How to apply for art and design at Oxford Brookes University: three-year Fine Art, Graphic Design and Photography with an optional placement year, an unconditional offer for an A Level B in Art or a strong portfolio, a one-year art and design foundation diploma, portfolio requirements and timelines for students from China, Canada and transfers

Oxford Brookes University is in Oxford, England, and its art and design degrees are run by the School of Arts. This guide covers 2027 entry using the university's own website, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver) and transfer students.

1. Courses

These are the art and design degrees we found, with UCAS codes in brackets:

• BA (Hons) Fine Art (W100): three years full time, or four with a work placement, starting September 2027. Year 1 builds broad skills before you choose pathways in Year 2; each student has an individual studio space open 24 hours in term; Year 3 leads to the Degree Show.
• BA (Hons) Graphic Design (W214): three years, or four with a work placement, starting September 2027.
• BA (Hons) Photography (W640): three years, or four with a work placement (the course page currently still shows a September 2026 start).
• BA (Hons) Fine Art and History of Art (WV13): three years, or four with a placement (the page also shows a September 2026 start).
• BA (Hons) Illustration for Comics (W222): three years, taught mainly at New College Swindon. The page lists only home fees and no international fee, so ask the university first whether international students can join.

UAL Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design: one year at the Headington campus in Oxford, to explore your direction and build a portfolio before applying for degrees in the School of Arts. It cannot be applied for through UCAS; apply directly. It asks for 32 UCAS points (BTEC PP), GCSE Maths at grade C/4, and IELTS 5.0 (5.0 in all skills) for international students; applicants expected to meet the requirements are invited by email to submit a portfolio. The 2027/28 international fee is £18,500.

2. Portfolio and offers

Fine Art, Graphic Design, Photography, and Fine Art and History of Art use the same route: a grade B in A Level Art and Design, or a digital portfolio of an appropriate standard. If your portfolio meets the requirements, the university waives the tariff points condition and confirms an unconditional offer, provided no other conditions are outstanding. Course guidance:

• Fine Art and Fine Art and History of Art: show a range of work, techniques and processes, finished or in progress, such as observational drawing, sketchbooks, life drawing, collage, maquettes, experiments, photography, video or web design; document large works with photos that show scale. Submit as a PDF or through an online portfolio service; no number of pieces is set.
• Graphic Design: a maximum of 20 slides, each of which can hold several images, as a single PDF or PowerPoint file (around 15MB or less), or a Behance, Carbonmade or similar link sent by email. The guidance suggests a strong narrative rather than chronological order.
• Photography: 10–15 photographs on pages of the same size, plus images of your workbook or sketchbook; Instagram or YouTube links can be added. Submit as a PDF or on Issuu or a similar platform.
• Illustration for Comics: a portfolio is required and you may be interviewed; bring a portfolio including a sample of written work to interview, or submit it electronically if a face-to-face interview is not possible.

3. Entry requirements

UK qualifications (Fine Art, Graphic Design, Photography, Fine Art and History of Art):

• Standard offer 112 UCAS points, for example A Level BBC; IB 27; BTEC DMM
• Contextual offer: 88 points (A Level CCD, IB 24)
• Plus a B in A Level Art and Design or a portfolio of an appropriate standard (see above)
• Illustration for Comics: one of a Level 3 BTEC Extended Diploma in an art-related subject, two A Levels at A–D (one art-related), a Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design or an Access course, plus five GCSEs at A–C including English language

English: the university standard for undergraduates is IELTS 6.0 with 6.0 in reading and writing and 5.5 in listening and speaking, and these course pages follow it. If English is the only gap, the university's pre-sessional English course leads on without an external test.

Students from China: the China page lists routes into undergraduate study: a Senior Secondary School Graduation Certificate plus a recognised foundation course; the certificate plus the Gaokao; or one year at a Chinese university with 75% overall. Its equivalence table maps UCAS points to school and Gaokao results, including:

• 112 points (the standard offer above): certificate at 85% plus Gaokao at 70%
• 88 points (contextual): certificate at 75% plus Gaokao at 70%
• 32 points (the foundation diploma): Year 3 of the certificate at 65% or Year 2 at 70%, with no Gaokao
• The table notes that the certificate plus Gaokao is considered case by case; it also accepts the Aptitude Scholastic Test (AST)
• The page lists English as IELTS 6.0–7.0 with 6.0 in reading and writing and 5.5 in listening and speaking

Students from Canada: the Canada entry requirements page says:

• BC: British Columbia Certificate of Graduation with at least five Grade 12 courses; Ontario needs an OSSD with at least six Grade 12 U or M courses
• Equivalence table: A Level BBC = 75% average, CCD = 60%; a single A Level grade B = 70%
• English: at least 60% in Grade 12 English is accepted as evidence; Canadian nationals may not need to prove English for visa purposes

4. How and when to apply

• International students can apply directly to the university, and full-time international applicants can also use UCAS; UK full-time applicants use UCAS. The foundation diploma is direct application only.
• The course and application pages we read do not give a 2027 UCAS deadline; follow UCAS's published dates if you apply through UCAS, and apply early if applying directly.

5. Fees and scholarships

• Fine Art, Graphic Design, Photography, Fine Art and History of Art: £18,500 a year for international students in 2027/28 (£17,250 in 2026/27); the international placement year costs £2,010. International fees may rise in later years.
• £2,000 International Student Scholarship (September entry): awarded for paying the tuition deposit by the deadline that matches your offer date. Eligible courses include Fine Art, Fine Art and History of Art, Graphic Design, Photography and the UAL foundation diploma. The page currently covers September 2026 entry; 2027 details are not yet published.

6. Transfer and advanced entry

• Course pages say many courses consider entry part-way through for students with prior credit or relevant experience; contact admissions.
• The Canada page says a diploma of at least two years with a 2.2 GPA or equivalent can be considered for Year 2, possibly with faculty review; for Year 3, contact the Canada representative, Javier Garcia Sunthorn (jgarcia-sunthorn@brookes.ac.uk).
• Students from China with one year at a Chinese university at 75% can apply for Year 1; advanced-entry conditions are not published, so ask admissions.

7. Checklists

Students at high schools in China:

• On the equivalence table, 112 points is a certificate at 85% plus Gaokao at 70%; IELTS 6.0 with 6.0 in reading and writing
• Put real work into the portfolio: a strong one leads to an unconditional offer
• Apply directly or through UCAS, and watch the deposit deadlines for the 2027 international scholarship

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• BC needs at least five Grade 12 courses, with BBC equal to a 75% average; 60% in Grade 12 English counts as English evidence
• Prepare the portfolio for your course

Transfer students:

• A two-year Canadian college diploma with a 2.2 GPA can be considered for Year 2; ask admissions about other cases

Sources: Oxford Brookes University, BA Fine Art; BA Graphic Design; BA Photography; BA Fine Art and History of Art; BA Illustration for Comics; UAL Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design; Entry requirements for China; Entry requirements for Canada; English language requirements; £2,000 International Student Scholarship. Fees are for 2027/28; the scholarship page currently covers September 2026 entry only. Check Oxford Brookes for the latest details.