dmu.ac.uk/internationalportfolio
Portfolio Advice
For international applicants includes application advice for non-portfolio courses
School of Design
Contents
Contents Applicant advice for postgraduate courses
Introduction Welcome to the School of Design
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Portfolio advice for undergraduate courses Design Crafts BA (Hons) Design Products MDes, Furniture Design BA (Hons), Product Design BA (Hons), Product Design BSc (Hons), Product and Furniture Design BA (Hons) Interior Design BA (Hons), Interior Design MDes
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Portfolio advice for postgraduate courses Design Innovation MA Digital Design MA Product Design MA
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English Language support
Submission Submitting your portfolio
Design Management and Entrepreneurship MA
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Centre for English Language Learning (CELL)
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Welcome
Welcome to the School of Design We offer a diverse range of design courses which are delivered by staff with world leading reputations, and who have close industry contacts. Our high quality students win many competitions at national and international level, including the RSA Design Awards, D&AD Student Design Awards and Formica Design Award. They also have opportunities to showcase their work at prestigious exhibitions, such as New Designers. In addition, our students benefit from extensive workshops, prototyping facilities and our new ÂŁ2million Product Development Centre, which provides them with first-rate technical and creative resources in a wide range of processes. We hope you find the following portfolio and application advice useful, should you have any questions please feel free to contact our admissions team at adh@dmu.ac.uk Best wishes, Michael Marsden Deputy Dean and Head of the School of Design
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Submission
Submitting your portfolio For some courses we may wish to conduct an interview via telephone or Skype, so please ensure your contact details are correct. If you are living outside the UK we will ask you to send us samples of your work. There are three ways that you can do this: Option one - online submission You can submit a digital portfolio using our online portfolio submission website. Your portfolio could contain written work such as essays, artwork and moving images. Please present your artwork as either a PowerPoint presentation or one PDF. If you submit moving images such as animation or video, please use .MOV, .AVI or Quicktime format. Please save all of your files in one folder with your name as the title. You will need to compress/zip the folder. Once you have zipped your file you will need to submit it together with your name, UCAS or student reference number and the name of the course you are applying for at http://www.mailbigfile.com/dmuac Option two - Personal website You can also send us a link to a website that displays your work. The website must be public (no sign up, passwords or logins), written in English, and have clear navigation. Your website must render correctly in Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari. Option three - CD/DVD by recorded post You can also submit your portfolio by sending us digital files on a CD, DVD or USB memory device. Please label the disc/memory device clearly with your name, UCAS or student reference number and the name of the course you are applying for. Your portfolio could contain written work such as essays, artwork and moving images. Please present your artwork as either a PowerPoint presentation or one PDF. If you submit moving images such as animation or video, please use .MOV, .AVI or Quicktime format. Please ensure your CD, DVD or USB works on both a Mac and PC. Please send this by recorded post to ensure safe arrival. The address to post to is: Art, Design and Humanities Admissions Team De Montfort University The Gateway Leicester LE1 9BH United Kingdom
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Portfolio advice
Portfolio Advice Undergraduate courses
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Design Crafts BA (Hons)
Design Crafts BA (Hons) Your Portfolio Your portfolio should include around 15-20 pieces of your best work. We are looking to see who or what inspires you in the field of art and design and particularly in design crafts. You can tell us which magazines you read, websites you visit and about any other cultural interests you have, i.e. film, music, architecture, dance, travel, sports etc. We advise you to look at craft and design magazines for up to date articles (such as Crafts Magazine, Elle Decoration or Wallpaper). Most importantly we are looking at your potential to be a creative designer/maker. We don’t expect you to be exceptional in all the areas described below. We want you to be keen to learn and have ambitions for your own future. What are we looking for? We are looking for… •
Someone who loves making
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Drawing skills – demonstrate a range of approaches
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Idea generation
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Development of ideas
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An interest in contemporary craft
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Experimental approach to handling materials
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Design Crafts BA (Hons)
What should a portfolio contain? Drawing We like to see different examples of drawing, from life drawing to experimental and design sketches. Try to include some colour work too.
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Design Crafts BA (Hons)
What should a portfolio contain? Projects We are looking to see how you develop an idea and how you research and respond to a given brief. Research
Development
Final Product 8
Design Crafts BA (Hons)
What should a portfolio contain? Written work Please submit an essay or a recent example of writing. We like to see how well you write and how you think. Even though this is a practice-based degree, you will have a small amount of written tasks over the course. For example, you will be asked to keep a workshop log book of technical information, write a short report, and you will need to take notes during lectures. Personal work Make sure you have a project in your portfolio that demonstrates creativity, a deep involvement in your work and your conclusion or final idea. This could be any art or design project (either as part of your course or an independent project), the subject doesn’t matter.
