Allow your interests to develop or improve your skills at Goldsmiths – we welcome applications from people of any age through Clearing.
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Clearing 2022 will open on 5 July. You can make an application now to study on many of our degrees from autumn 2022. Use the course finder to find out more about our programmes.
Are you considering returning to education? This could be the right time to develop your skills in order to improve your career prospects, or follow your passions and pursue an entirely new direction. Our courses offer you the opportunity to take a fresh look at a subject, and spend time with people who are just as fascinated by it as you.
All of our courses are open to mature students. At Goldsmiths we welcome students of all ages because we understand the importance of real-life experience and the insights that older people bring with them.
Almost half of our community of students is over 21, which breaks down as:
24.6% aged between 21-24
13.3% aged 25-29
9.37% aged 30-39
5.5% aged 40 and above*
* Figures for 2020-20=1 intake
It's opened up so many opportunities for me. And part of that is because my interests have broadened through my time studying
Fred, BA History
Help with your academic skills
If you haven’t been studying for a while, using academic study skills - or even remembering how to write an essay - can seem daunting. Goldsmiths’ Student Support team is dedicated to supporting you through your studies, and we have an Academic Skills Centre that runs a comprehensive range of study skills workshops and sessions.
Consider a foundation year
Goldsmiths offers degrees with a foundation year in Anthropology,Computing, Psychology, English, History, Media & Communications and Music. There are no formal entry requirements for these courses, but you must have a lively interest in the subject. Please check the entry requirement section of the course description for more information about what we look for in an application.
These four-year degrees can be an ideal choice for those who have been out of the education system for some years.
Find out more about returning to education, and life as a mature student in our Mature Student Guide.
Christopher
"This year has opened up new ideas and overturned my assumptions about media power."
I am a mature student from Liverpool, and I’m the first person in my family to go to university.
I had what you might call a disastrous school education. I never enjoyed going to school, and this was reflected in my grades. Going to university wasn’t just out of reach; the thought never even occurred given my economic background and poor education. After secondary school, I drifted from job to job in retail or customer services.
I’d saved enough by 2012 to travel to Australia. That experience was influential in that it opened my mind to other cultures and increased my confidence. I met people from across the world and gained self-esteem and enough motivation to enrol at my local college. I had always had an interest in media, particularly photography, and at that college I gained a BTEC National Diploma in Photography and Imaging, then some years later I went back to my college and got four GCSE qualifications. It started to dawn on me that – maybe – I wasn’t so unfit for university after all.
Several years later, I visited my partner's graduation and degree show, which comprised of varied screen productions. I got to see how these students had used their creativity to express themselves and produce great pieces on screen. This had a powerful effect on me and confirmed that media was my passion. It was a huge decision financially and emotionally to apply to university, especially since I was already 26 years old at that time. However, I reckoned that I had to follow my academic dream. I completed the UCAS application and, against all odds, Goldsmiths offered me a place.
This year has opened up new ideas, different ways of thinking about the media, and overturned my assumptions about media power. I never heard about media theory before, and I was surprised how many of these new interesting insights linked with my own experiences. I’ve also had the opportunity to explore my creativity not only in photography, but also in radio, film, television, and video animation. The professors and teachers have been fantastic.
I am a Departmental Student Coordinator for my year (a paid position run through the Student Union), which means I sit in meetings with the academic staff and we talk about how to make the course even better. The staff really care about their students, and even offer a listening ear about personal matters. I've found them to be really approachable and they always take a genuine interest when they are speaking to you.
Finally, I must give credit to Goldsmiths for the help they give to their students. I applied for the Professor Stuart Hall scholarship and was awarded a financial bursary. This extra money will enable me to focus on my studies instead of working too many hours in a job, and for that I am very grateful. This scholarship has taken a burden off my mind.
Studying in London is not easy, but it is worth it in the long run, with so many opportunities here and so many different cultures to engage with. This year has cemented to me that I made the right choice in coming to Goldsmiths.
