Alternatives to Clearing

There are alternative options to Clearing if you have not secured a place for study yet or are looking to strengthen and develop your application for studying at art school.

Preparatory and Foundation courses are a great alternative to entering art school through Clearing if you have not secured a place to study, as they help equip you with the skills and creative portfolio you will require to successfully apply to and study at art school.

The GSA has two great preparatory courses available depending on where you are from. These courses are great for those looking to strengthen their application for study by helping you find your own visual language in a creative studio environment.

If English is not your first language, our International Foundation in Art and Design is great for equipping students who are interested in studying art and design at Higher Education level with the skills they need. The course is one year long, and you will graduate from the programme with a Certificate in Higher Education (Cert HE) and ordinarily progress to Year 2 of one of our Undergraduate programmes.

The course allows you to familiarise yourself with the culture and language of the art school studio, develop your approach to specialism and build your portfolio before applying to a creative degree programme.

The programme acts as a bridge into the study of undergraduate Art and Design where students can explore different forms of creative practice before choosing a specialist area of study. The programme is studio-based and provides a supportive environment for you to develop your studio work and articulate your approach to that work alongside developing greater specialism.

Our dedicated programme staff include both studio tutors and English language tutors. The programme is made up of five courses taught over one academic year.

Applications for International Foundation in Art and Design can be made through Clearing.

The GSA Portfolio Preparation – Creative Practices Course is a 24-week programme that provides hands on learning and teaching in a studio environment. If you study on the course, you will be encouraged to cultivate and develop your own individual visual language.

The course supports students in the creation of a unique and distinctive portfolio of fine art, design or architecture work for both ‘Digital’ and ‘Full’ Portfolio submissions for Further and Higher Education Courses. It introduces you to the studio as a supportive environment for nurturing your artistic practice and supports you to develop greater specialism in your chosen area of study.

90% of our students secure a place at their first-choice institution after completing the Portfolio Preparation programme.

Applications for 2025 entry have now closed. Applications for 2026 entry will open in January 2026 and can be made directly via our website.