The Drawing Year Admissions Policy

The Royal Drawing School actively seeks to attract the widest range of students who would benefit from our course. We recognise the value in a broad range of talents, backgrounds and opportunities. 

Anyone aged 18 and over are welcome to apply at any stage in their career as long as they can demonstrate their work is of postgraduate level and they intend to use the course to further their professional artistic practice.  

Applicants will usually have completed a BA (Hons) degree in Fine Art or a related subject, but this is not essential; all relevant experience or qualifications will be taken into account. 

We will consider a wide range of qualifications and relevant work or life experience as evidence of academic suitability.  Although evidence of recent formal study or artistic practice (normally defined as having been undertaken within the past five years) is usually required. 

Applicants are expected to show a strong portfolio of work demonstrating a commitment to drawing and a level of artistic professionalism appropriate for study at MA-level. 

Regrettably, we cannot consider applications from international and EU students who are not eligible for a UK visa, Graduate visa or already have settled/pre-settled status. See 'International students' section of this policy.

Applicants apply via the Schools website, through our application portal, SlideRoom. The application will ask the following from you:

•    Personal Details
•    Education and Employment
•    Personal Statements
•    Two referees
•    Sketchbook Submission
•    Engagement with the Royal Drawing School
•    Digital Portfolio
•    Diversity Monitoring
•    Socio-Economic Background 
•    Terms and Conditions

Referees should know applicants in an academic or professional capacity if possible, and be prepared to comment on work ethic, artistic practice, interaction with other students/colleagues and suitability for higher education.  Referees are normally contacted after an applicant is invited to interview as part of the second stage of the application process.

In addition to their submission online, applicants are encouraged to submit up to two physical sketchbooks (or digital sketchbooks where appropriate) to support their application. Details and instructions for the sketchbook submission will be emailed to all applicants when applications close. The Royal Drawing School takes no liability for any damage or loss to sketchbooks throughout the admissions process.

Digital portfolios, submitted as part of application, should comprise 10 drawings made in dry media, ink or watercolour and 10 additional works made in any media. Full criteria are listed on the Drawing Year ‘How to Apply’ page on our website. 

The application fee of $45 (approx. £35) should also be paid in full before the application is submitted. For those in positions where this fee prohibits their ability to complete the application successfully, please contact drawingyear@royaldrawingschool.org to enquire about a fee waiver.

Please note, the following parts of the application are anonymous and confidential, and are not seen and assessed by the Selection Panel:

•    Personal Details - this information is only seen at the point of interview for those invited.
•    Engagement with the Royal Drawing School
•    Diversity Monitoring Form
•    Socio-Economic Background Form

Each year The Royal Drawing School appoints a Selection Panel responsible for assessing the suitability of candidates for study on the Drawing Year. The panel oversees both stages of the recruitment selection process and is responsible for deciding upon the final cohort of students, in accordance with the School’s published admissions requirements. 

The Selection Panel is also responsible for making recommendations to the Drawing Year programme staff of any reasonable adjustments (in accordance with the Equality Act 2010) that the Royal Drawing School should make to support and enable students to complete the Drawing Year. 

The Selection Panel typically comprises

•    The acting Artistic Director 
•    Representatives from the Academic Board 
•    Senior Faculty 
•    Alumni of the Drawing Year  

Some members of the panel may represent more than one of the above categories. 

The panel is chaired by the Head of Education Delivery or the Director of the School. 

All members of the panel have equal voting rights and responsibilities no matter their experience or connection to the School (other than the Chair of the Selection Panel who is non-voting). The Chair is responsible for ensuring that every member of the board understands their rights and responsibilities and for the integrity of the admissions process.

Each year the Royal Drawing School publishes its admissions requirements online and in other literature for applicants to decide on whether to apply based on accurate, timely and clear information. 

Important dates relating to the application process are published on the School’s website alongside other information for applicants including FAQ’s and Open Day dates.

Applications typically open at least four months before the application deadline.  

We provide a range of opportunities for applicants to visit the School to understand the course and facilities available.  We welcome prospective students to attend in person Open Days or virtual events. Application Support Webinars are offered to give applicants step-by-step guidance through the application form and offer practical advice. 

Applications are submitted through the application portal, SlideRoom. The link to the portal can be found on our website at the time of applications opening, until they close.

The review process takes place in two stages:

• First round review – this is a desk-based review by the Selection Panel of all material submitted by applicants, including a review of all digital portfolios via the application portal, and any physical or digital sketchbooks.
• Second round review and interview – shortlisted candidates attend (either in person or online) an interview, with further review of their portfolio.

Following this, offers are made to successful candidates. 

During the first stage of the admissions process, the Selection Panel review all applications that have been submitted to the school correctly. 

The Drawing Year is an intensive, skills-based programme that requires dedicated personal creative investigation and development of artistic practice.  Only those students who the Selection Panel believe have the ability and potential to benefit from the course will be considered for interview. 

We aim to contact all applicants by email within a month of the application deadline to let them know whether they have been shortlisted for interview. 

Second Round - Interview

All applicants who pass the first round review are interviewed in person. Interviews may be conducted by video call or telephone, at the discretion of the Chair of the Selection Panel.  We recognise that some applicants may face challenges in attending in person (e.g. travel costs, mobility, caring responsibilities etc.) and want to support people to participate. 

During the interview, the Selection Panel will re-review the candidate’s digital portfolio (which they will be required to bring in physical form), along with their submitted sketchbooks and application form. 

Candidates will also be invited to bring any additional works, images or sketchbooks that were not included in their original application to interview. Applicants may bring any works in any medium however the School cannot offer any physical assistance delivering the work to the interview room.

The selection panel will ask a series of pre-agreed questions. Each candidate will be asked to talk about the role of drawing in their work and the ways they see The Drawing Year benefiting their practice. 

As the Panel must interview and review all shortlisted candidates before any offers of places can be made, the Selection Panel will not give any indication to interviewees about how well they have performed during the interview or the likelihood of them receiving a place.

Offers

All interviewees can expect to be contacted approximately a week following their interview with the Selection Panel’s decision. Any international applicants will be required to confirm their visa status is in place for the beginning of the course, or that their application is in progress and issue a timeline to the School.

Deferred entry

The Royal Drawing School feels it important that applicants’ current circumstances and artistic practice are taken into account when offering a place on the course, therefore, we do not offer a deferral system. 

If after formally accepting a place on The Drawing Year, or at any point whilst studying on the course, a student decides to leave the course, they will be asked to formally give up their place and will not receive a completion certificate for the course, nor may they list the course on a professional CV.

Students who wish to restart the course on a following year will be required to reapply in the usual way within the advertised time frame.

All work and material submitted during application process must be the work of the applicant. The Selection Panel will evaluate the originality of all work and any anomalies found in portfolios, personal statements and qualifications will be investigated. Applicants will be made aware of the evidence found and be given the opportunity to make representations. The Royal Drawing School reserves the right to reject any application if there is evidence of plagiarism or fraud.

Applicants should not use AI tools to generate or edit content that misrepresents their own work, or the work of others. Any use of AI should be explained in the wider context of the artist's practice. 

Images submitted as part of the portfolio upload should be the artists own, and the physical works themselves should be available for review if the applicant is invited to interview.  

AI-generated content should be clearly disclosed at the point of application

The Royal Drawing School recognises the importance of keeping applicants informed throughout the application process. 

Important dates relating to the application process are published on the School’s website alongside other information for applicants including FAQ’s and Open Day dates. 

Key updates are provided throughout the admissions process and are usually communicated via email. Communications include, but are not limited to:

• Acknowledgement of application via email 
• Confirmation of sketchbook drop-off dates and procedures 
• Confirmation of rejection or offer of interview
• Information relating to Interview, including how to prepare for the interview; time, date and format of the interview; and how to make any accessibility requirements known to the school so reasonable adjustments can be made during the applicants interview.
• Information relating to student visas and UK settlement (where applicable) for overseas students
• Confirmation of interview outcome
• Formal offer of scholarship place on Drawing Year Programme
• Welcome and enrolment information
• Student Agreement and other documentation

The Royal Drawing School actively seeks to attract the widest range of students who would benefit from our course. We recognise the value in a broad range of talents, backgrounds and opportunities.

Removing financial barriers and providing access to financial support

The Drawing Year is a full scholarship course for all students – students pay no fees whilst on the course. We believe removing financial barriers to high quality tuition is an effective way to open access to education and careers in the arts. 

The London Living Grant (£3,000), Drawing Year Bursaries (up to £1,000), and access to a Financial Support Fund (FSF) are available to support students who require additional financial support whilst on the course. Bursaries are means tested and awarded on a term-by-term basis to reflect student’s changing circumstances over the course of the year. All means of funding require students to apply via an online application.

Applicants who are experiencing financial difficulties that may prevent them from being able to afford the application fee of $45 (approx. £35), can contact us at drawingyear@royaldrawingschool.org where we will endeavour to provide support. 

Academic requirements

Places are offered based on the quality of the work presented in the portfolio, supported by the applicant’s personal statement and interview, not on academic qualifications or achievement. 

