The coronavirus has triggered travel bans that could result in a significant drop in enrollment at top art and design schools.

LONDON — Conner Ives had big dreams for his master’s degree show at Central Saint Martins, the renowned art and design school in London.

The equivalent of a designer’s final exam, the graduate shows each May are not only an academic rite of passage, but also an opportunity to build a profile, make industry contacts and perhaps even secure future employment.

Not this year. As the coronavirus took hold of Europe in March and Britain went into lockdown, the school closed. Lessons went online, and the final show was canceled in favor of a June 17 digital presentation in which each student could show only two looks and a 90-second video. For Mr. Ives, 24, an ambitious American who has already founded his own label and been part of the design team at Fenty, Rihanna’s fashion brand, the last two months have been a struggle.

“We’ve all done our best to rise to the challenges created by the pandemic, but it has made me ponder some big questions,” said Mr. Ives, who has diabetes and who was isolated in his apartment for three months working on his pieces. “One of those is: If I had known four years ago that I would be graduating without the degree show, and would be taught remotely for months on end, would I have reconsidered doing a postgraduate degree?”