95% would recommend NESCol to others.
Art, Design & Photography
Bringing Art & Design to life.
Courses
NESCol’s studios are a hub of creativity and imagination.
Our experienced lecturers will support you with the tools and techniques to develop your artistic style and build a portfolio for further study or a creative career.
For many of our courses, we collaborate with local communities and industry. This gives you the chance to work on real client briefs and participate in exhibitions and excursions.
Whatever your aspirations, we’re here to help you discover and develop your talent.
View all full-time art, design & photography courses
As well as a host of full-time courses, we also offer part-time courses in art, design & photography where you can study at a location near you with daytime, evening and weekend options.
£100m
extra culture and arts funding by 2028¹
Never stop learning. Life is what you make of it. When you grow older, your priorities change. I decided to follow my heart and I am so much happier learning and being creative.”
Nora Bandyopadhyay
Nora worked in Hospitality, then studied HND Textiles at NESCol before progressing into year 2 of a degree in 3D Design at RGU’s Gray’s School of Art.
Career opportunities
Whatever your aspirations, there are many exciting roles in the ever-evolving creative industries. North East Scotland College will equip you with the knowledge and skills to make a positive impact within your chosen field. Opportunities include:
Art & Design
Freelance Artist, Designer, Illustrator, Art Co-ordinator, Printmaker and Gallery Curator.
Fashion & Textiles
Fashion/Textile Designer, Visual Merchandiser, Seamstress/tailor and Retail Management.
Photography
Photographer, Image Editor and Content Producer.
Visual Communication
Animator, Product Designer, Graphic Designer, Content Producer Media Assistant.
Floristry
Florist.
110,800
in Scotland's Creative Industries workforce in 2025²
Where you can study
Building the right environment for creativity to flourish is very important to us. Across the City and Fraserburgh campuses there are a range of vibrant learning spaces, ranging from textile rooms and art studios to newly created photography studios equipped with the very latest industry equipment.
Study art, design & photography in Aberdeen
- 4,500+ students
- Fitness Suite
- 4 Cafés
- Quiet & social areas
Our Aberdeen City Campus is situated in the heart of Aberdeen city centre, within walking distance of shops, restaurants, bars and cafés.
Study art, design & photography in Fraserburgh
- 950+ students
- Fitness Suite
- 2 Cafés
- Quiet & social areas
The bright and modern Fraserburgh Campus provides a fantastic environment for NESCol students, staff and visitors.
Study part-time
Part-time courses are offered at locations throughout the region.
What our students think
More than 4,000 full-time students responded in our Student Satisfaction and Engagement Survey, covering the 2024-2025 academic year. We are delighted to share some of the feedback we received.
"A very supportive and welcoming community of staff from all departments and students."
96% feel safe and secure at College.
"Good variety of skills taught across the curriculum."
93% feel College has helped them develop knowledge and skills for the workplace.
"I enjoyed my time at College and feel it will open more opportunities for me."
Student stories
Don’t take our word for it!
Flavio Silva
HNC Fashion Business
Having studied ESOL and Fashion Business courses at NESCol, Flavio is now at university and plans to start his own fashion brand one day.
Thea Carr
HND Textiles
Thea completed two fashion and textiles School-College courses before joining HND full-time to study NESCol Textiles. She is now studying at university.
Zee Weston
HND 3D Computer Animation
Adult returner Zee joined NESCol to follow her creative passions. After completing her HND, she launched a media company with her partner.
Get in touch
Our student advisers can help with any application enquiries.
Contact the team directly by calling 01224 612330, dropping into your local Student Advice Centre, or by emailing studentadvice@nescol.ac.uk. Student advisors are also available on LiveChat when the chat icon appears at the bottom of our website.
¹ Source: Scottish Government
² Source: Skills Development Scotland (SDS) Sectoral Skills Assessment