Goldsmiths, University of London

Overview

With an academic legacy that dates back to the 19th Century, Goldsmiths is a uni with a rich heritage and long history. It’s based on one campus in New Cross, southeast London. Lots of students live near the campus and all undergraduate facilities are in one place, building a strong and creative student community. 

You can expect to find everything you need as a student on campus, including teaching facilities, sports services, a print centre, places to eat and drink, and a new public art gallery with free exhibitions. The Students’ Union has a bar and café to enjoy, as well as venues that host club nights, live music and quiz nights. On-campus services also offer wellbeing support which includes counselling appointments and drop-in sessions.

Being in New Cross you’re in between Peckham, Lewisham and Greenwich, meaning you’re on the doorstep of all that those areas have to offer. You’ll find friendly cafes and lively pubs that are popular with students, including the New Cross Inn which hosts regular live music nights. In Peckham you’ll find arts venues and buzzing nightlife, while Deptford High Street has recently been voted as one of the coolest in the world.

Central London, and the rest of the capital, is easily accessible by national rail, tube, Overground and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and you’ll find lots of green space nearby, including Telegraph Hill. 

Goldsmiths offers degrees in a range of subject areas, including the humanities, social sciences, art & design and law. You’ll be able to choose from traditional subjects that are given a fresh approach, teaching real-world insights alongside the subject’s theory. 

Most undergraduate courses are only available full-time but some can be studied part-time over a longer period. For example, you can do a part-time degree in subjects like history, politics, anthropology and English, among others.

Typically, full-time undergraduate degrees at Goldsmiths take three years to study, but some courses include placement years, study abroad options or an integrated master’s year. These courses usually take four or five years to complete. 

Most degrees include optional modules, as well as core modules, meaning you can study the degree topics you’re most interested in. 

It's also possible to combine more than one subject within an undergraduate degree in what’s called a combined honours degree. For example, you could study BA (Hons) English with Creative Writing, or BA (Hons) History & Journalism. 

You can apply to Goldsmiths using a variety of level 3 qualifications, including A-levels, BTECs and Cambridge Pre-U qualifications. It’s also possible to combine more than one type of qualification in order to make the entry requirements if you need to.

You can find the exact entry requirements for each specific course online on the uni’s course search pages but we’ve also given you the range of qualifications you’ll need to study certain subjects below. 

For instance, to study a course in accounting, business or finance, or psychology and counselling, you’ll need A-levels of BBB (or equivalent qualification), and to study a degree in health & medicine, you’ll be asked for BBB–CC (or equivalent qualification). You’ll also be asked for BBB for computing and & IT courses.

It should be noted that entry requirements can change so you should always confirm these with the university before applying. 

At Goldsmiths you’ll find a variety of student accommodation options, ranging from the supportive environment of halls to more independent, private living choices.

In total, there are more than 1,400 rooms in Goldsmith’s halls of residence, which are located nearby campus and throughout London. Some options, like Chesterman House and Surrey House, are part of the purpose-built student village which is a short walk from campus. Some halls, such as Loring Hall, are based on campus, while others are around 20 minutes away in places like Shadwell and Brockley. 

You’ll find ensuite options, as well as standard room types with shared bathroom facilities, and a Residence Life Team is on hand to provide 24-hour support and safety services, creating a safe halls environment. Rent costs vary depending on where you stay but range from around £150 to £320 a week.

Should you prefer not to live in uni halls, there are other accommodation options you can look at. For instance, as a Goldsmiths student, you can apply to stay in the University of London halls. There are also plenty of private accommodation options available throughout the city and you’ll be able to get help and support with this through the University of London Housing Services, including getting access to the property search platform. 

Goldsmiths has a dedicated Careers Service that can support you through your time at uni, and once you’ve graduated, in employment and career-related areas. For example, you’ll be able to get help and support with job interviews, tests and assessment centres by booking an appointment with a careers specialist or using the CareerSPACE resource.

Various events throughout the year will also help improve your job prospects. Careers fairs will act as a great opportunity to learn more about different industries and grow your professional network by meeting employers. Skills workshops and presentations are also held which give you the chance to improve employability-related skills.

The placements team will also give you help in finding internships or placements, either as part of your course or during the summer. These are great opportunities to improve your job prospects, both in terms of developing your skills and knowledge and making connections in industry.  The uni’s industry partners include the Tate Modern, Bestival, Universal Music and the Guardian, among others.

You can keep using the Goldsmiths Careers Service for three years after graduating and you can also take advantage of the Goldsmiths Connect Scheme, which will help you build networks and connect with mentors. 

Goldsmiths has several scholarships, bursaries and fee waivers on offer to help students who meet certain criteria pay for their studies. This additional funding doesn’t need to be paid back. Eligibility criteria for additional funding can include lots of things, like personal circumstances, ethnic background, academic merit and extra-curricular talent.

One bursary Goldsmiths offers is the Care Experienced and Estranged Students Bursary. This is worth £1,000 per year of study to students who meet the eligibility criteria, including having lived in care in the UK or having been estranged from their parents or legal guardian. 

Some scholarships are only available to students on specific courses, e.g., the Gary Hume Scholarship, which is awarded for two years and is worth £3,150 per year. This scholarship is for students who are doing BA Fine Art and come from a household with a total annual income of less than £25,000.

You can find out about all the scholarships and bursaries available, as well as their eligibility criteria, by visiting the uni’s online funding pages.