Communication Design

We operate contextual admissions defined by our Fair Access Policy which may mean entry requirements are flexible.

We accept a wide range of other qualifications from the UK, Europe and International countries. Please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for further information on the entry requirements for these.

The University guarantees to make a minimum entry offer to anyone who would be considered a Home or Rest of UK (RUK) applicant and who has achieved, or can achieve, the required grades from the following categories:

Priority postcode areas – Home Scottish applicants from SIMD20 postcodes or RUK applicants from POLAR 4 quintile 1 areas – identified through Scottish and UK government targets.

Care experience – Home Scottish or RUK applicants who have had experience of care, including adoption, kinship care, foster care and home supervision orders.

Portfolio

Selection is by application and submission of a portfolio, which will demonstrate your aptitude to textiles through use of colour, texture, rhythmic pattern-making and a logical design process. The ability to produce observational work in the form of both controlled and gestural drawing, painting and relief work should also be shown. Applicants are invited to submit a digital portfolio before the end of February. Late submissions may be accepted, please contact portfolios@hw.ac.uk for more information. If upon review of a portfolio it is deemed appropriate, we will contact an applicant for interview. Online portfolio feedback sessions with an academic will be offered following your submission. What to include in your digital portfolio: Your application must include a portfolio of 10 to 15 carefully curated pages in PDF format. Please ensure that the images used in your submission are high resolution and of good quality. These images should include examples of past work and must include evidence of the following: Research and investigation: To show the level of your engagement in visual investigation and research and how well you apply and integrate it within a design project. This could be through the medium of notetaking, sketches, photographs, painting, collages and so on. Design development: To show your ability to explore and develop ideas in a creative and critical way; and your level of skill and ability in the use of different visual methods and techniques to express development. We want you to show a strong evolution of your work and ideas. Visual communication and presentation: To clearly communicate and visually express a few of your most successful design projects from start to finish in a professional way.

We realise that not everyone has an equal opportunity to evidence their full potential from school or college qualifications alone, so we use all the information you provide on your application form to assess both your current achievements and potential to thrive at university. Our minimum entry levels apply to MD20, POLAR 4 Q1 and care experienced students. Students from other widening access backgrounds may get an adjusted offer which is slightly lower than our standard entry requirements.