FAQs

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Study Options

All SAE UK degrees are developed, delivered and assessed by SAE Institute. The degree is awarded and quality assured by the University of Hertfordshire. This means that the qualifications you receive upon graduation are recognised internationally.

All SAE courses have a focus on practical, hands-on delivery. The amount of practical time you experience during your studies does vary, depending on your course. You will also have opportunities to access campus resources and facilities outside of class time, during campus opening hours.

There is nothing to worry about. SAE is a very friendly place, and staff and fellow students are all extremely supportive. We understand that everyone has to begin somewhere; our lecturers are trained for this purpose, and we exist to help you become a creative practitioner. While our courses aim to challenge you, you will not be placed on any course that is beyond your potential and abilities.

Diplomas

A diploma is skills focused. By undertaking an SAE diploma in animation, audio, film or games, you will develop foundation skills in these specific discipline areas. Students can use the SAE diploma as a pathway to degree level study at SAE. Diplomas are a great option for people who haven’t studied before and/or those looking for an alternative pathway to degree level studies.

Bachelor Degree

A bachelor degree offers a rigorous combination of skills combined with a greater depth and breadth of theoretical knowledge and analytical skills. This knowledge is applicable to both your creative media discipline and the professional world more broadly. A bachelor degree offers you an entry point to professional work, builds portable skills, and develops sustainable, lifelong learning. Key high learning skills are a requisite of the bachelor degree and graduate study options are available upon completion. Bachelor degrees are suitable for people looking to develop professional skills and knowledge and to build long-term, successful careers in their industry of choice.

Successful creative media graduates need both practical skills and theoretical knowledge. It is important to know the “how” and the “why” of your industry. SAE courses are specifically designed to give you practical expertise and a solid theoretical foundation.

SAE has two intakes per year: January and September. You can find our Term Dates here.

Yes, we do. We regularly run open events to allow you the opportunity to tour our facilities, meet our team and get hands-on with some of our equipment. We also run online events for throughout the year.

For those unable to attend an open day, we also offer personalised tours of our facilities during weekdays.

Find out more about our open days and campus tours here.

Yes! Embarking on one of our 2-year accelerated degrees means you will need to be prepared to commit full-time to this course. We estimate an average of 35-40 hours per week devolved towards your studies.

The content of our undergraduate degree courses is taught predominantly on campus. Our Master’s programme is delivered online in its entirety.

Information about the progress of a student’s application and academic progress will only be discussed with the student concerned. If you wish your parents/guardians to discuss your progress with SAE staff, you must contact our Admission team and give them permission. For further information about the consent to share process students should email ukenquiries@sae.edu.

My Application

At SAE, we highly value your creative potential and passion for the creative industry of choice, together with your academic history.

Applicants will have to achieve a level 3 qualification amounting to 72 UCAS tariff points or equivalent. If you have less than 72 UCAS points, we will ask you for a portfolio of related work.

Applying to study at SAE is easy and can be done online. Simply fill in your details on the Apply Now page and we’ll take it from there!

There is no deadline, though we recommend to apply as soon as possible. This will give you enough time to sort out your finance, accommodation, and more. Please note that, upon acceptance of your offer, you will need to pay full course fees ahead of the start of the course. Late enrolments are up to the discretion of our Admissions Team and students that have not paid their course fees may not be able to start their course.

Experience-based entry options are available to both domestic and international students. For further information, contact our Admissions Team.

Enrolment documents do not need to be certified however, please note, at any time, you should be willing and able to provide original documents or original certified copies of supporting documentation. Failure to do so may result in your application being rejected. Requests for the provision of original or certified documentation may also involve asking the relevant tertiary admissions centres, issuing authorities or other relevant organisations for verification. For documents submitted in a language other than English, an English translation must be provided by an accredited translator with a Government body or authorised personnel of the issuing institution.

Applying for a student visa can be a complicated process. While you are able to do this yourself, an approved SAE Agent can help you with the process. Agents are trained to assist applicants with their university and visa applications.

So long as you meet the entry requirements for the course that you want to study, the Admissions team can assist you in changing your enrolment over. This needs to be done no later than your first census date.

You will only be required to submit a portfolio if you have not met our Level 3 entry requirements for the course, 72 UCAS points or above. One of the National Course Advising team would be happy guide you on how to produce a portfolio if needed.

No, when applying please send only your original certificates and any transcripts that might come along with them.

