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Build the skills, experience and confidence to launch your career in the creative industries. Here's how we help you get there:
Gain industry experience through placements, work experience and live industry projects
Connect with employability experts through our dedicated Employability service
Develop your own business with our start-up support
Benefit from our industry links and professional networks
Our graduates go on to work in a wide range of fields, both within the creative industries and in creative roles beyond them.
We support you to build an invaluable toolkit of transferable skills, including teamwork, project management, problem-solving, self-motivation, time management, independent thinking and decision-making. These skills are just as important for freelancing and self-employment as they are for working within an organisation.
Our graduates build careers in a wide range of creative industries and roles. Some launch their own businesses or work freelance, while others join agencies, studios, organisations and global brands. Many also apply their creative thinking and skills in industries beyond the traditional creative sector.
Meet our students and graduates and discover where their creativity has taken them, from freelance careers and start-ups to creative roles across a range of industries.
Alumni stories
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What careers support do we offer?
Our Employability service is here to support you from your first day with us and for up to five years after you graduate. We encourage you to make the most of the support available, including:
An Employability portal with resources offering advice and support available 24/7
A dedicated jobs and opportunities section on the Employability portal
Workshops and events covering topics including career planning, job searches and applications
Awards and funding opportunities (eligibility criteria apply)
Work placement guidance
Work experience opportunities
Freelance support
Opportunities to exhibit and/or sell your work
One-to-one appointments
How can I gain experience whilst I study?
In a competitive job market, gaining industry experience alongside your studies can make a real difference. We offer a range of opportunities to help you build your experience, including:
The Employability portal promotes jobs, work placements, work experience and volunteering opportunities for Leeds Arts University students and alumni.
All of our courses include modules designed to build employability skills.
Through our Undergraduate End of Year Show and Students’ Union pop-up stores, you can sell products and artwork directly to the public.
All undergraduate courses offer an optional work placement year between your second and third year.
Our courses offer opportunities to respond to mock and live industry briefs, often in collaboration with companies and brands in the creative sector.
Our courses encourage you to enter national and international competitions, providing valuable experience of responding to a brief and developing your creative practice.
We advertise creative commissions and competitions, giving you opportunities to work with external organisations, strengthen your portfolio and gain insight into life as a creative professional.
Our Alumni Unplugged series invites recent graduates to share their experiences and career journeys with students.
You can take part in exhibitions and shows, including graduation shows attended by the public and industry professionals.
Many of our teaching staff continue to work in the creative industries, bringing industry knowledge, experience and connections into their teaching.
High profile industry speakers
Our In Conversation series showcases leading creatives to share ideas, experiences and insights. These talks are relevant across all our courses, exploring creativity across disciplines and offering perspectives on building a career in the creative industries.
We invite local, national and international talent from across the creative and cultural sectors to share their experiences. Their insights can inspire new ideas and provide valuable real-world perspectives to help you think about your future career.
We invite a broad range of speakers to reflect the diversity of our courses and creative communities.