The Faculty of Art & Design at Cambridge introduces you to creative practice at university level, combining artistic exploration with critical thinking.
The Faculty of Art & Design at Cambridge introduces you to creative practice at university level, combining artistic exploration with critical thinking. This programme is for students who want to experiment with visual ideas, materials, and processes while also considering how art communicates meaning. You’ll develop your own creative voice through hands-on work and collaborative projects, while gaining insight into the role of art and design in contemporary culture.
Art & Design at Cambridge gives you two weeks to explore how ideas move from sketch to finished work, and from individual thought to collective creation. You’ll work across different media — drawing, painting, sculpture, digital tools — and experiment with both traditional and modern approaches. Central to the programme is the group installation project, where you collaborate to plan, design, and build a large-scale piece that becomes part of the final showcase.
Alongside studio work, you’ll discuss the theory and history of art and design, learning how artists respond to social, cultural, and political contexts. These conversations help you place your own work within a wider framework, connecting practice to ideas.
Learning is highly interactive. You’ll share feedback in group critiques, adapt your work based on new insights, and see how collaboration can expand individual creativity. Tutors guide the process with expertise drawn from both academic study and professional practice.
Studying art and design at Cambridge equips you with practical skills, creative confidence, and the ability to think critically about visual culture. These abilities are valuable not only in the arts but also in fields such as architecture, media, communication, and design industries.
This course is part of the programme
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SBC generally offers 15 to 20 hours of tuition per week, depending on the course, combining taught components and skills based group project work. At Oxford College and Dukes Cambridge 25 hours of tuition are offered weekly, combining lectures, seminars, tutorials, and industry experience sessions.
SBC welcomes students of all English proficiency levels, from beginner to advanced. Placement tests are conducted in advance of student arrival to ensure students are placed in the appropriate class for their ability.
SBC ensures a high level of supervision. There is a dedicated team of welfare staff to supervise students 24/7. Staff-to-student ratios are typically high to ensure students are supported both academically and pastorally.
Earlscliffe fees include return transfers to/from London Heathrow and London Gatwick for flights/trains scheduled to arrive/depart between 9am-3pm on published arrival and departure days.
For other locations, students are provided with the option of using SBC's Shared Transfer Service from/to London Heathrow Airport and St. Pancras International.
When a student arrives, an SBC staff member wearing a bright yellow t-shirt will be waiting to greet her/him and accompany them to our Welcome Club. At Welcome Club, she/he will have the chance to meet other students arriving, have some light refreshments and relax. After a little rest, students will be accompanied by students and SBC staff to board the coach and be taken directly to the School in a private coach. The Shared Transfer Service can be used by students using the following flight times:
Flight landing time on arrival day: 06:00-17:00 Flight take-off time on departure day: 8:00-18:00 If you book a flight outside of these times or to/from another UK airport, we can look at sending a staff member in a taxi to collect or drop off your child, but it will cost more than the Shared Transfer Service. Quotations are available upon request.
Yes, course insurance is included in the cost of your course. This covers essential medical insurance, including emergency treatment and other related costs.
Yes, students receive a certificate of achievement at the end of the course, detailing their progress and any academic milestones they’ve reached. Students at Oxford College and Dukes Cambridge receive a Letter of Recommendation to support their university applications.
Students from countries outside the UK or Schengen Area may require a standard visitor visa. SBC provides supporting documentation, including confirmation letters, but students or their families are responsible for the visa application process. It’s recommended to apply for a visa well in advance. Please see the following website for more details: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa
