Stylish results for School of Arts and Creative Industries

UEL's School of Arts and Creative Industries (ACI) celebrated outstanding results in the latest National Student Survey (NSS).

One course, BA (Hons) Fashion Marketing, was rated top in the country for “Learning Opportunities,” and second in the country for three other themes including “Teaching on my Course.” Several other ACI courses were rated the best in London in a number of other categories.

The NSS asks final-year students in all UK higher education institutions their opinions on the quality of their courses and is widely regarded as the most accurate measure of student satisfaction.

The BA (Hons) Fashion Design course ranked first in London for “Learning Opportunities,” with 92 per cent of the students surveyed on the course responding positively to questions about “The Teaching on my Course”.

Head of the Fashion Department Beatrice Newman said the fashion programme at UEL is dedicated to excellence in education, with a focus on equipping students for success in a competitive and dynamic industry.

Our unwavering dedication is reflected in our strategic approach of recruiting exceptional staff members who bring with them a wealth of experience from the industry. This strategic emphasis has undoubtedly positioned us as leaders of fashion education in the UK.”

“We take immense pride in witnessing the remarkable achievements of our student community and graduates. This pride is further substantiated by the resoundingly positive outcomes of the NSS.”

BA (Hons) Dance: Urban Practice was another highly ranked course, with the student survey rating it the best in London in six categories, including “The Teaching on My Course” and “Assessment and Feedback”. 97 per cent of students surveyed on this course responded positively to questions on “The Teaching on my Course”.

Fred Folkes, the co-programme leader and senior lecturer on the course, commented, “The success of our dance programme is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff, and students. We remain committed to providing a supportive and engaging learning environment that empowers our students to achieve their full potential. We thank our students for their hard work and dedication and look forward to continuing our journey towards excellence in dance education.”

Dean of ACI Dr Rosemary Stott commented, “We are delighted to see such positive results and these mark significant progress for UEL and ACI. Staff within our departments are experts, makers and practitioners within their fields and have extensive industry experience which helps drive our careers-first mission.

“Companies we work with include Umbro, Crombie, the BBC, The Times, the V&A East and East London Dance and this real-life experience in East London is what makes our courses so attractive and enjoyable.”

The NSS is an annual survey of almost 350,000 students across the UK managed by the Office for Students. Research in the influential educational publication Times Higher Education showed UEL ranked 13th for overall positivity among all large UK institutions, demonstrating the success of the University’s careers-focused, student-ready approach.

One of the UK’s most diverse and socially inclusive universities, UEL’s overall NSS response rate was an impressive 76 per cent – five per cent above the sector average. According to the 2023 NSS results across all course subjects, UEL ranks ninth among all 128 higher education institutes surveyed for Assessment and Feedback, 10th for Student Voice, and 12th for Learning Opportunities.