Information for students from Nigeria

The University for the Creative Arts is a collective of creative campuses where personal growth is shaped through making, time and human connection.

Our Schools are where students are known, supported and challenged to develop their own voice through practice, experimentation and craft.

Come as you are. Leave as who you'll become.

At UCA, you don't need to have everything figured out or try to fit in. From day one, you'll have the time, space and support to explore and grow in a place that celebrates individuality. Our small creative Schools offer a sense of community, where feeling safe, seen and respected helps your creativity develop naturally. 

Ready to take the next step? 
Register today to speak to an in-country specialist about studying at UCA, scholarships and your application.

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Highly competitive course fees and scholarships available for all applicants
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Scholarships & bursaries

At UCA we offer a number of scholarships and fee discounts available to assist you with the cost of your studies.

Below are some of the scholarships that you may be interested in.

  • Value: £3,000 fee deduction for the first year
  • Course(s): All full-time courses
  • Eligibility: All international applicants
  • Criteria: The scholarship will be automatically awarded if candidates meet all eligibility criteria. No application is required.
  • Value: £4,000 for students that pass and progress to the next stage of their undergraduate or postgraduate course (excluding the International Foundation in Creative Practices and one-semester integrated pre-masters).
  • Course(s): All full-time undergraduate and postgraduate taught degree courses.
  • Eligibility: All international students.
  • Criteria: Students need to achieve a pass or above in the previous year of study.

Note 1: Students who joined UCA before Sept 2025 will receive the Excellence scholarship if they achieved a pass or above in their previous year's study, valued at £2,000 per year (£4,000 for Nepalese students).

Note 2: Students who join in Sept 2025 will receive the UCA Continuing Performance Scholarship.

Note 3: Students who joined in Sept 2025 receive £2,000 each progressing year of an undergraduate course (excludes PPY). £4,000 per year for students from South Asian countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan & Sri Lanka).

Nigeria entry requirements

If you do not have UK qualifications, we will consider equivalent qualifications from Nigeria for entry onto our Foundation, Bachelor’s and Master’s courses.

Each application we receive is considered individually and therefore these qualifications are provided as a guide.

Please also check the entry requirements on the specific course you are interested in to check for course-specific requirements.

If you are not sure if you have the necessary qualifications please contact internationaladmissions@uca.ac.uk.


For our Bachelor's courses, we usually require that you have one of the following:

  • Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSSC) or West African Senior School Certificate (WASSC), showing 12 years of completed school study with minimum grades B in 5 subjects OR / National Examinations Council (NECO) -minimum grades B in 5 subjects
  • Nigerian Ordinary National Diploma with CGPA 2.5 Lower Credit
  • A transcript showing successful completion of one year of a Bachelor's degree from a recognised Nigerian university with GPA 2.5/4.0 or GPA 3.0/5.0
  • Nigerian Higher National Diploma for entry into year 1 or 2 or top up

For advanced entry (year two, year three or undergraduate top-up), we usually require that you have a Nigerian HND ( 5years programme including 2 years OND + 1 Year professional Practice + 2 Higher diplomas).

For our International Foundation in Creative Practices and our Integrated Foundation courses, we usually require that you have:

  • Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSSC) or West African Senior School Certificate (WASSC), showing 12 years of completed school study with minimum grades C in 5 subjects
  • National Examinations Council (NECO) - minimum grades C in 5 subjects

Integrated Pre-Masters course

For our Masters courses with Integrated International Pre-Masters, we usually require that you have a Nigerian HND (5 years programme including 2 years OND + 1 Year professional Practice + 2 Higher diplomas). For the 1 semester programme you will need to achieve Upper Credit, and for the two semester programme you will need to achieve Lower Credit or a Pass in a university degree.

Masters course

For our Master’s courses, we usually require that you have successfully completed a Bachelor's degree at a recognised university.

We accept a Senior School Certificate Examination - West African Exams Council (WAEC) / National Examinations Council (NECO), Grade C6 (C5 for our MBA course) or above in English Language.

If you take the IELTS test you will need to achieve the following scores (or an equivalent from other UCA-approved English tests):

  • Undergraduate degree (BA/BSc/BMus):
    6.0 overall with no less than 5.5 in any section
  • Undergraduate degree with Integrated Foundation Year:
    5.5 overall with no less than 5.5 in any section
  • International Foundation in Creative Practices:
    5.0 overall with no less than 4.5 in any section
  • Masters degree (MA/MSc/MFA/MBA/MArch/MMus):
    6.5 overall with no less than 5.5 in any section
  • Pre-Masters (13 Weeks):
    6.0 overall with no less than 5.5 in any section
  • Pre-Masters (30 Weeks):
    5.5 overall with no less than 5.5 in any section
  • Postgraduate Research (PhD/MPhil):
    7.0 overall, with no less than 7.0 in writing and 5.5 in any other section
  • Pre-Doctorate:
    6.0 overall with no less than 5.5 in any section

Speak to an in-country specialist

We understand choosing the right university in the UK is important. If you would like to speak to our in-country specialist please complete the form below: