Falmouth University

Falmouth University grew out of the Falmouth School of Art, which was founded in 1902. A merger with Dartington College of Arts in 2008 brought performance subjects into its range, and it was awarded university title in 2012. The university concentrates on the creative industries. Its subjects include animation, photography, games development, film and television, art, design, drawing and illustration, fashion and textiles, music, acting and theatre, and journalism and writing, while computing and business are taught through the Cornwall Business School. Of its approximately 8,000 students, around 1,200 are studying at postgraduate level.

Teaching takes place on two Cornish sites. The Falmouth Campus at Woodlane, the original site, is in the harbour town of Falmouth. A short way off lies the considerably larger Penryn Campus, which the university shares with the University of Exeter and where Glasney Student Village is located. Among its research activities is a Centre for Blended Realities, supported by the national Expanding Excellence in England fund. Falmouth has received the University Mental Health Charter Award from Student Minds, becoming the first specialist creative arts university to achieve this.

Information for International Students

Applicants for whom English is not a first language normally need IELTS 6.0 overall for undergraduate study, with a minimum of 5.5 in each skill, while postgraduate courses require 6.5 overall plus minimum scores in every skill. Rather than running its own pre-sessional English course, Falmouth points students towards an online partner provider. International applicants can join an integrated foundation year, offered with many undergraduate subjects, at either the Penryn or the Falmouth campus. Most applicants are invited to an audition or interview day, and portfolio or performance work is considered for some courses.

First-year undergraduates are guaranteed accommodation owned, managed or approved by the university, provided they have firmly accepted their offer and applied for housing before the published deadline. Applicant Services issues CAS statements once the offer has become unconditional and the necessary financial evidence is in hand, and also handles visa extension applications. Each September, International Student Services runs a staffed coach pick-up from London Heathrow. Merit-based scholarships are offered to international undergraduates and postgraduates, entrants to the integrated foundation year receive awards automatically, and eligible graduates may apply for the UK Graduate Route.