Your career
Norwich University of the Arts students go on to become world-leading artists, designers and creative professionals. We’ll help you turn your creative talent and determination into a fulfilling career.
Why choose a creative career?
One of the world’s most important and dynamic markets for the creative industries, the UK’s creative economy is thriving. The creative industries contributes £111.7 billion annually to the UK economy and employs over 2 million people (DCMS). Almost 1 in 8 UK businesses are creative businesses (CIF).
Driven by passionate and highly-skilled specialists, the sector depends on talented graduates and recruits 50,000 graduates every year (BIS). A university qualification is the key to many careers.
Here to help
Norwich University of the Arts won a Guardian Award for the best Employability and Entrepreneurship and was shortlisted in the Times Higher Education Awards. Our Business and Employability Team were also rated in the UK Top 10 for university careers services by StudentCrowd.
We’re here to help you succeed.
Every Norwich degree course is designed to ensure that our students develop an outstanding and well-rounded set of skills, so you’ll graduate fully equipped to compete for creative jobs after graduation.
Expert careers advice
Not only will you benefit from the experience and expertise of the academic staff, who bring a wealth of industry experience to their teaching, you’ll also receive support from a dedicated Business and Employability Team, who provide specialist creative careers advice.
Whether your goal is finding a great job or starting a business of your own, the Business and Employability Team will support you as you plan your career. Everyone at Norwich understands that creative talents forge distinctive paths, and we’ve developed a unique approach that gives innovators, disruptors and entrepreneurs the springboard they need to shape their future.
Creative jobs board
Students and graduates can access careers advice on the University Intranet and browse job vacancies on the Creative Jobs Board on Profile. To set up your Profile account please email careers@norwichuni.ac.uk.
“95% of Norwich University of the Arts graduates went on to employment or further education within six months of graduating.”
(Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education 2017/18)
A thriving creative economy
The UK is the world’s most important and dynamic market for the creative industries. The highly-skilled sector thrives on talented, well prepared graduates and a university qualification is the key to many careers within the growing creative industries market.
- The creative industries contributes £111.7 billion annually to the UK economy and employs over 2 million people (DCMS).
- Almost 1 in 8 UK businesses are creative businesses (CIF).
- The UK’s creative industries export £46 billion in goods and services (Creative Industries Federation).
Digital creative innovation
Discover how our students use creative digital innovation within their projects at Norwich University of the Arts.
Tabbed Section
PROF\LE at Norwich University of the Arts
At Norwich University of the Arts we do things differently. That includes our approach to your career preparation. Our Careers Team have worked with employers and businesses to develop a unique and innovative approach to professional skills development.
Embedded in all our courses and supported by the Careers Team in the Ideas Factory, PROF\LE gives you insider information on the specific skills and attributes you need to develop, alongside your specialised creative skills, to be successful in your chosen field.
You’ll keep a record of work experience and skills development using unique and cutting-edge digital tools that allow you to track your progress and capitalise on your time at university. From CV preparation to portfolio guidance and interviews advice, you’ll work on your PROF\LE throughout your time at Norwich and take it with you when you graduate.
PROF\LE won a Guardian Award for best Employability and Entrepreneurship and was shortlisted in the Times Higher Education Awards.
ContactIdeas Factory
Ideas Factory is a creative consultancy within the University that accepts commissions across all our course areas. For Norwich University of the Arts students, this provides a chance to work on live projects for real clients with the full support of the Ideas Factory team.
We’ll support you as you gain the skills you need to work to deadlines on client briefs, helping you build your portfolio and launch your creative career. Recent projects have included fine art commissions, commercial film and animations, websites, graphics and games.
Find out morePlatform
Platform is a programme that runs each year in the Ideas Factory. It will introduce you to the ideas and processes you need to know about to start your own successful creative business.
What industry says about Norwich
Norwich University of the Arts graduates work at leading arts, design, architecture and media businesses throughout the world.
When you choose Norwich, you become part of a creative community of fellow students, tutors, technicians and industry guest lecturers, and we maintain an enviable range of local and national links with creative industry, involving industry representatives in the design and approval of our courses.
Throughout your studies you’ll have opportunities to take part in external exhibitions, competitions and events. This is an important part of your professional development and will help you showcase your achievements and make valuable contacts.
Business and professional skills development
Business and professional skills are integral to all our courses – undergraduate and postgraduate.
Undergraduate
From creative practice to business and professional studies; contextual understanding to planning and development. As an undergraduate at Norwich you’ll develop vital skills that will help prepare you for employment.
For more information about skills relevant to your chosen course, please visit the Careers section on each course page.
Postgraduate
Postgraduate study at Norwich provides the ideal opportunity to develop transferable skills like research, communication and independent study, which will be invaluable in your career, further study or research career.
As a postgraduate research student, Norwich University of the Arts’ research training programme will develop your generic and subject-based professional skills in areas such as publication, intellectual property and career planning, as well as helping you develop your professional networks.
Staying relevant in rapidly changing creative industries
Norwich University of the Arts has strong local and national links with the creative industries. We involve industry representatives in the approval and periodic review of our courses, and guest lecturers from industry contribute to individual courses. Many of our academic staff are engaged in professional practice.
Helping students transition to professional life
Former students and external bodies alike have endorsed our commitment to developing our students’ business and professional skills.
Studio, contextual and personal skills are enhanced through working on live briefs throughout your studies. Work-related learning, competition entry, professional lectures and collaborative projects all help ensure you graduate set for success, whatever your next step.