Following an independent review in 2019, the Royal Drawing School currently chooses to remain unaccredited. We have taken this decision to ensure that people from all backgrounds and experience can apply and access the course based on talent and aptitude. This means that students without a formal qualification may apply if they can demonstrate their work is of postgraduate level standard and they have relevant professional experience, such as having exhibited their work or have equivalent professional experience. 

We also welcome applicants from other disciplines such as English, History, History of Art, Science, Math etc. The Royal Drawing School welcomes and encourages applications from all backgrounds

There is no written component during the Drawing Year. While there is a critical studies component to the course, which takes the form of a short research project delivered orally by students in seminars, students are not required to produce any written work. This allows students to focus on developing their visual literacy through skills based artistic practice and tuition.

Contextualised Admissions

 Contextualised admissions is defined as information and data used by educational establishments, to assess an applicant’s prior attainment and potential, in the context of their individual circumstances. The aim is to form a more complete picture of the applicant.

Contextual data includes educational, geo-demographic and socio-economic background data, such as historic data about an applicant’s school or college. Contextual information relates to individual applicant circumstances.

The Royal Drawing School recognises that Academic and socio-demographic inequalities mean that some students may not have benefitted from the same level of opportunities, qualifications and support during their education and while preparing of their application.  The Royal Drawing School is committed to widening access and participation for applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Meeting the needs of applicants with a disability or with additional support needs

The Royal Drawing School welcomes applications from candidates with a disability or additional support needs. Such applicants will be considered against the same criteria as all other candidates following the process outlined in this policy.

Applicants are invited to disclose their access needs at all stages of the application process (initial application, portfolio review/interview/offer etc). They are encouraged to do so as early as possible in the application process to ensure that necessary support arrangements can be put in place to support them during the admissions procedure. 

In the event that a candidate with a disability or additional support needs is deemed eligible for an offer of a place, staff will contact the applicant to discuss the additional support the applicant is likely to require in order to manage their circumstances. 

As a small institution we are able to respond to individual needs on a case-by-case basis and we endeavour to make reasonable adjustments where possible in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

Equality and Diversity Monitoring for The Drawing Year admissions

At the end of your application to the Drawing Year, please help us continue in our mission to provide accessible drawing tuition by completing our Socio-Economic Background Monitoring Form and our Diversity Monitoring Form.

You can select “Prefer not to say” if you would rather not answer a question. 

Both forms: 

• Will be separated from your application form.

• Will not be seen by the selection panel.

• Will be kept anonymous and confidential. 

For more specific information on their importance and why we are collecting both monitoring forms, please see below.

Socio-Economic Background Monitoring (SEB)

We are collecting this information to understand the socio-economic background of our applicants and to assess whether our programmes are truly accessible to individuals from all social and economic backgrounds. This data helps us identify whether financial, educational, or structural barriers may be limiting participation in our courses, particularly among those from underrepresented or less advantaged backgrounds. 

Understanding the social and economic context of our applicants enables us to:

• Monitor the effectiveness of our outreach and recruitment efforts.

• Identify where targeted support or intervention may be required.

• Inform scholarship and access schemes.

• Contribute to sector-wide efforts to widen participation in the arts and creative industries.

This information will be used only in aggregate and will have no bearing on admissions decisions. Responses are anonymous and processed in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).

You are free to select "Prefer not to say" on any question. However, by providing this information, you help us work towards greater fairness, equity, and inclusion across our programmes.

Diversity Monitoring Form

The Royal Drawing School is committed to ensuring that all applicants have fair and equitable access to our programmes. We value diversity and strive to create an inclusive environment where individuals from all backgrounds can thrive. To help us monitor and improve our outreach, recruitment, and support strategies, we ask that you complete the diversity monitoring form.

This information is anonymous, confidential, and not seen by anyone involved in the selection process. It will only be used for statistical and equal opportunities monitoring, in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). You may select “Prefer not to say” on any question.

Accessibility support

If you require application accessibility support — for example, assistance in filling out the application form or viewing it in larger text — or if you’d like to talk to us about other access needs, please email the Drawing Year team.

If you are experiencing financial difficulties that may prevent you from being able to afford the application fee of $45 (approx. £35), please contact us at drawingyear@royaldrawingschool.org and we will endeavour to provide support.

Privacy & Data Protection (GDPR statement)

The data you provide in the Socio-Economic Background Monitoring form and the Diversity Monitoring form is collected solely for monitoring and evaluation purposes to ensure fair access and inclusive practices across our programmes.

All responses are anonymised and will be kept securely. Data will be processed in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. You have the right to access, amend, or request deletion of your data at any time.

For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy, or contact the School.

