic team will compare the learning outcomes from your current course with the course you are applying to study at Falmouth, along with your unique set of skills and experience, in order to make a decision.

If you are in receipt of student finance, we advise you to check with your funding agency to make sure you will continue to receive funding for the duration of your studies at Falmouth.

We welcome applicants from around the world and we will consider a wide range of qualifications and experience for entry to Falmouth. We’ve prepared a list of some of our most commonly received international qualifications on our International page

If your qualification is not listed, don't worry. Please contact us for advice about your specific qualifications and their equivalencies.

When you apply, you will participate in the same application process as other applicants, which may involve completing some additional tasks or an audition or interview, depending on the course you apply to. If you’re currently based outside the UK and you are unable to come to an audition or interview in person, we will arrange an online interview for you.

If English is not your first language, you’ll need to provide evidence that you have English language skills that will enable successful completion of your studies. Please read the detailed information about Falmouth’s English language requirements, and other aspects of applying to study with us, under the various headings on this page.

Please note that if you require a Tier 4 (General) Student Visa to study in the UK, you will need to make sure you take a Secure English Language Test (SELT) to qualify under Home Office Immigration Rules. There is more information available on the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) website.

Before you apply to study in the UK, we recommend you familiarise yourself with the Immigration Rules available on the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website and the Home Office's UKVI website.

Once you start your studies at Falmouth, you will find a range of support available for you. Please visit our International page for more information. If you have any questions about your unique set of qualifications, skills and experience, and studying at Falmouth, please contact us.

We appreciate that some applicants will have achieved equivalent learning through self-directed study or professional experience, rather than come to us from traditional academic backgrounds. We are most interested in applicants who can demonstrate their creative skills, their enthusiasm and commitment to their subject. If you think you can do this, we encourage you to apply through the normal routes outlined above.

Once you apply, we may ask you to participate in the Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) Process. This is a formal process that enables you to evidence your self-directed study or experience in a format we can assess against the learning outcomes from equivalent formal academic qualifications.

You may be asked to complete some additional tasks to help us do this. Please refer to the Policies and Procedures link on this page for a copy of the APL Policy and Guidance available on our website. We will guide you through this process step-by-step, if it’s applicable to you at the time.

We will do everything we can to support you through your studies at Falmouth. We can provide confidential help and advice on aspects such as Accessibility and Dyslexia Skills, Living Support, Health Services, Wellbeing, Language Support, Counselling and Multi-faith Chaplaincy.

When you apply, we recommend that you declare any disability or support needs that you may have as part of your application so that we can provide the best support to you that we can. It is your choice how much you wish to tell us and anything you do tell us will be shared with the relevant staff members who need to know only; it will not be taken  into account when we make an academic assessment of your application to study with us.

For more information about the kind of support we offer at Falmouth, please refer to our Student Support pages.

If you've already applied to Falmouth, we recommend you contact us immediately if your circumstances change or if you have any concerns.

If your contact details change, it is very important to keep them up-to-date so we can continue to communicate with you throughout the application process. If you have applied through UCAS, update your details with them, so they can update all of your choices together. If you have applied direct to Falmouth, please update us.

We may require you to provide us with some additional evidence, such as proof of identity, or to complete some course-specific tasks, such as upload examples of your work. If we do, we will communicate with you via email and the Falmouth Applicant Portal, so please make sure you keep checking for any messages. The information you see in the Portal is bespoke and it will outline the next steps in your particular application journey.

We aim to make academic decisions within five working days of an interview or audition, however, we are most interested in making sure that all applications receive the attention they deserve. There may be times when popular and competitive courses take longer than this, as they may wait until they have assessed all on-time applicants as a group before they decide upon the outcome of individual applications. Sometimes we may require further information from you to make an assessment and this will naturally delay our decisions. If you are unsure, please feel free to enquire about the progress of your application.

If we make you an offer to study with us, it will either be ‘Conditional’ or ‘Unconditional’. If you are made a Conditional offer, you will need to fulfil certain conditions before you can commence your studies with us. For example, if you’re currently studying, we may ask you to achieve certain grades or UCAS points. Your conditions will be specific to you as an individual. 

If the condition is a pre-requisite of study, such as English language, you must meet it. However, if you have been made an offer on the basis of your creative ability and potential, we may be able to be flexible with your offer. If you are at all concerned that you will not be able to achieve your conditions, please contact us straight away for individual advice and guidance.

In all cases, we will communicate decisions via email to the address you gave us in your application. If you have applied through UCAS, we will also send you our decision in your Track account.

Once you've accepted an offer, we will hold a place for you. In the meantime, if you want to read more about commencing your studies at Falmouth, please visit our New Students page.

We take the experience of our applicants very seriously. We value all feedback and use it as part of our ongoing review and improvement of admissions processes. If you need to make a complaint about your application to Falmouth, please refer to the ‘Complaints’ section of our Student Regulations page.

Of course, if you would like to let us know about your positive experience of applying to Falmouth, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please fill in our online enquiry form