If you have lost your certificates, you must apply to the awarding bodies (e.g. AQA/Edexcel) for either a new certificate or a certifying statement of results. It can take more than 1 month to get new certificates so make sure you apply in good time before your course start date.

Students who are currently awaiting their results (prior to the start of the course) ahead of a September intake should apply through the UCAS platform. However, students who have their final results, or those looking at joining SAE in January should apply directly through our website.

See our How to apply (UK/Ireland) page for more information.

Although it is great to have skills in a similar subject area, this is not a requirement when applying for our courses. We are solely looking for 72 UCAS points from your Level 3 studies or for you to present a portfolio of work relating to your chosen subject.

My enrolment

If you wish to defer before you course has commenced, please contact SAE’s admissions team. If you wish to defer after your course has commenced you will be required to contact our Student Support Team.

You must withdraw prior to census date in order to be eligible for a refund of tuition fees. If you have not paid your fees and withdraw after the census date, you will incur a debt. Non-completion of studies does not normally entitle a student to any refund.

The census date is the last day you can withdraw from a unit without incurring any financial or academic penalty for that unit of study. The census date is usually set at 20% of the study period for each trimester and will be published in advance. The census dates are outlined in the SAE’s Fee Schedule.

The maximum time you are able to defer study is 12 months.

Yes, although financial penalties will apply to students who leave their courses after the allocated census date.

Costs

Tuition fee funding is available for UK and Irish students, who may also qualify for a maintenance loan to help with the day-to-day living costs. Tuition fee funding is not available for international students.

Student Finance (Student Loans)

Where to apply for student loan funding depends on which region of the UK you live in. Please follow the instructions included on this page.

You will be sent an Invoice Notice 14 days before each census day, indicating your fees and census dates. Your debt is incurred on the day after the census day. After a census day has passed, SAE will also send you a Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) for that study period. The CAN will provide you with information about your debt, including the loan fee if applicable. If you believe your CAN is incorrect, you should contact your college immediately.

For a few courses, there may be a gap between the course fee and the loan cap that the Commonwealth will allow for your course. You will be advised of this when you enquire, and also about other payment options that may be available.

Fees & payments

Your tuition fees are due prior to the trimester start date. If you are looking to get a Student Loan, we recommend starting this process as soon as you can to allow enough time for your application to be processed.

You can find out more about our tuition fees by visiting our Domestic Fees page and International Fees page.

You may elect to pay tuition fees using one of the following methods:

Direct bank transfer to SAE Bank Account
Credit card (either via payment link or over the phone)

International students who prefer to pay in their home currency may use Flywire.

For more details, please contact our friendly Admissions team.

If you are self-funding your course, you can pay in equal instalments per month/per trimester, with such payments always made in advance of the trimester ahead.

International students will need to pay the first years fees up front as per UKVI requirements when applying for a student visa.

Student services

SAE is committed to providing equal opportunities for students with disabilities or special learning needs. For more information visit Student Services.

If you’re struggling with your written English skills and could benefit from some support, get in touch with our Student Support Team – they will take it from there.

Student life

This can vary depending on the campus and course. You may, for example, have a larger lecture group for common units, and a smaller tutorial group of 8-15 students. In most cases tutorial sizes average 15 – 30 students.

This is dependant on how many units you study per trimester. You should expect to be on campus one day a week per unit of study. If, for example, you are completing your studies via the full time fast track mode, you should expect to be on campus four days a week.

Absolutely! We welcome students of all ages. Our cohort span a wide a age range – from 18–50+. Rest assured, we’re confident you’ll find your place within our creative community.

We always welcome feedback. Any member of SAE staff is happy to hear what you have to say and ensure that this information makes its way to the most appropriate person. Students are also welcomed to provide feedback via our student surveys and Staff-Student Consultative Committees which are held at each SAE campus. SAE students may also become members of the local student council and/or SAE Academic Board. These bodies provide students with an excellent opportunity to enhance the student life. For more information, contact your local student services team.

Yes, we have a number of industry partnerships in place which include generous discounts available to all enrolled students – and we are always working on more! You can find out more here.

Some of our students have part-time jobs alongside their studies. However, we would ask you to find a suitable balance to ensure this doesn’t impact your learning.

We do not offer on site accommodation for students, however please check our Student Accommodation page to find out more details of accommodation around the campuses.

My studies

Students can access campus facilities during opening hours. Please contact your campus for timings.

You can have your email password reset by emailing the request through to service.desk@navitas.com

You have 10 days after the due date to lodge a Special Consideration form.

