Please note that the UK Border Agency is now part of the Home Office. For the purposes of the information below please regard the UK Border Agency and the Home Office as the same thing. (April 2013)
Online Application
Undergraduate applicants are invited to use the online application system.
Please ensure you read the application requirements below thoroughly before applying.
If you have any enquiries, please email undergraduateadmissions@aaschool.ac.uk. If you would like to comment on the application system, have any questions, report any bugs or experience any difficulties with payment, please email aadp@aaschool.ac.uk
Before you apply
Students are strongly encouraged to visit the AA before applying. Individual or group visits for those interested in applying can also be arranged with advance notice. For further details, please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Coordinator.
Students are admitted into the Undergraduate programme at any level except the Fifth Year. The September admission is the sole point of entry. If you are applying for the Foundation course or the First Year, you must be 18 years old when you enter the school. Both school-leavers and mature applicants with previous experience are encouraged to take advantage of the wide range of possibilities offered within the school. Applicants without conventional entry qualifications are also considered, provided they are able to provide acceptable alternatives.
The AA does not belong to UCAS and all applicants must complete the AA Undergraduate Application form.
Deadlines and Financial Matters
The closing date for applications for 2013/14 is Friday 18 January (application fee £40); late applications will be accepted up to Friday 15 March (fee £60). Applications received after this date will be accepted at the discretion of the School.
Scholarships are available for new First, Second and Fourth Year applicants who demonstrate both outstanding merit in their portfolio and financial need. See scholarships for further information.
English Language Requirements
Language requirements for visas
If you need a Tier 4 student visa to enter the UK, you will need to meet the UK Border Agency's (UKBA) minimum language requirements based on the Common European Framework of Reference level (CEFR). Please note that these are the minimum levels required for visa purposes, and you will also need to meet the School's English language entry requirements. Students not requiring visas should discuss English language requirements with Admissions: undergraduateadmissions@aaschool.ac.uk
The AA reserves the right to offer a place in the School conditional on gaining a further English language qualification if deemed necessary. Any student without the required English language examinations must register in an English language school and book and pass the required examination before May 2013, prior to entry in Term 1.
What qualifications do you need?
To meet both the AA and the UKBA English language requirements you will need to have one of the acceptable language qualifications listed below, unless you are from one of the following groups:
You are from a majority English-speaking country as per the list on the UKBA website.
OR
You hold a degree from a majority English speaking country at the level equivalent to a UK Bachelor’s degree for a minimum of three years.
OR
You have studied on a Tier 4 child visa in the UK and the course was longer than six months and completed within the last two years.
The following qualifications satisfy both the requirements of the UKBA and the entry requirements of the AA:
- IELTS (Academic) 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each category) – two year validity period: must be within the two years at time of CAS visa application.
- Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English at grade C1 or C2)
- Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English at grade C2)
- Pearson Test of English (PTE) (Academic) overall minimum of 63 with a score of at least 59 in each category<
- Internet-based TOEFL – overall score of 90 with at least 22 for listening, 22 for reading, 23 for speaking and 23 for writing
DISCLAIMER: Please note the English language qualification requirements are subject to frequent change as instructed by the UK Border Agency.
Intro week
Admission Requirements
Portfolio
All applicants are expected to submit a bound portfolio of art/design work (no larger than A3 and between ten and 30 pages). All applicants should include in their portfolios a good selection of work that reveals their individual interests and skills. Offers of admission are based on evidence of motivation as well as intellectual and practical creative ability. Essays, photographs, video, photos of 3D objects or self-generated projects can all be included. CDs/DVDs of additional material are also accepted but only when accompanying a printed hard-copy portfolio.
Applications and portfolios will be assessed by the admissions panel, and applicants will be informed if they are invited to an interview at the AA. Read portfolio guidelines for suggestions on portfolio preparation.
Foundation
Applicants might include in their portfolios a selection of work that reveals their individual interests and skills: essays, photographs, video, photos of 3D objects or self-generated projects. Offers of admission are based on evidence of motivation as well as intellectual and practical creative ability.
The AA Foundation Course is recognised by the RIBA as the equivalent of an Art A level. Therefore the minimum entry requirements for students entering the Foundation Course is one A level pass (grade C or above) in a non art/design subject, accompanied with 5 GCSE’s (grade C or above) including maths, science and English. We recommend students having two A level passes if they wish to continue onto First Year. Foundations in art and design must be accompanied by one A level (or equivalent) in a non art/design subject.
First Year
Students applying for First Year are not necessarily expected to submit an ‘architectural’ portfolio. The panel particularly likes to see evidence of current interests and activities in the form of freehand sketches, drawings, essays or photographs.
The minimum academic requirements for students entering the First Year of the ARB/RIBA recognised course are two A level passes (grade C or above) plus 5 GCSE’s (grade C or above) including maths, science and English. If one A level is an art/design subject, it must be accompanied by at least one non-art/design subject.
International qualifications
Overseas applicants are required to have the recognised equivalent to the above examinations, such as the International Baccalaureate, Abitur etc, plus the required English language qualification (see above).
Second and Third Year (Intermediate School)
Students with previous architectural or design experience may apply to enter the Intermediate School. They will be expected to submit a portfolio of their work to date, including finished drawings, sketches, photographs and independent interests. Evidence of full-time architectural study is essential.
Fourth Year
Many students apply to enter the Fourth Year from other schools after completing Part 1.
Applicants for Fourth Year/Diploma School who have studied for Part 1 in the UK (or other countries using the same grading system) must have gained at least a 2:2 in their degree.
Applicants wishing to enter the Diploma School (to gain AA Finals RIBA/ARB Part 2, the professional qualification) must have AA Intermediate RIBA/ARB Part 1 or have gained exemption from RIBA/ARB Part 1. This can be gained either by successful completion of Third Year at the AA for a period of one academic year (3 terms) as a full-time student, or by applying directly to the ARB for Part 1 exemption (arb.org.uk/). Part 1 must be gained by 15 July prior to entry to the School.
Plagiarism
Upon signature of the application form applicants certify that the work submitted is entirely their own. Plagiarism is unacceptable in the academic setting and students are subject to penalties including dismissal from the programme if they commit an act of plagiarism.
Interview
The interview takes the form of a discussion around the applicant’s range of interests and focuses on the portfolio of work in architecture, the arts or related areas.
Acceptance of places
To accept a place, a completed admission form and a one-term non-refundable deposit must be received by the Registrar’s Office by the due date stated on the admission form.