Making Include evidence that you enjoy making and using materials. We like to see photographs of 3D objects and experiments with materials. You can photograph a selection of your 3D work, maquettes, models and finished pieces. 9
Design Crafts BA (Hons)
What should a portfolio contain? Sketchbooks Your research will show us what excites you and what has inspired you during your projects and course. This needs to be evident in your sketchbooks and should include visual references to other artists and designers. You should include references to contemporary and historical practices and show your interests in Design Crafts. You can include research from exhibitions or study trips abroad for example.
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Product and Furniture Design
Product and Furniture Design Including: Product Design BA (Hons) / BSc (Hons) / Design Products MDes / Furniture Design / Product and Furniture Design BA (Hons) Product and furniture design courses are rigorous, demanding and rewarding. You should show a wide variety of skills and be confident about both drawing on demand and creating prototypes in a workshop environment. If applying for BSc Product Design your portfolio does not need to be as artistically accomplished as those of BA and MDes applicants, however your work should demonstrate both an interest and knowledge of the more technical aspects of design and of engineering generally. A good portfolio should consist of quality not quantity, be selective about what to include and avoid repetition. Product and Furniture Design require an improving/high standard of drawing and a good analytical approach to problem solving.
What are we looking for? We are looking for: • Creative problem solving • Innovative thinking • Idea generation • Idea development • An interest in product and furniture design • Visual awareness • The ability to think in 3D 11
Product and Furniture Design
What should a portfolio contain? Generally you should choose between 15 and 25 of your strongest pieces of work. You should also consider that staff are keen to see design/artwork produced independently from a taught curriculum. The following elements should be included in your portfolio; Sketchbooks Include several recent sketchbooks or work books that show what has influenced you, your research, sketch ideas, preparatory work, written notes, analysis of your work etc. Tutors consider sketchbooks to be important to a portfolio, as they illustrate how you approach your work, how you think and how your creativity develops.
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Product and Furniture Design
What should a portfolio contain? Drawing Product and furniture design both require strong/improving drawing ability and are particularly interested in 3D drawing; both observational (objects, people) and concept (ideas and development) drawing.
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Product and Furniture Design
What should a portfolio contain? Projects Include examples of different projects you have undertaken, illustrating your breadth of experience. Show the development work that demonstrates how you think and work through a project from research to final presentation. Please include photos of any 3D models you have created.
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Product and Furniture Design
What should a portfolio contain? Digital Work Include any computer-aided design or artwork you have produced (3D CAD, Photoshop, SketchbookPro, etc). Written Work Writing is an essential tool for designers to develop their critical and communication skills. It can therefore be helpful to submit a piece of recent written work, such as an illustrated essay.
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Product and Furniture Design
Mini projects Try working on one or more of the following briefs. We’d suggest that a full day of work for each would be the minimum. We want to see evidence of reasoned development as well as resolution. A clear understanding of a product’s function/scenario of use is also important. If you need any advice regarding your submission or require any further guidance with these briefs or any other matter, then please contact Stuart Lawson smlawson@dmu.ac.uk Brief 1 (Product): “Play” The role of ‘play’ is important in the balanced development of people in preparation for the demands and challenges of adult life. Different physical and intellectual skills are developed, usually in a safe and protected environment, using particular products and activities commonly referred to as ‘toys and games’. Toys, and the ways they are used might become games. The ways in which particular toys become beneficial or favoured may be quite profound. Therefore, good toys that children want to play with need to be carefully designed, well manufactured, and above all – fun. • • • •
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Research a small range of scenarios for toy use Sketch a range of concepts for toys (for specific age ranges) that encourage learning through play (include annotations, ideas etc) Develop the strongest concept using drawing and (if required) simple test rigs/models Create an A2 or A3 detailed presentation of the best concept using hand-rendering and/or digital techniques. Describe how the product functions, how it’s used, who it’s for, what it looks like, how it’s made, its materials, technologies, etc
Product and Furniture Design
Mini projects Brief 2 (Product): “Security & Safety” The brief requires you to research and develop a personal safety or security device for men, women, OAPs, children, postmen, social workers, etc. Aspects of the design you may consider: emergency alarm, anti-theft, child location, child protection, dementia support device, etc. A key part of this project is to identify specific areas of need and then design a solution to fit this group(s). • Research a small range of scenarios/needs • Choose one scenario/need and develop three distinct concepts through sketching (include annotations, ideas etc) • Develop the strongest concept using drawing and (if required) simple test rigs/models • Create an A2 or A3 detailed presentation using hand-rendering and/or digital techniques. Describe how the product functions, how it’s used, who it’s for, what it looks like, how it’s made, its technologies, etc Brief 3 (Furniture): “Compact Workstation” You are commissioned to design a workstation for compact accommodation, such as for student living etc, home working, hotels etc . You should consider, but not necessarily include space for: • Laptop / PC (tower, monitor, keyboard), Combined printer/scanner, Disc storage, Document/paper storage, Cable management The workstation (which could be a group of objects) should occupy relatively little space and be flexible to some degree. You could also consider making your design ‘compactable’, i.e. minimise/store away when not in use. Your design should conform to ergonomic standards proven by your research and experimentation. • Research a small range of scenarios/needs • Choose one scenario/need and develop three distinct concepts through sketching (include annotations, ideas etc) • Develop the strongest concept using drawing and (if required) simple test rigs/models • Create an A2 or A3 detailed presentation using hand-rendering and/or digital techniques. Describe how the workstation functions, how it’s used, who it’s for, what it looks like, how it’s made, its technologies, etc 17
Interior Design BA (Hons) / MDes
Interior Design BA (Hons) / MDes We believe that the quality of work in a portfolio is more important than the quantity, so we would only expect to see the work that you are most pleased with and most proud of. Try to include about 15 – 20 pieces of work. Your work should be laid out clearly so that it takes us through a visual journey and provides us with clear evidence of the logical progression of your ideas and creative ability. The development stage of a project is just as important as the final idea. Exploring ideas and design development can be shown through sheets in your portfolio, sketchbook or as models.
What are we looking for? Our course focuses on interior architecture and spatial design so we’ll be looking for the following: • Innovative thinking - evidence of unusual approaches to solving a problem • Drawing skills demonstrating a range of techniques and styles • Idea generation - quick initial doodles, sketches and thought processes • Development of ideas - evidence of how you think • An interest in contemporary interior design and the built environment • Experimental approach in your 3D work to handling materials in unusual combinations • Spatial awareness and an ability to think about things three dimensionally Most importantly were looking for evidence of a passionate and inquisitive mind - feel free to bring us something unusual, something we’re not expecting - something that’s not on the list. 18
Interior Design BA (Hons) / MDes
What should a portfolio contain? Drawing Include examples of good analytical and observational drawing, preferably in 3D. Also ensure a range of approaches to drawing are included, for example mark making, expressive etc. Include examples using a variety of media, whether that is paint, pencil, markers ink etc.
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Interior Design BA (Hons) / MDes
What should a portfolio contain? 3D projects These don’t need to be highly complex projects, but as before we’re looking for interesting, unusual and playful ideas completed with care and skill.
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Interior Design BA (Hons) / MDes
What should a portfolio contain? Digital Work Include the best of any computer-aided design (CAD) or artwork that you have produced, as well as photography, or video/animation if you’ve had experience. Whilst much of this is developed on the course, it would be useful to demonstrate an interest in design software whether that is Google Sketchup, Photoshop or more advanced 3D modelling software.
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Interior Design BA (Hons) / MDes
What should a portfolio contain? Sketchbooks We would like to see how you investigate and analyse a project brief and how you have explored, experimented and documented your thought process. We need to see that you are able to demonstrate where ideas come from and how they might transform through a process of either thorough research or extended sketching around the problem. Contextual Research You need to show that you are aware of professionals working within the interior design field (as well as contemporary artists and designers) to ensure that there is a breadth to your knowledge. It is also important to understand what ‘interior design’ is really about, so do some research. Personal Work We really like to see personal work that you’ve done just because you enjoy being creative; not driven by any brief or deadline. We don’t mind what you submit, but please do send some personal work as you need to demonstrate that you are able to work independently.
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Portfolio advice
Portfolio Advice Postgraduate courses
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Design Innovation MA
Design Innovation MA Your portfolio For Design Innovation MA, there are a range of different pathway options – you can specialise in Animation, Fashion, Footwear, Furniture, Game Design, Graphics, Interiors, Multimedia, Museum and Exhibition Design, Product, Retail Design or Textiles, or keep a broader Design Innovation approach without a specialised pathway. You will develop an individual major project during the programme, which may combine aspects of different design areas. We are interested to see what areas of design you have specialised in, whether you intend to take a particular pathway and whether you have any project ideas or aspects/issues you would bring into the project. It is a postgraduate programme that combines design with strategy and conceptual approaches, so if you can show intellectual engagement with concepts in the design, indicate research undertaken as part of a project or include aspects of the target market/marketing/brand identity for a design, it indicates a relevant approach. A good portfolio should indicate something of your personality, it should be clearly structured, easy to read and well presented. It should consist of quality work rather than quantity so be selective about what you show.
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Design Innovation MA
What are we looking for? We are looking for: • The ideas or concepts that are behind your design work • Evidence of skills, competence and knowledge in your specialist area. For example, if you wish to follow the footwear pathway there should be examples of high quality shoe designs and drawings/projects that demonstrate appropriate specialist knowledge of footwear, usually from your degree or work experience • Broad skills in CAD, drawing and making - not just related to your specialist area • Aesthetic ability in visual composition and design • An innovative, creative approach to design work, include a range of different work to indicate the creative variety you are capable of • Analytical ability in problem solving and design development • An indication of your interests and experience, as they relate to design work
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Design Innovation MA
What should a portfolio contain? Generally you should choose between 12 and 25 of your strongest pieces of work. This may include design projects from your degree/previous taught courses, commercial work from freelancing or design employment and personal independent work. It can include a variety of examples from different design and art areas, but would usually have a strong focus in one broad area of specialisation (e.g. product, fashion, animation or interior design). Drawing Include examples of sketchbook pages to show your initial ideas, development of an idea, reference to what has influenced you and experimental work with materials and forms. Sketchbooks and informal examples of drawing are important as they show how you think, how your creativity develops in design process and how you approach your work.
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Design Innovation MA
What should a portfolio contain? Drawing (cont) Examples of drawing or artwork that are more fully developed and finished are also needed. They could be observational, creative or presentation drawings of design concepts.
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Design Innovation MA
What should a portfolio contain? Drawing It is useful to demonstrate your ability to use CAD – include some drawings or images produced using different techniques and software packages and state what was used (e.g. Photoshop, Illustrator, Solidworks, MAYA, etc.).
BIO is a vehicle for the transport of vaccines through the remote towns and villages of Colombia. Its design was inspired by kids car toys.
These helmets were made for a graphic design contest. The graphics were made in Coreldraw x5 and put into 3D models.
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Design Innovation MA
What should a portfolio contain? Project work Include examples of different projects you have undertaken, illustrating your breadth of experience. Explain what the brief was or starting point for a design and the ideas, issues or aspects of design that you were focusing on. Show some of the development work to show how you work through a project from initial idea generation, research, design development with any mood boards or storyboards, testing and prototype production. “This project is based on the nomadic hat, combined with a crown shape. I changed the inside to be a birdcage: the throne is like a prison and the prince and princess are like birds who want to fly away in the sky and have freedom.�
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Design Innovation MA
What should a portfolio contain? Project work (cont)
“This project was about communicating the issue of global warming to children. I considered easier ways to transfer knowledge and encourage the children to take positive action to improve the situation.�
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Design Innovation MA
What should a portfolio contain? Making and prototypes Include examples of practical work and finished prototypes.
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Design Innovation MA
What should a portfolio contain? Written work Please include a recent example of writing. It could be an essay or report or a more detailed discussion of one of the projects. The Design Innovation MA has a significant volume of written work – you will need to write reports on strategy for your project or on issues relating to it – so you need to demonstrate that you can produce a good standard of written English and express yourself clearly.
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Digital Design MA
Digital Design MA Your portfolio Your portfolio should be on CD/DVD, online submission or in the form of a website. We are looking to see who or what inspires you in the field of multimedia design. You can tell us about your favourite apps, websites, computer animations and computer games and about any other cultural interests you have, i.e. film, music, architecture, dance, travel, sports etc. Most importantly we are looking at your potential to be a professional creative multimedia designer.
What are we looking for? We are looking for: • Some experience of creating multimedia applications e.g. websites, apps, computer animations, digital effects or video games • Multimedia Software skills e.g Adobe Creative Suite • Drawing skills • Idea generation • Development of ideas • An interest in media technology and research • Writing skills
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Digital Design MA
What should a portfolio contain? The portfolio should be on CD/DVD or in the form of a web site. It should include evidence of your experience in multimedia software including using multimedia tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Dreamweaver, Premier, After Effects and possibly 3D software such as MAYA or 3D Max. Web sites and Flash applications Screen shots of your web site designs and URL links if they are online. Flash files (or equivalent) can also be included to show your interactive applications and games.
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Digital Design MA
What should a portfolio contain? Digital animations, video and sound Examples of any computer animation work, 2D or 3D, as well as traditional animations can be included. We are also keen to see examples of your use of sound and edited video sequences.
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Digital Design MA
What should a portfolio contain? Photography and digital images We are interested to see examples of your photography work and your ability to create and manipulate both bit mapped and vector digital images.