Right to study in the UK: documentation requirements 

All new students are required to produce their original passport or an original Biometric Residence Permit before beginning the programme.  This documentation will be verified, scanned and retained in your student file.  Documentation which cannot be verified may result in you being refused permission to continue on your programme. 

For students of UK or Irish nationality, students will be asked to provide their British or Irish Citizen passport

For international students:

• Students with settled or pre-settled status in the UK can view their eVisa and must request a share code to prove their immigration status
• Students who do not have settled or pre-settled status in the UK will need another form of immigration permission to study with us. i.e Graduate visa

Read more about requirements for international students in the section below.

Information for non-UK passport holders:

As an independent school, we do not have a UK Border Agency Tier 4 License for this course and are unable to sponsor Student visas. Regrettably, we cannot consider applications from international and EU students who are not eligible for a UK visa, Graduate visa or already have settled/pre-settled status. 

EU/EEA and international students wishing to study on the Drawing Year will require either:

• A valid UK passport
• Settled or Pre-Settled Status in the UK
• A Graduate visa
• Another form of valid visa for the duration of your studies 
  
  

EU/EEA Nationals with Settled or Pre-Settled Status 

After Brexit, all EU/EEA students require pre-settled or settled status in order to study on the Drawing Year. If you are originally from a country in the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you will need to have either:

• Settled Status: Granted if you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years or more. Once you have settled status, you can stay as long as you like.
• Pre-Settled Status: If you've lived here for fewer than 5 years. This allows you to stay in the UK for up to 5 years and then you can apply for ‘settled status.’

You will not be eligible to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme unless you were living in the UK before 31 December 2020. For more information please see: https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families/applying-for-settled-status 

Before starting study, Royal Drawing School would require evidence of your settled status and evidence of your identity.

Graduate visa

A Graduate visa gives you permission to stay in the UK for at least 18 months after successfully completing an eligible course in the UK, allowing you sufficient time to complete The Drawing Year (15 months).

You must be in the UK when you apply for the Graduate visa.

Eligibility

You can apply for a Graduate visa if all of the following are true:

• you’re in the UK

• your current visa is a student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa

• you studied a UK bachelor’s degree, postgraduate degree or other eligible course for a minimum period of time with your student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa

• your education provider (such as your university or college) has told the Home Office you’ve successfully completed your course

A Graduate visa lasts for:

• 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026

• 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027

• If you have a PhD or other doctoral qualification, it will last for 3 years.

Your visa will start from the day your application is approved.

If you’re not eligible for a Graduate visa, you may be eligible for another type of visa to stay in the UK.

Students wishing to apply for a Graduate visa would need to do so upon receiving a confirmed offer to study on the Drawing Year.

You must apply online for a Graduate visa.

You must apply before your student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa expires.

You can apply after your education provider (such as your university or college) has told the Home Office that you’ve successfully completed the course you took with your student or Tier 4 (General) student visa. You do not have to wait until you’ve graduated or have been given a certificate.

For more information, please see Graduate visa - Overview and Eligibility 

We appreciate the important role that education can play in the rehabilitation process. 

A criminal record will not automatically prevent admission to the Royal Drawing School.  We aim to ensure that individuals with criminal convictions/cautions receive fair treatment, in accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. 

First and foremost an offer will be made based on your ability to meet our application process. Upon receipt of the offer, and if you have any relevant unspent Criminal Convictions, you must contact the Admissions Team using the information provided in your offer letter.

If you then declare a Criminal Conviction we will write to you via email requesting further information. Further information could be in the form of a written personal statement from you explaining the details of the offence(s) and the circumstances around them, consent from you to contact your Probation or Support Officer (if applicable) for a detailed report or risk assessment and a relevant character reference.

We are conscious of our responsibility both to consider the needs of each applicant, ensuring they receive the support required, whilst also safeguarding the public and the RDS community.

The specific details of each case will be considered on an individual basis, including the impact of your criminal record upon the needs of the course and the wider Royal Drawing School community.

When an applicant’s criminal records checks have been cleared by the RDS and therefore accepted for entry onto the course, they would be expected to self-declare any new cautions/convictions for review. 

The relationship between an applicant/student, the RDS and any third parties is based on trust, confidence and professionalism. Failure to declare a relevant criminal conviction/caution and provide the requested information therefore means a risk assessment cannot be made. This could result in your application being withdrawn or becoming subject to student disciplinary procedures after enrolment.

If an applicant is yet to enrol, they would need to inform the Admissions team at the earliest opportunity to ensure continuation with the course. Or if after enrolment, then they would need to inform their dedicated Student Liaison Officer or Programme Leader. Any new information will need to be reconsidered under the same procedures as described above and could affect an applicant’s/student’s place on the course.

The Royal Drawing School will treat your information confidentially.