How to apply

Common room for students in the School of Design

For more information on applying for taught programmes, visit the application portal.

If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

When to apply

The School of Design operates a staged admissions process for Masters courses with selection deadlines throughout the year.

If you apply before the application deadline for a particular stage, as shown below, you will normally receive a response on or before the ‘decision by’ date. If you require an earlier decision in order to meet a scholarship deadline, please notify us through the ‘My Enquiries’ section of the application portal once you have applied.

We receive a high volume of applications so we may need more time to assess your application. If you don’t receive an offer in a particular stage, you’ll be notified that your application has been either unsuccessful or carried forward to be considered in the next stage. Applications will only be carried forward once.

Deadlines for courses starting in September 2023 are shown in the table below:

• All deadlines are 23:59 UK time
• Applications for each stage open immediately after the deadline for the previous stage

Stage	Application-receipt deadline	Decision on complete applications by:
1	Friday 25 November 2022	Friday 24 February 2023
2	Wednesday 1 February 2023	Friday 28 April 2023
3	Friday 30 June 2023 Final deadline for receipt of international applications	Friday 14 July 2023 Final decisions on international applications published
4	Friday 15 September 2023 Final deadline for receipt of UK applications Also: international applicants’ deadline for the receipt of documentation that is required to meet the conditions of an outstanding offer	Friday 22 September 2023 Final decisions on UK applications published

What you need to include in your application

Please check that your qualifications match the entry requirements of the course for which you are applying, as listed in our coursefinder. If you have studied outside of the UK, see our international entry requirements.

When reviewing applications, particular attention will be paid to the relevance of your undergraduate degree subject and your academic performance. Due to the competition for places, preference will be given to applicants who have exceeded or are projected to exceed our minimum requirements.

Required documents – MA Advertising and Design; MA Design:

•   A copy of your degree certificate and transcript, or a current transcript if you are still studying; please also provide an official translation if not originally in English
•   A supporting statement in response to the questions asked in the ‘supporting statement’ section of the online application form
•   An approved English language qualification (if applicable). Please note that you may apply for a Masters course before you are able to provide this
•   Any previous UK CAS, visa and BRP documents, if you are an international student who has previously studied in the UK on a Tier 4/Student visa
•   An electronic link or PDF to your digital portfolio. The portfolio will demonstrate research, idea development and presentation of final concepts for each project. If any group work is included, the candidate must clearly state this and indicate what their individual role in the project was
•   Applicants from non-design backgrounds must also submit a portfolio – this can include a variety of materials which you feel best demonstrates your creative ability.

Required documents – MA Fashion, Enterprise and Society; MA Global Fashion Management; MSc Textile Sustainability and Innovation:

Read about visas, immigration and other information on our International students page. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Conditional offers

You do not need to have fulfilled all entry requirements before applying. Provided that your application satisfies all other entry requirements, a conditional offer may be made on the basis of your predicted result or current standing. You must provide your final results before an unconditional offer can be made.

Deadline for meeting your conditions: Friday 15 September 2023 (23:59 UK time)

Please note: this deadline does not apply to home-rated students, and it does not apply to English language conditions for students on the Language Centre summer pre-sessional courses.

If you require a student visa, please allow enough time for your offer to be confirmed as unconditional, and to pay the tuition fee deposit or provide the sponsor evidence that is required for us to issue a CAS (Certificate of Acceptance for Study) in support of the visa application.

Admissions policy

Taught Admissions Policy 2023-24 | University of Leeds.

Lifelong Learning Centre

The Lifelong Learning Centre provides support for mature and part-time learners across the University, including advice on how to apply to university and support throughout your studies.