Art and Design Foundation - 2012 entry

A field trip also forms part of the course; recent destinations have included Madrid, New York, Berlin, Venice and Lisbon.

We offer short courses to provide a picture of the foundation course through taster experiences of the kind of work that our foundation students undertake. The courses also provide guidelines for the selection and presentation of a portfolio for interview for a place on Art and Design foundation courses.

Free language courses are available to all full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students who are studying any course on our Headington (including Marston Road), Harcourt Hill or Wheatley Campuses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

A-level: 3 A-levels, achieved or pending (we will consider applicants with fewer A-levels if they have a strong portfolio)

• International applicants should have an IELTS minimum score of 5.5.
• Presentation of a portfolio of work of an appropriate standard - please read our portfolio guidelines, under 'Selection process' below.

Please also see the university's general entry requirements.

Portfolio Guidelines

Make a proper selection for your portfolio. It is quality and not quantity that matters. We want to see a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 30 pieces of work. The range should be as follows:

1. Work which shows your ability to observe and record accurately within the conventions of drawing. Interiors, still-lifes, landscapes, figures and plants are all acceptable subjects. Include small drawings or ideas in sketchbooks as well as larger (A1) studies.
2. Your folder should contain evidence of work in colour which can take the form of paintings or designs. We also want to see photographic work (which can include digital) produced at school if at all possible.
3. Works which allow you to experiment with media other than charcoal, pencil or paint (eg collages from paper, fabric or similar materials).
4. Any three-dimensional work you may have produced which reveals your interest in form and structure would be interesting, including wood and/or plaster constructions. Don't worry too much about accuracy or finish. The important thing is the idea. You probably won't be able to bring the actual piece of work due to its size, weight or fragility, so photographic evidence is advisable. (Please note point 7 below.)
5. Produce any evidence you can of work which is investigative. An example might be to begin with a study of a particular object as it appears under normal conditions then stage by stage dismantle it, recording visually its appearance at each stage.
6. The standard of work you bring is extremely important. The same applies to actual presentation and organisation. Find out as much as you can about the visual arts. Visit galleries, particularly those showing contemporary work. Find out as much as you can about design and crafts, and particularly about your favourite artists, designers or photographers.
7. All your work must fit inside your A1 portfolio. Any work hanging out the side of a portfolio or in addition to the portfolio will not be accepted. Any large pieces of work or 3D work must be represented by photographs if it does not fit in your portfolio.
8. MOST IMPORTANT: please stick identification labels on each piece of work submitted (eg folder, 3-D work, etc). You must put your identification label on the outside of your portfolio as well as all your work.

Portfolio Specifications

Due to the high number of applications we receive (in the region of 600 applications for a maximum of 100 places), we are unable to offer individual interviews and applicants will be selected based on a portfolio submission alone.

• Portfolios can be any size ranging from A4 – A1.
• International applicants and UK applicants can submit an electronic portfolio using www.carbonmade.com or send actual portfolios by courier. Please contact Lucy Turner, Admissions Tutor, by email: lturner@brookes.ac.uk or telephone: +44 (0) 1865 483499 to arrange courier delivery and return. Please ensure that portfolios are received no later than 25 February 2012. Portfolios received after this date will not be considered.
• Only one portfolio is allowed per applicant. Portfolios must be clearly labelled on the outside of the folder with the applicant’s name and address.
• All work must be presented and contained within the portfolio (ie no extra work can be submitted if it does not fit inside the portfolio).
• Larger works or 3D work can be submitted as photographs.
• There is no limit on the number of sketchbooks that can be submitted and they can be of any size and format but they must fit inside the portfolio.
• All work, including sketchbooks, must be labelled clearly on the back with the applicant’s name.
• As applicants will not be present during the portfolio viewings, it is suggested that a brief description for each piece of work is supplied in the form of a label at the bottom or top left of the piece. Where relevant please state title, media, dimension and explanation for the work. (eg Reflection, acrylic on board, 80cm x 100cm, painting based on the theme of water and reflection).
• A typed list of all work submitted should be inserted at the front of the portfolio.
• The portfolio should contain no more than 30 pieces. Sketchbooks are in addition to this.
• No GCSE work to be included.
• Please see the section on portfolio guidelines above for information on what is required in the portfolio and advice on how to present your work.