SAE Alumni is a network of SAE graduates. When you graduate, you will have the opportunity to join the global Alumni Association. See some of our Alumni here.

If you need to provide a medical certificate for any reason, please ensure that you provide this to the Student Experience Officer at your campus.

A full time fast track study load is defined as 40 hours per week. Of this 40 hours you can expect 12-15 hours of face-to-face teaching time. The additional hours of study include collaborative work (i.e. recording sessions) and individual study time.

In order to extend your study visa, you will need to apply for an exceptional assurance via UKVI or switch to a graduate or post-study work visa.

Please find some useful resources here:
https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/extend-your-visa

You will have approximately 14 hours per week of formal classes, spread across 3-4 days (subject to change at different points of the year).

Some of our students have part-time jobs alongside their studies. However, we would ask you to find a suitable balance to ensure this doesn’t impact your learning.

Facilities & Equipment

No, this is not required. Students have access to our campus computer labs for assessment work.

Opening hours are generally 9.00am–5.00pm. However, each campus may vary their hours of operation. Students do have out-of-hours access to the studios and computer labs. For more information contact your campus.

For information regarding parking at your campus, check out your campus page.

You will use a variety of industry standard and specialised software applications relevant to your study.

Each campus has their own guidelines regarding equipment collection. Please contact your campus directly.

Typically, studios open between 9.00-10.00am. Studio opening hours are different for each campus and can vary throughout the trimester according to demand. Please contact your campus directly for more information on opening hours and studio availability.

Yes – all SAE programs use a learning management system to help you prepare for your classes, reflect upon your learning, submit assessments and collaborate and communicate with your peers. For this reason, we recommend that you have access to high-speed internet access while you are studying.

Yes, we have a number of industry partnerships in place which include generous discounts available to all enrolled students – and we are always working on more! You can find out more here.

Disability

It would be best to make an appointment to see a Student Experience Officer (SEO) at your campus as soon as possible. It would be preferable to get the required medical documentation prior to your appointment with the SEO.

While provision of adequate support without the required supporting medical documentation is difficult, we ensure that all of our students receive guidance and assistance from our staff in whatever circumstances – please never hesitate to reach out.

Unfortunately, without disclosure to the Student Experience Officer (SEO), there this very little that SAE can do to support you throughout your program. The information you provide is collected for the purpose of developing and approving your student access plan and the provision of other required support to assist you to reach your full potential here at SAE.

The SEO will only disclose your personal or health information to other SAE staff upon your consent. Please feel free to contact the SEO to discuss your concerns.

No. As a student of SAE, support services are provided free of charge.

Events

For those unable to attend an open day, we also offer personalised tours of our facilities during weekdays.

Find out more about our open days and campus tours here.

That is not a problem at all. If there is a virtual option for the event that you would like to watch instead we will be able to switch your ticket, all you will need to do is email ukenquiries@sae.edu and let them know you need to switch tickets.

If you are unable to attend at all, please still email us to let us know so we can open up your ticket to other attendees.

Most of our events are exclusive to students, but keep an eye out on our What’s On page as we sometimes open them up to externals too.

Induction • January 2025

Each campus will provide “Wash up” days to allow those who cannot make the induction day to be still inducted correctly. These are highlighted in the induction week schedule. To arrange to attend a “Wash up” day you must arrange this with the campus recruitment officer responsible for the campus you wish to attend

All of SAE’s current partners can be found here.

If you are having problems accessing your student email account, please find a Student Services Officer during induction who will be able to help you with this matter.

For your maintenance loan to be released by SLC you must complete the Induction process and become a confirmed student by SAE. You will be requested to provide a signed Fees and Funding form which can be handed to us during Induction. For more information, you can visit our designated Enrolment and Induction page.

During the induction week, you will sit with a team member and complete your direct debit form. If someone else is paying for the course on your behalf, then you will need to bring all the documents explained above.

Please refer to the international student information on this page.

As long as proof of your funding application has been sent to a member of the recruitment team you will be able to start your course. Please understand that after 2 weeks on programme, you will be asked to sign a direct debit form as back up if for some reason your funding is denied.

For all term dates please see the academic calendar, this can be found here.

The Induction week will commence the week of the 9th of September so please be available to attend this week. Term will start the week of the 16th of September. These dates are the same at all UK campuses.

Our recommendation is that you try to work no more than 20 hours per week around your studies. This is an accelerated course and has to be your priority during the study periods for you to get the most from this experience.

Each campus has its own Student Services team and you will be shown where they are located during your induction week. More information on student support can be found here.