Norwich University of the Arts: What it's really like
Learn all about life at NUA
If you’re looking for a creative, innovative arts education in one of the UK’s most livable cities, Norwich University of the Arts might be just the place for you.
| Founded | 1845 |
| Location | Norwich |
| Undergraduate course length | Three years full-time, four years part-time |
| Faculties |
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| Students | 2,700 |
| Great for | Students who want to grow their passions through creativity and their skills through hands-on learning. |
| Not for | Students looking for a campus-based, rather than a city-based, university experience. |
Sky-Anna Bryant, a third year graphics student and student ambassador at Norwich University of the Arts, tells us what it's like to study there.
What’s the institution like?
Three words that best describe Norwich University of the Arts are unique, personable, and challenging.
Something that makes us unique is that we’re the only specialist creative arts university to have achieved gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework 2023.
Our most popular degrees are in games and graphics, in particular our award-winning games development and games art and design degrees. But what you might not realise is even though we proudly offer many creative arts subjects, we’re adding new subjects to our portfolio, including psychology, business management, and esports.
The majority of our degrees are non-exam-based coursework units, which means you get to work on industry-style briefs that are similar to what you’d come across in your professional life. That ethos is what makes Norwich University of the Arts a different and exciting place to be a student.
What's it like for students to live in the local area?
Students have ranked Norwich as one of the UK’s best universities for creative scene. We have over 50 exhibition venues including two international galleries, plus five museums, and six theatres!
The market is one of my favourite places, with good, cheap food and independent vendors.
But the fun doesn’t end at night, with loads of independent pubs for pub crawls, bespoke cocktail clubs, and music venues in the Riverside and Prince of Wales districts. Students like to go out to Prince of Wales Road and to the waterfront for a good night out. For a more chilled atmosphere, there are board game cafes like Slice and Dice. And of course, Norwich and Norfolk are home to fantastic festivals like Latitude.
The train station is a 20-minute walk away from the city centre, and you can get really cheap bus tickets to Yarmouth and Lowestoft for the beaches. Nature reserve the Norfolk Broads is also just a train journey away.
What accommodation options are available to students? Are these different for international students?
All first year students are offered the choice of applying for accommodation. There’s also the option for students to remain in halls of residence in their second and third years too, which is often a popular choice with our international students.
There are seven halls of residence to choose from, all of which are self-catered. The sizes range from studio flats to larger apartments that can house four to seven students.
Locally, there are lots of private rented accommodation options that include shared houses specifically for students, but there are also other private halls style accommodation providers. Norwich houses two large universities, so there’s more than enough accommodation for all students in the area.
What facilities does the institution have that make it stand out from other institutions?
The facilities here at Norwich University of the Arts give you the tools to make your creative ideas a reality!
We have state-of-the-art computer facilities, including iMac suites, and industry-standard programs like Maya, Unreal Engine, and Adobe Suites. For students on our degree in film and moving image, there’s our Sir John Hurt Film Studio, which includes a green screen and control room.
On top of all this, we have a team of expert technicians that look after each space, show you how to use all the equipment, and provide great advice on how to realise your projects.
Do you offer any unusual or unexpected courses?
Lots of students are surprised to learn that they can study non-creative or non-making degrees with us, including business management, marketing, esports, and psychology. In addition to this, we’re excited to be launching degrees in electronic music and sound production, creative computing, and creative technology and robotics.
Want to explore more UK universities? Unifrog’s Shortlisting tool can help you put together a list of great potential courses.