Jewellery and Silversmithing BA (Hons)

Level: Undergraduate

Subject: Design

Year of entry: 2026

Key facts

UCAS Code

W721

Award

BA (Hons)

Duration of study

3 years, 4 years

Delivery

Full-time

Study location

Lauriston campus

Start date

September 2026

School

Edinburgh College of Art

College

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Study abroad

Available

Placement

Available

Second year entry

Available

Open days and events

About the degree programme

Our programme aims to produce designers who create fresh, exuberant work demonstrating originality and innovation. 

We encourage you to combine new technologies with traditional techniques, using a range of materials. This might include: 

  • precious or semi-precious metal and gemstones  
  • plastics  
  • wood  
  • paper  
  • stone  
  • textiles 

Alongside your practical studio work, you will gain a contextual and theoretical understanding of contemporary design through our Design and Screen Cultures courses. 

Discover what it's like to study BA Jewellery and Silversmithing from our staff and students.

How long it takes to complete this degree programme

This programme is usually studied over 4 years, however, some students may be eligible to enter in the second year and complete the programme in 3 years.

Programme benefits

  • You will join a small specialist programme led by expert staff who regularly exhibit their work and lecture internationally.
  • Our programme has an impressive track record of employability and strong industry links.
  • Join a programme with an outstanding international reputation.
  • You can regularly visit local archives, museums, and galleries for location drawings, curator talks, and collection handling sessions.
  • You can access a dedicated bench space and jewellery and silversmithing workshops from 9am until 10pm every day.

Everything seems to have come together for me, each opportunity inspiring or leading onto the next. The summer costume jewellery internship led to a costume jewellery workshop in Germany, which inspired the theme for my dissertation and subsequently inspired me to apply for a job with Swarovski. I felt ready to take that next step into the working world after graduation and hope that the snowball effect of great opportunities is to continue.

Laura Templeton BA Jewellery and Silversmithing, graduated 2011.

Find your entry requirements

Use the dropdowns to find out your entry requirements.

  1. Select the country where you are studying or where you studied your qualification.
  2. Select the qualification you are studying or studied.
United Kingdom,

Tuition fees for BA (Hons) Jewellery and Silversmithing

View the tuition fees for one academic year of BA (Hons) Jewellery and Silversmithing.

Tuition fees for this programme

Additional costs

You will likely have additional costs for:

  • general art and design materials such as drawing materials, paper and sketchbooks
  • essential hand tools

The jewellery and silversmithing toolkit cost for students in 2024 was £334. These essential tools will set you up for your practice beyond education. Shared department tools are also available to use.

We encourage our students to share, reuse, and use our 'free-use hub' where possible. The ECA shop also offers students discounted art materials.

Some courses also offer optional study trips and individual field-based projects. You will usually need to pay for:

  • accommodation
  • food, drink and other everyday costs
  • travel costs

The actual amount you will pay will depend on the programme, the courses you select and the nature of each trip.

Estimated annual costs:

  • Year 1: General art materials, costs will vary.
  • Year 2: Average annual material spend per student in 2023 to 2024 was £110.
  • Year 3: Costs will vary based on your individual projects.  
  • Year 4: Costs will vary based on your individual projects. 

Accommodation and living costs

You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.

We estimate that a single student can potentially spend a maximum of £920 to £2,257 on living costs each month, depending on your accommodation.

This estimate covers the costs of:

  • accommodation
  • food
  • utility bills
  • travel within Edinburgh
  • health and wellbeing costs

See a breakdown of living costs

Scholarships and funding

Funding information

You can find detailed information on financial support available, based on where you are living, in our funding section.

Funding

What you will study

The BA (Hons) in Jewellery and Silversmithing is taught over 4 years.

  • In Year 1, you will focus on foundational skills.
  • In Year 2, you will focus on fundamental skills.
  • In Year 3, you will focus on external professional practice.
  • In Year 4, you will focus on your graduate collection.

At the end of your degree, you will have the opportunity to exhibit your work as part of the graduate show.

Second year entry

Many students who already have some prior experience in Design choose to join our programme directly in Year 2.

If you join us in Year 2, you are very welcome to take any courses you may have missed in Year 1. You can take these either as assessed coursework, or (if space allows), by attending classes or workshops without the requirement for assessment. 

Year 1 focuses on building your foundational skills.

Research and development

You will be introduced to a wide range of drawing and making methods, to help you research and develop your work.

In the Design and Screen Cultures course, you will address the key histories and theories of design.

Small-scale objects

You will design and make small-scale functional and non-functional objects.

Trips

You will make regular trips to local archives, museums and galleries for:

  • location drawing
  • curator talks
  • collection handling sessions
Option courses

You will be able to take up to 60 credits of option courses. These can be in ECA or across the wider University. Your choices will be subject to availability and discussion with relevant course organisers.