Please see the university's standard English language requirements.

English language requirements for visas

If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Border Agency's minimum language requirements as well as the university's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.

If you would like to apply to Oxford Brookes to study an Art and Design Foundation Diploma you will need to download our application form and send it directly back to us at the address given in your pack. UCAS does not accept applications for this course. We will accept applications from September 2011.

It is important to remember to get the application form back to us as soon as possible. The closing date is 31 January 2012, but we would advise you to send your application to us before Christmas to ensure that it arrives with us in time.

In the application pack there is a form requiring you to select a date to bring your portfolio (please read our portfolio guidelines under 'Selection process' above) for review. The sooner you complete your application and send us this form, the more likely it is that you will get the date that you requested.

If you are expected to meet the requirements for the course, you will be invited by email to submit your portfolio for review. You should contact the admissions tutor if you have not received this invitation within two weeks of submitting your application.

Portfolio reviews take place in late February and early March 2012. We do not interview candidates face to face due to the high numbers of applicants and the resources and time that it would require out of the teaching schedule. Instead we have a week of reviews. This involves six members of staff looking at approximately 60 portfolios during the morning and 60 in the afternoon. You drop off your portfolio at a specified time and collect it 3 hours later. During this time you will have a talk from our Course Leader and a tour of our workshops and studios. Further information and a schedule will be provided with invitations to portfolio reviews.

Based at the Richard Hamilton Building, course participants can access our extensive facilities and resources. Built in the 1870s as the stables for Headington Hill Hall, the Richard Hamilton Building was reopened as the home for the arts at Oxford Brookes in 1996. Combining fascinating historical spaces with the latest creative facilities, our courses make the most of its leading-edge equipment and resources, including:

• 3D Workshop - facilities include equipment for casting with metals, resin and acrylic, plaster, glass and wax. These include the production of vinyl and latex mould making, and a kiln for ceramics and glass work. We also have a fully-equipped woodworking area, sheet metal cutting equipment, welding facilities, a laser cutting system and a heat press.
• Bookworks and Digital Media Workshop - features a comprehensively-equipped bookbinding area, a large format printer and several PCs, each installed with Photoshop and other image manipulation programs.
• Printmaking Studio - facilities for etching, monoprinting, lino, woodcut, drypoint, screenprinting and photo polymer etching.
• Darkroom and Photography Suite - includes professional lighting, photo floods and red heads. We have digital SLR and film SLR cameras and we can process film using our black and white processing suite.
• Video and Film Unit - features high-definition cameras, specialist microphones and extensive computing facilities with professional animation tools and digital editing software.

We have a highly experienced team of six lecturers on the foundation course. Our course leader is full-time and will always be there for help and advice. You'll have teaching contact of one lecturer to 20 students. All your studies are supported by our fantastic and expert technical staff who all work full-time. You will have a great deal of contact with your tutor both in the studio and online through our Virtual Learning Environment and email.

We also offer dyslexia support, counselling and advice (personal and academic). Our tutors give knowledgeable and supportive guidance for UCAS applications, including portfolio and interview preparation.

When a student receives an offer of a foundation place and they send their reply slips back, they are sent accommodation information at the end of April. Because we start a week earlier than the rest of the university and finish several weeks later, we are allocated Paul Kent and Crescent Halls for our students because they are available earlier than the rest of the accommodation halls. Accommodation is arranged through the accommodation office.

Supporting your learning

From academic advisers and support co-ordinators to specialist subject librarians and other learning support staff, we want to ensure that you get the best out of your studies.

Personal support services

We want your time at Brookes to be as enjoyable and successful as possible. That's why we provide all the facilities you need to be relaxed, happy and healthy throughout your studies.

Accommodation

At Brookes we understand that when you live away from home it's important to be somewhere that you feel comfortable and safe.