Book an open day: Degree Open Days
Find out first-hand why students rated HCA among the top institutions in the UK (National Student Survey, 2023).
A place to grow, reinvent, reimagine
Degree Level Open Day Saturday 28th September 2024
Come to our Degree Level Open Day on Saturday 28th September 2024
Book nowUpcoming events
What you can do
1. Course leader Q+A and studio tour
Small-group talks with the subject leader, followed by a tour of some of the specialist facilities and tools you can use on the course. Great time to meet your course leader and dig deeper on the subject.
2. Drop-in workshops
Every Open Day we run a series workshops that give you a chance to learn with your hands, and try something new. They aren't subject-specific - just pick something that sounds fun - and get to know some other students looking at applying.
3. Student housing tour
Take a look around Station Approach with student reps and the on-site management team.
4. Welcome talk
Repeating twice through the day, a member of our leadership team welcomes you to the college and explains the values behind why we do what we do.
5. Wellbeing at HCA
Hear more about how we support students' wellbeing, and ask any questions you have on the subject.
6. Portfolio masterclass
This quick session shows you what goes into a good portfolio, and offers some tips and advice on the application process. If you already have a portfolio, bring it with you for some 1-on-1 feedback.
7. Student finance Q+A
The student finance process can seem daunting. This quick talk outlines everything you need to know, and is a great chance to ask any questions around student loans or managing the cost of living.
8. Campus tour
Get a small group tour of our beautiful campus from a mix of staff and students. Visit some of our industry-standard workshops and studio spaces, as well as our specialist arts library with more than 10,000 books and magazines.
9. Grab a brew
Ed's cafe is open throughout the day. Stop and refuel whenever you need a moment.
10. How to get involved with the Student Union
The SU helps drive a lot of student events and activity on campus. Find out more about what it is, and how you can get involved from the students who run it.
ALSO: Get a feel for the city
Go and get a feel for the city. Hereford is a historic, vibrant city centre - and it's super walkable. If you have time, check out the art trail through the city, or take a stroll by the river. We can also point you in the direction of a range of great food and drink options.
Courses that feed your imagination
Getting here
Hereford has great rail connections, with direct lines to Birmingham, Manchester, London and Cardiff.
If you are travelling by bus or train, both stations are located just a 15-minute walk from our degree campus on College Road (HR1 1EB).
As you arrive, you will likely notice the student housing block with huge art installations on it's exterior - that's Station Approach.
Our College Road campus has plenty of on-site parking if you are travelling by car.
When planning directions, just make sure you select Hereford College of Arts, College Rd (HR1 1EB) as we have two campuses in the city.
There are also a number of accessible parking spots. Feel free to contact outreach@hca.ac.uk if you have any questions around accessibility.
If you are staying locally and are travelling by foot or by bike, you can find us on College Road, Hereford - tap here for directions.
There is covered bike parking on-site, and parking bays for the city's bike-share scheme Beryl Bikes. You can download the app here.
Visit us when the time's right
Student housing tours
If you are considering student housing, there will multiple chances to tour Station Approach with the on-site management team and student reps.
Student Halls
Information for parents & carers
Choosing where to study is a big step, for student but also for those closest to them. Our Open Days include time for parents and carers to ask about the questions that are important to them. In case you can't attend in-person, we have pulled together a set of FAQs that we most frequently get asked during those sessions.
Read moreOpen Day FAQs
The day starts at 09.30 and ends at 15.00 - but it's a flexible schedule and you can start when you want, and leave when you need to.
Course talks are repeated twice, as are free workshops and other sessions. The event is designed so that you can plan your day around what you want to see.
Our Open Days are pretty popular. Booking ahead will ensure you can attend all the talks or drop-in sessions you want to, as some may fill up.
You can book your space via Eventbrite here. ADD LINK
Once you book we can also send you any additional information ahead of the event via email.
Our doors are always open, and if you have a friend who wants to join - or you forgot to book - our team will do everything they can to fir you in.
Absolutely. There's a lot to take in, so having someone to talk it through with can help.
Feel free to bring as many guests as you want - but some sessions may have a limited capacity, and where necessary we may need to restrict attendance to one student and one guest.
Course talks are a great way to get a feel for a subject area, and to dig into the specifics of the course.
Course leaders hold multiple 'talks' through the day - these include a Q+A session often involving current students, and a tour of some of the specialist facilities you will be using as a student.
They will also be on-hand through the day if you have any follow-up questions, or want to talk through your portfolio with them.
Many people want to visit multiple course areas as they decide what they want to study. All of our courses are based on one, beautiful campus which means you won't be running across town to catch two talks.
But if you are at all worried about missing out, drop our team a message before the event on outreach@hca.ac.uk and we can help you plan timings - or mention it to the team on arrival and they will be able to help out.
We pride ourselves as being an accessible campus that is welcoming to everyone. You can email outreach@hca.ac.uk with any specific questions, or to make any necessary adjustments.
There will also be the opportunity to find out more about HCA's support for students while studying.
There is plenty of on-site parking. As you pull in to our College Road campus you will see parking immediately to your left and right.
There are no restrictions on the workshops or talks that you can attend.
Once you have booked your place, we will send out a full programme via email.
Occasionally there may be limits on numbers for some workshops, but if you let us know in advance we can secure you a place.
You can grab refreshments at any time during the day from Ed's Cafe. Located within the main campus building, Ed and his team have a full coffee bar and prepare food fresh using local ingredients.
Vegan options will be available.
If you are staying longer, we will also send out a list of our favourite places to grab dinner in the city.
Also in this section
Book an open day
Chat to students. Tour the campus. Drop in on some free workshops. Our Open Days are a great way to get a feel for what makes HCA special.
MA Open Days
Find out first-hand why students rated HCA among the top institutions in the UK at an Open Day.
Post-16 courses
Find out how how to book on to the next Open event for Post-16 courses and what to expect