You will be able to select a range of courses that reflect your interests and enhance your main area of study.

Find Year 1 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

In Year 2 you will learn fundamental skills of the discipline, including practical skills such as:

  • working with metals (precious and base)
  • soldering
  • silversmithing
  • casting
  • wax/plaster carving
  • stone setting
  • raising
  • etching
  • recycling precious metals among others

You will take computer-aided design (CAD) classes and we will introduce you to programmes such as Rhino and other 3D modelling packages, plus the Adobe suite.

Projects

You will be able to take part in different projects and try out different materials and specialist Jewellery and Silversmithing techniques. 

Trips

You will make regular trips to local archives, museums and galleries for:

  • location drawing
  • curator talks
  • collection handling sessions
Option courses

Similar to Year 1, you will be able to select from a range of option courses.

This includes New Medallist, which will introduce you to modelling, moulding, and casting in bronze. The medals are sent to the British Museum for judging as part of the British Art Medal Society annual competition. 

Drawing classes

The programme also offers two drawing courses to support the development of visual research methods and design development skills, allowing translation from 2D into 3D.

By the end of Year 2, you will have the fundamental skills of the discipline and have developed your creative research and design capabilities. This allows you to realise unique and personal creative ideas in finished materials.

Find Year 2 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

Year 3 is a professional practice year with an external focus.

Projects

You will have the opportunity to take part in competitions and live projects with leading brands. Past industry partners include:

  • Cubitts
  • Michael Kors
  • Friends of Scottish Rugby

A live project allows you to design and develop a jewellery collection for a public sale and exhibition. You will work with new production technologies alongside traditional techniques and processes.

The LTD Edition project offers you the opportunity to use digital design in the production of work.

You will collaborate with a range of external manufacturers who offer services such as:

  • casting
  • waterjet cutting
  • acid etching
  • powder coating

This project has been presented at UK and international conferences and has been exhibited at the National Museum of Scotland.

Work-based placement

You will have the opportunity to apply for a paid work-based placement with Hamilton and Inches, a luxury jewellery and silversmithing workshop/retailer in Edinburgh.

Exchange opportunities

You will have the opportunity to go on exchange. We have close relationships with colleges in Japan, South Korea and Canada, among many others.

Munich Jewellery Week

As a class, we attend Munich Jewellery Week. This is a world-leading festival of contemporary jewellery.

Professional practice classes

You will also undertake professional practice classes covering things like social media, exhibitions, and hallmarking. 

Alongside professional practice teaching, you will complete a further drawing/creative research course to support the development of your own creativity. This can be applied through a design process to create jewellery, wearables and objects using any materials.

By the end of Year 3, you will have established a thorough understanding of:

  • the wider industry
  • how to communicate with manufacturers
  • how to develop work using brand values

You will also have developed your creative vision in preparation for Year 4.

Find Year 3 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

In Year 4 you will work independently while we support you through regular tutorials to develop your final graduate collection of work.

You will work at a dedicated bench with round-the-clock access to technical facilities.

Tutorials

You will receive regular tutorials from jewellery and silversmithing staff. 

Professional practice

You will have professional practice classes throughout the year, covering:

  • costing and pricing
  • branding and identity
  • photography and editing
  • business and marketing
Dissertation

As part of your ‘Design and Screen Cultures’ courses, you will also complete a dissertation. This can be linked to your Year 4 work in Jewellery and Silversmithing, or you may choose to explore a different topic. 

Degree Show

Your final year will involve participation in a public exhibition of work as part of the Degree Show.

We have several public exhibitions in the run-up to the final year Degree Show.

You can see work submitted by previous graduates on our 2024 Graduate Show page.

BA Jewellery and Silversmithing Graduate Show 2024

We take our final year Degree Show to London to showcase at New Designers, a trade show that attracts industry professionals offering employment and other opportunities.

Our students receive generous sponsorship from organisations, such as:

  • the Scottish Goldsmiths’ Trust
  • The Goldsmiths’ Centre, London
  • The Incorporation of Hammermen of Edinburgh
  • Fife Contemporary
  • Hamilton and Inches
Learning outcomes

Through continued professional practice teaching and creative development tuition, you will feel confident about your ability to express personal ideas, opinions and concerns through practical and theoretical work.

You will develop an awareness of the commercial and industrial potential of your work and future career possibilities. You will have gained confidence in your creative and technical abilities and understand the area of the industry you wish to work within.

Among the core courses to be taken in Year 4, you will continue to develop your creative voice through a dedicated visual research course. This course is unique to this programme, and aims to support you in making individual and challenging design ideas as well as finely crafted final collections.

Find Year 4 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

Study abroad

We offer exchange opportunities with partner institutions across the world. Exchanges usually take place during Year 3. We have close relationships with colleges in Japan, South Korea, and Canada, among many others. 

