Application

Once you have submitted your application through UCAS:

  • It will be reviewed by our Admissions Team, who will consider your overall academic performance alongside your personal statement and reference.
  • If your application meets our initial selection criteria, we will email you an invitation to submit a digital portfolio.
  • Once we have received your digital portfolio, we will then invite you to attend a group interview.

Digital portfolio guidelines

We’ll contact you with an invitation to submit your digital portfolio. You then have two weeks to email it to us using the address provided in your invitation.

Technical guidelines:


  • Please submit your digital portfolio as a single PDF file, either as an email attachment or by including a link in your email that can be accessed without signing in.
  • Digital portfolios submitted in an alternative or inaccessible format may need to be resubmitted.
  • Your digital portfolio should be approximately 12-15 pages in length.
  • If needed, reduce the file size by lowering the image resolution, avoiding RAW files or compressing the PDF.

Content guidelines:


In your portfolio, we are not just interested in final pieces and outcomes, but also in the process that took you there. Work in progress, trials, tests, and prototypes tell us more about your critical thinking and creative rigour.

Please also consider the following when preparing your portfolio:

  • Your portfolio should demonstrate both creative thinking and technical ability.
  • Select pieces of work that best show your skills and interests across a broad range of representational techniques.
  • Include development work that shows how your ideas progress towards a final piece. Process work is highly valued.
  • Freehand skills are valued in architecture, so sketches showing creative thinking and ideas are particularly relevant.
  • Include a mixture of 2D and 3D work. Please present any 3D pieces using photographs.
  • Consider what your portfolio communicates to the viewer. It may reflect a breadth of experimentation across different media or a depth of skill in specific forms of representation.
  • We do not need to see everything you have done, so be selective and carefully consider the work you include. Portfolios that include too much content can lose focus.
  • Your portfolio is an opportunity to share your interest in observing, interpreting and communicating the world around you.
  • Present your portfolio clearly, using headings and annotations where appropriate.
  • Label each piece with its title and completion date. Include its dimensions where they are not clear from the image.
  • If you include images by other artists as sources of inspiration, for example as part of your development work, make sure the artists are credited.
  • If you include any group work, clearly identify it as such and specify your individual contribution.
  • By submitting your portfolio, you confirm that the work is your own unless you clearly identify otherwise.

 

If you are studying (or have previously studied) art or design subjects at A level (or equivalent):


  • You could include work you have created as part of your art or design studies and work you have created in your own time.

 

If you are not studying (or have not previously studied) art or design subjects at A level (or equivalent):


  • We will also consider candidates studying other subjects that engage with the physical or social environment, such as geography or philosophy.
  • Such candidates will need to demonstrate their interest and skills in art or design beyond their formal studies.

Evidence of creative skills

We look for evidence of a range of creative skills, which may include: 

  • sketches (sketchbooks)
  • process work
  • work in progress
  • creative writing
  • precedent studies/case studies
  • hand-drawn sketches of places, spaces, or buildings
  • physical models, 3D sculpture/installations (these can be presented using photographs)
  • life drawing
  • photographic studies
  • collage or mixed media works
  • paintings
  • analytical drawings/mappings
  • orthographic drawings (such as plans, sections, and elevations)
  • measured drawings
  • computer-aided design (CAD)
  • digital images made in Photoshop, Procreate, etc 
  • digital drawings
  • graphic and product design
  • digital 3D models.
  • website design (include screenshots).

Where possible, include work from at least three or four of these areas. You can also include other work that demonstrates your creative skills.

Interview guidelines

Once we have received your digital portfolio, we will then invite you to attend a group interview. Your invitation email will include details of how to book a date and time for your interview.

Interviews usually take place in small groups with a lecturer from the School of Architecture. During the interview, you will have the opportunity to discuss your motivation to study architecture at the University of Reading and talk through your portfolio. You will also be able to ask any questions you may have about the course or what it is like to study architecture at Reading.

You will have the option to book either an online interview or an on-campus interview.

If you book an online interview:


  • You will need to share your digital portfolio during the online interview. Please ensure this is the same portfolio you previously submitted to us by email.
  • We hold our online interviews on Microsoft Teams. A few days before your interview, you will receive an email with instructions on how to join your interview via Microsoft Teams. If you do not receive this email, please check your junk or spam folder.
  • You can join a Teams meeting without a Microsoft Teams account. If you choose to join the Teams meeting through a web browser, we recommend using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge for the best experience.
  • Do not use artificial intelligence (AI) tools during your interview. Your answers must be your own and based on your knowledge and experiences. Using AI to produce or communicate answers may result in the interview ending and your application being rejected.

If you book an on-campus interview:


  • You will need to bring physical pieces of work from your portfolio to the interview. Please bring only work included in the digital portfolio you previously submitted to us by email.
  • For larger pieces, bring photographs rather than the original work. Label each photograph with the title, completion date and dimensions of the work.
  • Our on-campus interviews take place at the University of Reading’s London Road campus. Please arrive at the reception area of Building 46 (L46) approximately 10-15 minutes before the start of your interview to register.
  • We will email your interview details a few days beforehand. If you are travelling by car, the email will explain where to park and how to collect your parking permit. If you do not receive the email, please check your junk or spam folder.

When you can expect to receive the outcome of your interview

We consider your interview alongside the other information in your UCAS application, including your qualifications and personal statement. Once the School of Architecture has reached a decision, the Admissions Team will contact you to let you know the outcome.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We are fully committed to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in our admissions and interview processes. If you would like to request any specific requirements or adjustments around accessibility for your interview, please email admissionssupport@reading.ac.uk.

Please rest assured that requesting reasonable adjustments or having specific requirements will not affect the outcome of the interview or our decision on whether you are offered a place on the course.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please email the Admissions Support Team.

Additional guidance

To help you to prepare for your interview, you are welcome to access our free online course, Stress-Free University Interviews: Confidence-Building Tips and Success Strategies. The course is designed to help you recognise your strengths, build confidence, and practise useful interview techniques.