How to Apply for Art and Design at the University of Edinburgh: Fine Art and Nine Design Degrees at Edinburgh College of Art, the 13 January UCAS Deadline and a 20-Page PDF Portfolio Due 27 January, with Portfolio Requirements and Timelines for Students in China, Canada and Transfer Applicants

At the University of Edinburgh, undergraduate art and design is taught at Edinburgh College of Art (ECA), part of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS), on the Lauriston campus. Scottish degrees usually take four years, and some programmes allow direct entry into the second year. This guide follows the 2027-entry programme pages.

1. Degrees

ECA's art and design degrees in the undergraduate A-Z (UCAS codes in brackets):

• Fine art: Fine Art BA (Hons) (BAFA). There is also a joint Fine Art and History of Art MA (Hons) (VW27), listed as four years.
• Design: Animation (W615), Fashion (W230), Graphic Design (W210), Illustration (W220), Interior Design (W250), Jewellery and Silversmithing (W721), Product Design (W240) and Textiles (J420), all BA (Hons).
• These BA (Hons) pages list a duration of 3 or 4 years with second-year entry available. The Fine Art and Graphic Design pages list study abroad, in Year 3 for Fine Art.

Fine Art is a four-year studio-based programme. Years 1 and 2 centre on Art in Practice and Art in Context (40 credits each), with work across digital media, drawing, installation, moving image, painting, performance, photography, printmaking, sculpture, sound and more, plus options across ECA and the University. The page says you are not expected to arrive as a fully formed artist or to show a particular technical aptitude.

2. Applying: UCAS plus a separate portfolio

• UCAS deadline: 13 January 2027, 6pm UK time, for UK and international applicants.
• What you need: qualifications, a personal statement, evidence of English, one reference and a portfolio.
• The portfolio is separate: after you apply through UCAS, instructions arrive at the email address on your UCAS application, not through UCAS. The submission period is 1 December 2026 to 12pm (GMT) on 27 January 2027; applications without a complete portfolio by then are unsuccessful.
• Decisions: Edinburgh aims to decide by the end of April and at the latest by 7 May 2027.
• Information sessions: online undergraduate portfolio sessions on 28 October and 25 November 2026.

3. Portfolio

• Format: one PDF of up to 20 pages (several images and text per page allowed), up to 50MB, named with your UUN (for example "s2212345").
• Four criteria, up to 5 pages each: visual research and enquiry; idea development (including materials and techniques); selection and resolution; contextual awareness (exhibitions, reading and practitioners, and how your work relates to them).
• Content: research, development and finished pieces, with short text explaining your process and thinking; school and personal work both count. The Fine Art page suggests 5 pages per criterion.
• Graphic Design and the other design programmes use the same submission period and format; each programme page lists what a strong portfolio for that subject includes.
• Second-year applicants are judged on the same criteria with greater depth and breadth expected.

4. Entry requirements

• A levels: most applicants offered a place on Fine Art and Graphic Design have had ABB, no specific subjects, plus GCSE English at C or 4.
• IB: most offers have been 34 points with 655 at HL, no specific subjects, plus SL English at 5.
• Second-year entry: a Foundation Diploma at Merit, a relevant HND or equivalent, normally in addition to meeting first-year requirements.
• English: IELTS 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component; TOEFL iBT 92 (20 per section) for tests before 21 January 2026, or 4.5 (4.0 per section) from that date; C1/C2 176 (162 per component) and other tests. Test results must be no more than two years old at the programme start.

Students at high schools in China

• Edinburgh's China page says the Senior High School Certificate does not normally meet the minimum requirements and is not accepted for direct entry; most subjects need further study.
• The International Foundation Programme (IFP) leads to many undergraduate degrees. The China page does not list which ECA programmes it covers, so confirm with admissions.
• Individual consideration of excellent Gaokao results, and applications after a year at a leading Chinese university, apply only to the College of Science and Engineering, not to ECA's college.
• A-level and IB students apply with the requirements above.

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver)

• For all CAHSS programmes, Edinburgh's Canada page asks for the BC Certificate of Graduation with at least five suitable Grade 12 subjects at 80%.
• Ontario: six 4M/U courses at 80% (no more than two 4M); Alberta: five Grade 12 subjects at 80%; Quebec: DEC average of 75%.
• English requirements are as above; the Canada page does not say whether Canadian students are exempt, so confirm with admissions.

5. Costs

• Tuition: international students pay a fixed annual fee based on their start date. Amounts appear only in the fee lookup, which did not display figures when we read it.
• Materials: Fine Art recommends at least £100 a year for basic materials; Graphic Design estimates £100 in Years 1 and 2, £200 in Year 3 and £250 in Year 4 (including the graduate show). An optional Year 3 Fine Art trip to Berlin is budgeted at about £400.
• Living costs: Edinburgh estimates £1,546 a month for 2026-2027, or £13,914 for a 39-week year.
• Scholarships: the programme pages only link to the general funding section and do not name ECA scholarships for international students; check the funding pages for your fee status.

6. Transfer and advanced entry

• There is no separate transfer route: applicants with a relevant HND, a Foundation Diploma or previous university study can apply for second-year entry, subject to places, with higher portfolio expectations.
• Second-year Fine Art entrants start with Art in Context 2 and Art in Practice 2, with the same options and access to first-year workshop inductions.

7. Checklists

Students in China:

• A levels: aim for about ABB; IB: about 34 points (HL 655)
• Senior high school only: ask admissions whether your ECA programme has a Foundation pathway
• IELTS 6.5 (5.5 per component); upload the 20-page PDF after 1 December and finish by noon on 27 January

Students in Canada (including BC and Vancouver):

• BC: Certificate of Graduation with five Grade 12 courses at 80%
• Apply through UCAS by 13 January and watch your email for portfolio instructions

Applicants with a Foundation or university study:

• A Foundation Diploma at Merit or a relevant HND can support second-year entry; show deeper research and broader work

Sources: University of Edinburgh — Undergraduate A-Z; Fine Art BA (Hons); Fine Art entry requirements; Graphic Design BA (Hons); Graphic Design entry requirements; Tuition fee lookup; Entry requirements for students from China; Entry requirements for students from Canada. Programme pages are for 2027 entry; fee amounts are shown only in the fee lookup, which did not display figures when we read it. Check the University of Edinburgh for the latest details.