Portfolio preparation and requirements: user guide

How to prepare and submit your portfolio for Art and Design undergraduate applicants.

You need to submit a digital portfolio as evidence of your artistic ability and potential. You should start planning your portfolio as soon as you decide to apply.

You will upload your portfolio through a separate system after you apply through UCAS.

The portfolio submission period is from 1 December 2025 to 28 January 2026.

If you do not complete your portfolio submission by the deadline, your application will be unsuccessful.

Programmes that require a portfolio

Portfolio format

  • 1 PDF containing up to 20 pages (maximum of 5 pages for each of the 4 assessment criteria)
  • The file should be a maximum of 50MB (any resolution)
  • You should name the file with your universal username (UUN), for example, "S2212345"
  • Each page of your PDF can contain multiple images and text

What to include

  • Initial research, investigative work, examples of how you explore your ideas, and your finished pieces of work
  • Short accompanying text that provides insight into your process, critical thinking and reflection
  • Personal projects as well as your school work

Portfolio assessment criteria

We use four criteria to assess your portfolio: 

  1. Visual research and enquiry: the level of your engagement in structured visual enquiry and how well you communicate this.
  2. Idea development: your ability to explore and develop your ideas, and your level of skill in the use of appropriate materials and techniques.
  3. Selection and resolution: how well you judge which ideas have the most appropriate potential and your ability to complete them to good standard.
  4. Contextual awareness: the depth of your knowledge of the subject, including practitioners and other sources of inspiration, and how your work relates to it.

Your portfolio will be assessed by a team of academic staff with professional expertise and specialist knowledge.

We understand that not all applicants will have access to the same types or level of resources to produce their final works. Instead, we are particularly interested in:

  • your potential
  • how you have researched and developed your ideas in a visual way
  • how you engage with the visual arts through your imagination and creative responses to ideas, observations, processes, and concepts.

When to submit your portfolio

After you submit your application to UCAS, you will need to submit your portfolio to the University through a separate process.

You will receive instructions to the email address you included in your UCAS application. You will not be notified via UCAS.

The deadline for portfolio submissions is 28 January 2026 at 12pm.

Accessing the Portfolio Submission Portal

Logging into MyEd

You will have received authentication details by email (to the email address supplied in your application to UCAS). If you have not received your MyEd login details, please see the support page for guidance.

Log into MyEd and access the EUCLID or My Application channel.

MyEd login

To access the portfolio submission portal

  1. Login to MyEd
  2. Click on the 'Manage my application' or 'Launch EUCLID' button to open EUCLID
  3. Click on the 'My UG Applications' link in the left menu bar
  4. Scroll down to find the 'portfolio' section
  5. Click the 'Open portfolio' link to open Survey Monkey Apply
Image showing the My UG Applications tab and Open Portfolio links in EUCLID

When you will get our decision

We will let you know if your application has been successful after it has been reviewed by our assessors.

We aim to make all decisions by the end of April. 

You will receive a decision no later than 6 May 2026.

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