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Digital Design MA
What should a portfolio contain? Drawing We like to see drawing, in the broadest sense, from life drawing and storyboards to experimental design sketches. Try to include some colour work too.
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Digital Design MA
What should a portfolio contain? Project work We are looking to see how you develop an idea and how you research and respond to a given brief. Make sure you have a project in your portfolio that demonstrates creativity, a deep involvement in your work and your conclusion or final idea.
Written work and Research Please send an essay or a recent example of writing particularly research related . We like to see how well you write and how you think. Even though this is a practice-based course, you will have written tasks to complete over the duration of the course.
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Product Design MA
Product Design MA Applicants to Product Design MA should show a wide variety of design and professional skills; if you only have industry experience or possess qualifications that are not within the field of product and furniture design, we will consider your application on an individual basis (advice prior to application can be sought - please contact Stuart Lawson smlawson@dmu.ac.uk). Evidence of design work in a digital portfolio of work is required. Your portfolio A good portfolio should consist of quality not quantity. Be selective about what to include and avoid repetition. Ensure that your work is clearly laid out and easy to look through. The most successful portfolios are those which show how well you visually and technically observe and explore a subject in which you are interested. The curriculum requires an improving/high standard of drawing and a good analytical approach to problem solving. Applicants should also supply examples of written work that demonstrates an ability for research and critical thinking.
What are we looking for? We are looking for: • Creative problem solving • Innovative thinking • Idea generation • Idea development • Visual awareness • The ability to think in 3D • Critical ability in written work 39
Product Design MA
What should a portfolio contain? Generally you should choose between 15 and 25 of your strongest pieces of work. You should also consider that staff are also keen to see design/artwork produced independently from a taught curriculum or employment. The following elements should be included in your portfolio: Drawing and development work Include examples of research for design, concept sketching and design development that shows written notes, analysis of your work etc. Product Design MA requires strong/improving drawing ability skills.
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Product Design MA
What should a portfolio contain? Projects Include examples of different projects you have undertaken, illustrating your breadth of experience. Show the development work that demonstrates how you think and work through a project from research to final presentation. You should also include examples of your model-making abilities.
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Application advice
Application Advice Postgraduate courses
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Design Management and Entrepreneurship MA
Design Management and Entrepreneurship MA Application advice Potential applicants for the Design Management and EntrepreneurshipMA should have the equivalent of a good UK bachelor’s honours degree in a field appropriate to the area of study such as design, business, technology and the creative industries. If you have other professional qualifications and industry experience we will consider your application on an individual basis and we are happy to consider equivalent international qualifications. We will need to see your degree certificates and academic transcripts as evidence and you will require two references, one of which must be an academic reference. You need to demonstrate a strong interest in the design and creative industries and a desire to develop and improve your design management and entrepreneurial skills in a creative environment. If you are invited for an interview either in person or via Skype or telephone, you should be prepared to discuss all of the above and to answer other appropriate questions on why you think the course is right for you. A successful postgraduate student should always do some research on the university and the course itself so please do not hesitate to contact a member of the academic staff if you would like some guidance on design management and entrepreneurship. Evidence of some appropriate voluntary or paid employment in a relevant field is helpful and can demonstrate your commitment to the creative and design industries. A portfolio of design work is not required for either course but we would be delighted to look at any work that you think demonstrates your creativity and design thinking. If you have any evidence of your research skills or examples of previous research projects undertaken or business reports, please feel free to include them with your application. The United Kingdom is a world leader in design management and enterprise and Leicester and the East Midlands are home to many successful companies operating in the creative and design industries so DMU is the ideal place to study if it is your aim to work in or start up your own design or creative business. 43
English language support
English Language support Our Centre for English Language Learning (CELL) offers a number of courses throughout the year to help you achieve the level of English required for your course. We also offer language support to students once they arrive at DMU with weekly English classes and workshops. • Accredited by the British Council - ensuring quality and high standards of teaching with regular monitoring and inspections • A member of English UK, the National Association of Accredited English Language Centres • A member of the British Association for Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes (BALEAP) Intensive General English Course (IGEC) By the end of the course you will be able to communicate effectively in English within everyday situations, read and write simple essays and be able to organise your studies and work on your own. English Language Preparation Programme (ELPP) This programme is divided into three courses, A, B, and C. Each course improves your skills and abilities in English for academic purposes up to a level suitable for degree level study. Pre-Sessional English course We run a Pre-Sessional course for five weeks from mid-August each year to prepare you for the start of your degree in September. Which English language courses do you need to take? The School of Design requires all students to have achieved the necessary IELTS standard before they start their course. For full details visit the Centre for English Language Learning website http://www.dmu.ac.uk/englishlanguage 44