Graphic Design

Please also see the University's general entry requirements.

Applicants are offered places through:

• submission of a digital portfolio of an appropriate standard (see guidelines below); and
• an interview with a member of staff from the programme.

Most interviews take place between late January and the middle of March. Applicants who submit their application early may be invited for interview in December.

Portfolio guidance:

What to include and what we are looking for

Your portfolio should demonstrate your own unique world through which we can see your skills, personality and potential. It's a collection of your work demonstrating how your creativity has developed over a period of time. It shows your ability to work with different materials, themes and techniques, as well as how you research, develop and plan your ideas. Your portfolio should be professional yet human - we want to see your amongst the slides / pages. 

Personality

We want to see your passion and enthusiasm for graphic design. It's not always about how advanced your skill set is but what your potential is. As creatives we put a lot of ourselves into our work, so ensure that comes across in your portfolio. 

Balance process and perfection

Don't be afraid to include imperfect drawings or unfinished plans (sketchbook work), it's all part of your process and is how we understand your ability to generate ideas. We always like to see research, development and final outcomes. It's good to see a variety of process work (trial, tests, sketchbooks) and finished work, and a range of techniques and processes if possible. It's your work, so give it the best possible chance of making a good impression. Feel free to include text labels and indicators so we know what materials and creative methods were involved. 

Narrative

Instead of chronological order we advise a strong narrative. Compare it to a good book design: an impactful beginning, interesting middle and a punchy end. Ensure work has room to breathe, is all the same orientation and can speak for itself (with additional labelling if required).

Be decisive

While we love to see a varity of work within your portfolio we do want to see your ability to edit. It's all about establishing a balance, don't submit everything you've ever done but don't pare it back to nothing at all. If you have lots of drawings, show us a few of your favourites.

Show us what you love

Don't assume what we want to see. It's better to include what you want us to see. You can submit unfinished pieces, independent or group work - but do remember to indicate this so we know the origins of the project and the role you played in it. You may really excel at a certain technique but show variety and endeavour to keep the work on topic without it becoming repetitive. Show us your range, keep our attention. 

Building your portfolio

• Please provide a maximum of 20 slides of your work. Each slide can contain more than one image.
• The preferred format used to present your portfolio is either a single PDF document, PowerPoint presentation file (under approx 15MB) or if you choose to use an online service, such as Behance, Carbonmade or similar, you can email the link to us
• Carefully select and edit your work to produce an exciting, creative and representative portfolio which informs us about your skills, interests and ambitions

Please see the University's standard English language requirements.

If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.

If you do not meet the entry requirements for this degree, or if you would like more preparation before you start, you can take an international foundation course. Once you enrol, you will have a guaranteed pathway to this degree if you pass your foundation course with the required grades.

If you only need to meet the language requirements, you can take our pre-sessional English course. You will develop key language and study skills for academic success and you will not need to take an external language test to progress to your degree.

When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.

Many of our courses consider applications for entry part-way through the course for students who have credit from previous learning or relevant professional experience.

Find out more about transferring to Brookes. If you'd like to talk through your options, please contact our Admissions team.