Studying abroad allows you to:

  • become immersed in a new culture
  • make new friends
  • expand your working knowledge of another language
  • realise a degree of self-reliance, which future employers will regard as an asset

What are my options for going abroad?

Placements

You will have the opportunity to apply for a paid work-based placement in Year 3 with Hamilton and Inches, a luxury jewellery and silversmithing workshop/retailer based in Edinburgh.

The selected student will get the opportunity to experience the professional trade as well as improve their making skills. The process is competitive and so a place cannot be guaranteed.

We encourage and support you to explore internships during your holiday period.

Field trips

You will make regular trips to local archives, museums and galleries for this programme.

Some courses also offer study trips and individual field-based projects.

In recent years, we have attended Munich Jewellery Week in Years 3 or 4. This is a world-leading festival of contemporary jewellery.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

Jewellery and silversmithing teaching and learning involves experiential courses in a studio environment.

You will explore conceptual, material and technical issues through:

  • seminars
  • workshops
  • lectures
  • tutorials
  • critiques

Your development is influenced by research and critical thinking, plus the following contexts that shape creative design practice:

  • visual context
  • intellectual context
  • social context
  • professional context

These elements are taught through Design and Screen Cultures courses and involve participation in:

  • exhibitions
  • competitions
  • collaborations
  • live industry projects

Assessment

We use continuous formative assessment throughout your study. This helps us give meaningful feedback and encourages experimentation in the studio and beyond.

Formative assessment for compulsory courses can include:

  • portfolio
  • presentations
  • objects
  • essays against course learning outcomes

There is a mid-session review, usually at the mid-point of any course you study.

Summative (final) assessment at the end of all courses is informed by your:

  • portfolios
  • presentations
  • objects
  • academic and creative progress
  • performance throughout

Your course grades are calculated through this summative assessment and a moderation and external examination process.

Support for your studies

ECA’s Student and Academic Support Service (SASS) supports students throughout their studies in all degree programmes at ECA.

You will have a dedicated Student Adviser, based within SASS, who is specially trained to support you during your studies. Your Student Adviser will be your first point of contact for any support, including questions about your studies or your well-being. Your Student Adviser can support you with:

  • personal or wellbeing issues that you are facing, including how to access specialist support
  • queries related to your programme, such as course enrolments, programme transfers and academic progression
  • applying for extensions and special circumstances
  • advice about how to take a break from your studies
  • registering with the Disability and Learning Support Service

If you’re unsure who to ask, you can contact your Student Adviser as a first point of contact.

Support for your studies

Our academic staff

Our expert staff regularly exhibit their work and lecture internationally. They are committed to sharing their experience to assist you in moving rapidly into the professional design world.

You can learn more about the staff who will teach you on ECA's people directory.

ECA People Directory

Where you will study

Study location

  • Technical classes are taught in the workshops on the Edinburgh College of Art Lauriston campus.
  • Professional practice, critiques and lectures are delivered in our design studio as well as lecture theatres.
  • Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) is taught in computer suites elsewhere on the ECA campus.
  • Some Design and Screen Cultures teaching takes place in the University's Central Area, depending on room availability.
Option courses

Option courses are usually taught outside of ECA, across the wider University campus.

Academic facilities

You will have your own purpose-built work bench equipped with:

  • gas torches
  • lamps
  • vices
  • storage spaces for hand tools

When you are not at your bench making, you can use our design studio for sketch-booking and drawing.

Department workshop facilities

The department-specific workshop facilities include:

  • an enameling room with kilns, anodisers and etching tanks
  • machine shop with lathes among other heavy-duty equipment
  • dedicated silversmithing stakes and hand tools
  • casting equipment
  • equipment for mould-making
  • a state-of-the-art laser welding machine
  • multiple 3D printers that output in a multitude of materials including high-accuracy wax that can be cast directly into metal

You will also have access to the University's:

  • extensive libraries
  • computers
  • technical facilities

In addition to these facilities, we also have the ECA Store on-campus where you can purchase materials for your artistic projects, along with our Free-Use Hub where you can access free recycled materials.

You will also have access to Bookit, where you can access and loan a wide range of digital and technical equipment for free as part of being a student.

Bookit - Equipment loans and studio booking

You can find out more on the ECA website.

Facilities and resources at ECA

Investing in our learning environment

Edinburgh College of Art is excited to be undertaking a capital redevelopment of ECA’s Lauriston Campus over the next three years, from April 2024 to April 2027. ​

The project aims to maximise the use of existing space, improve accessibility, and create a vibrant campus that fosters collaboration and innovation.​

The project involves refurbishing and repurposing various spaces across the Lauriston campus, including technical facilities, student and teaching spaces, and the relocation of the Reid School of Music from Alison House to the Lauriston Campus. New social spaces, seminar rooms, and studios are being created to accommodate our growing community.

