Online learning
At UAL Online, our courses are carefully built to suit remote studying. You’ll experience a blend of Live, Guided, and Independent learning, giving you the adaptability to gain a postgraduate qualification around your life.
- Live learning offers connection, engagement and peer networking.
- Guided learning offers creative briefs, collaboration and feedback that guides you through course content and activities.
- Independent learning offers space to research, reflect, finish work and prepare for assessments.
What does a typical week look like?
All materials are available at the start of each unit, organised by week to help you plan your time and track your progress effectively.
This guided teaching structure gives you structure with enough flexibility to fit around other commitments. Can’t attend a live session? The content is recorded, so you can engage with your resources in the week at a time that suits you.
Embrace a mix of live sessions, tutorials, and independent work.
We encourage all students to form a rough routine to stay on track with your workload (approximately 21 hours a week) and build relationships with your cohort.
A lot of your learning and support happens during your guided work time. You'll develop your work as you engage in a variety of activities with your tutors and peers.
Flex your independent study schedule
Independent learning gives you flexibility to manage your time within each week. You can plan when to fit in your solo study sessions, from watching recorded materials to using Moodle resources (available 24/7).
You might find some tasks are more challenging than others, depending on your experience, confidence and skillset.
We aim to maintain a steady workload through each unit to make weekly studying manageable. We recommend you plan and direct your independent learning time towards tasks that need your attention during any given week.
Student support
Your tutor and the dedicated student success team are there to guide you through your online learning journey. From tips and advice to support and guidance, these discussions can help motivate you, spark ideas, or steer you in the right direction for success.
A lot of your support will also come from group spaces, where you’ll give and receive feedback, share advice and perspectives, and network with your peers.
Online access
Our learning platform, Moodle, is the hub to your UAL community. Here you’ll find all the learning materials needed to thrive in your course. Access all your teaching, course materials and technical resources from your desktop, laptop and mobile devices.
24/7 access portal
- Reading and library materials.
- 24/7 access to guided work and recorded content.
- Forum space for collaboration and feedback.
- Connect with fellow course students.
- Access briefs and projects.
- Access Moodle from a desktop, laptop, or mobile device.
Teaching and learning
You'll interact with your course, your tutors and your peers in a variety of different ways. Explore more about these live, guided and independent methods of study.
Live teaching and learning
Each week, you’ll have access to live sessions and guided teaching. These are interactive sessions for engaging in discussions, sharing work, getting to know peers and developing project work.
We encourage you to take advantage of these lively sessions so you can connect with your cohort, ask questions and share perspectives as you move through each unit.
Missed a live session? No problem, everything is recorded and available for you to access in your own time. You’ll also have lots of opportunities to ask questions and receive feedback outside of live sessions.
Live methods might look like
- live sessions and guided teaching
- individual and group tutorials
- peer-to-peer sessions
- drop in sessions
- interactive conversations via video or forums.
Guided teaching and learning
Another form of teaching is our guided approach, giving a dynamic mix of self-paced activities and collaborative opportunities for discussion, peer review, and project-based learning. A lot of your development and learning will take place through guided forms of learning. You'll create and share work, receive feedback, and engage in projects.
Guided learning might look like
- project briefs
- group activities
- engaging with theory
- peer discussions
- networking and collaboration using platforms like Padlet
- giving and receiving peer feedback.
Independent teaching and learning
When you’re not in live sessions, you’ll engage in guided and independent learning, giving you the freedom to work through materials and activities at your own pace. You’ll make time for creative projects, experimenting and developing your work ready for your portfolio and assessments.
From catching up on recorded sessions to reflecting on your work, you'll have full access to Moodle and its resources to study in ways that work for you.
Independent methods might look like
- assessment preparation
- reading, planning and researching
- undertaking project work
- accessing recorded sessions
- self-paced learning activities
- developing your own creative practice.
Individual tutorials
You’ll have the opportunity to receive additional support during each unit, including one-to-one support from your tutors and student success team. These are friendly, organised chats that are bookable for a UK time slot.
For academic support, in these slots you’ll receive feedback, advice, tips and motivation on your work to help you progress through your course.
For non-academic support, our student success team are here to help with anything from unit choices to financial queries.
Online teaching blocks
You can join our online courses at 3 entry points a year – January, May and September. Each unit is 14 weeks long, followed by a short break before starting the next unit. Our student success team is only an email away and is there to support you throughout.
How will you be assessed?
All assessments are submitted fully online at the end of each unit (week 14). Wherever possible, we offer students a choice of formats. This might take the form of a blog, portfolio, and in some units, a report.
On the lead up to each assessment hand in date, you will receive formative feedback on your work as it develops through each unit.
Your assessment methods will vary depending on the course and units you take.
Assessment can look like
- portfolios or practice-based design projects
- presentations
- critical writing including blogs and other formats
- group and individual activities
- essay or dissertation
- pitches and research
- sharing work in progress
- developmental work
- project outcomes.
Balancing work and study
Our online learning structure is designed to work around existing commitments including full-time jobs. Along with our courses being part-time, you can take study block ‘breaks’ in times of personal or financial need.
Please bear in mind that taking breaks between units will extend the length of your studies, and a commitment of approximately 21 hours a week is essential to keep on top of your work.
More to explore
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Craig Green in the Studio, London College of Communication, UAL | Photograph: Alys Tomlinson
Why UAL Online
Top reasons to study with us
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Babett Kürschner, 2021 BA Public Relations, London College of Communication, UAL | Photograph: Alys Tomlinson
Courses
View our online courses