Foundation digital portfolio

In order to further assess your suitability for the BA Architecture with foundation year course, we would like you to submit a digital portfolio.

What should I include in my digital portfolio?

Select your strongest work, and try to lay out your portfolio so that it is really easy to look through. Do not forget to clearly label each piece of work with its project title.

Your portfolio must include:

Task 1: Visual portfolio

Using your own artwork, tell us what is interesting and distinctive about your home and neighbourhood. Through this visual portfolio, you can share with us the characteristics of the place in which you live.

You might represent your neighbourhood through images of buildings, streets, parks and people. We want to understand how you see the place.

We would like to see up to nine individual artworks and everything you include must have been created by you. You are free to use any kind of materials and style you choose. We want you to be as creative as possible to show us variety. This could include:

  • Drawings
  • Collages
  • Ceramics
  • Sketches
  • Sculpture
  • Photographs
  • Watercolours
  • Animation
  • Pastels
  • Graphics
  • Videos
  • Illustrations
  • Models
  • Painting

Task 2: Written statement

  1. Describe your home and neighbourhood. Tell us why you have represented the place you live in the ways you have. (300 words maximum).
  2. Why do you want to study at the Manchester School of Architecture? (150 words maximum).
  3. Name a favourite architect and tell us what you like about their work. (150 words maximum).

We would like you to submit your portfolio and statement as a single pdf file uploaded to Manchester Self-service.

How to prepare your file

To submit your portfolio file please follow these instructions:

  • When you have constructed your portfolio, check to make sure that it is correct and that all the images and information can be viewed clearly.
  • The maximum pdf file size of your portfolio should be 20mb.
  • Title your portfolio with your 10-digit UCAS number (eg. 1234567899) and make sure you do not include any spaces, punctuation or symbols eg. [ ] or any non-standard characters such as accented letters or those from different alphabets such as Arabic, Chinese, Russian etc.
  • Please do NOT password protect your portfolio.

To upload your portfolio:

  • Log in to Self-Service using your university username and password. (If you have not done so already, you will need to complete IT Sign Up to obtain these details.)
  • Click the Tasks tile which will take you into your To Do List.
  • Select Portfolio and then Upload file.
  • On the File Attachment page, click Add and then My Device to browse to your saved PDF file.
  • After selecting this, click Upload and then Done once complete.
  • Select Portfolio as the Attachment Type.
  • Click Save. 

Please note that failure to submit the portfolio by the due date in your To Do list may result in your application being unsuccessful.

If you have any questions or difficulties putting together or uploading your portfolio, please contact msa.portfolios@manchester.ac.uk.

We will only use the information you send us as part of the admissions process for the Manchester School of Architecture.

We look forward to receiving your work. 

MSA Admissions Team