You can find more about the project at the below link:

Building work starts at ECA’s Lauriston Campus - Edinburgh College of Art

Virtual tour

You can take a closer look at the Edinburgh College of Art and explore our facilities and campus with our virtual tour.

Take a virtual tour of Edinburgh College of Art

Career paths

Our graduates emerge with the confidence to establish themselves as:

  • designers and makers
  • industrial designers
  • teachers within the discipline

Our past graduates have gone on to work with many reputable employers, including:

  • Edinburgh Assay Office
  • Gucci
  • Kate Spade
  • Michael Kors
  • Hamilton and Inches
  • Theo Fennel
  • The Royal College of Art
  • The Scottish Gallery
  • Edinburgh Dovecot Studios

Recent awards and recognition have been received by our graduates from organisations such as:

  • Scottish Goldsmiths’ Trust
  • Goldsmiths Centre, London
  • Dulux
  • Stephen Webster

Our graduates' work has recently been featured in publications such as Wallpaper magazine and Dezeen.

Our alumni have exhibited their work internationally.

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals.

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies.

With the Careers Service, you can:

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions

Visit the Careers Service website

Further study

After you complete your programme, you may want to go onto further study at Edinburgh or a different university. You could progress to:

  • a masters degree
  • a postgraduate diploma or certificate
  • a PhD
  • a second undergraduate degree

Find out about options for further study 

Postgraduate degrees you might be interested in could include:

Graduate profiles

Visit our alumni directory to hear from two graduates of BA Jewellery and Silversmithing.

Alumni profile - Jemima Wright

Alumni profile - Helga Mogensen

How to apply

You must submit a full application through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) before the relevant deadline.

Guidance on applying through UCAS

What you need to apply

As part of your application, you will need:

  • your academic qualifications
  • a personal statement
  • evidence of your English language skills (with relevant qualifications)
  • a reference

Portfolio

You need to submit a digital portfolio to show your artistic skill and potential. 

The portfolio guidance for 2026 entry will be released in August 2025.

How we select

If you have met, or are predicted to meet, all our entry requirements by the relevant deadline, then your application will go into our selection process.

As part of this selection process, we will review all the information you submit in your UCAS application when we decide who to select for this degree programme.

How we select applicants

When to apply

  • 2026 entry UCAS deadline: 14 January 2026 (6:00pm GMT)

This is the deadline for all UK, EU and international applicants to non-medicine and veterinary medicine programmes.

To find out if any degree programmes have spaces after 14 January 2026, search the University of Edinburgh on the UCAS website.

Search degrees that are open on the UCAS website

Key application dates and deadlines

After you apply

After you have applied for your degree programme, we suggest you have a look at the following information to help you prepare for university:

Applying as an international student

As an international student, you apply for this degree programme through UCAS.  

Find out more about applying through UCAS  

Visas and immigration 

If you do not have the right to live in the UK, you will need to apply for and secure a Student visa before the start date of your degree programme.  

Our Student Immigration Service can help you with the Student visa application process. 

Applying for a visa  

Agents  

An education agent is someone who can help you with the application process as an international student. 

We work with education agents around the world and have a list of local offices you can contact.  

Find contact details for an education agent

What our students say

What is it really like to study here? Our students share their experiences on our social media.

You can find out what a day in the life is like for an Edinburgh College of Art Student, from late nights in the library to their favourite walks around the city!

Instagram: Edinburgh College of Art

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single undergraduate students from outside Edinburgh. To be eligible, you need to meet all criteria and apply for accommodation by 16 August in the year of your entry to the University.

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sports clubs

The city of Edinburgh

Our vibrant capital is a blend of culture, history, nature and modern city life. A fantastic place to live, it is also the perfect location to study jewellery and silversmithing.

Edinburgh’s dynamic cultural scene boasts the largest collection of historic buildings, museums, art galleries and theatres of any city in Scotland.

The University of Edinburgh’s museums and galleries include:

  • the Talbot Rice Gallery
  • Centre for Research Collections
  • St. Cecilia’s Hall: Concert Room and Music Museum

Edinburgh is home to several major annual festivals, each bringing talent from around the world to our streets and stages, making the celebration of diversity an intrinsic part of the city’s culture. These include the:

  • Festival Fringe
  • Film Festival
  • Art Festival
  • Book Festival
  • Jazz & Blues Festival

Some of our students even participate in our annual festivals.

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include:

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustment

Health and wellbeing support services

Contact us

Contact us through our enquiry team if you have any questions about this programme.

Open days, events and visits

Find out when our next open days will be taking place

Open days, events and visits

Chat to our students on Unibuddy

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