Applying for Architecture
Discover everything you need to know about applying for our Architecture course.
Writing your personal statement
Our top tips for writing your Architecture personal statement:
- Explain why you want to be an architect
- Tell us about an architect you admire and why you like their work
- Detail any relevant work experience you might have had and what you enjoyed about it
- Use simple and clear language
What happens next
Once we receive your application, we will email you to ask you to send us a digital portfolio. Our inspection of your work is a very important part of the selection process.
Once we receive your portfolio, it is forwarded to the selector for Architecture to review. If your portfolio is successful, an offer will be sent to UCAS which will also include appropriate Academic and English Language requirements. If your portfolio is unsatisfactory, an unsuccessful decision will be sent to UCAS.
If you have applied for entry to Stage 2 of the course, but your portfolio does not quite meet our requirements, an offer may be made for Stage 1 only. This will be made clear in the body of any offer sent to UCAS.
Portfolio
The portfolio should be personal, varied and interesting.
We are looking for work that demonstrates:
- a range of media and styles
- architectural awareness, such as use of architectural imagery and an understanding of form
- your very best projects, your portfolio shouldn't rely too much on only school work
The portfolio may include examples of:
- artwork
- evidence of architectural awareness
- CAD work
- model making
- line drawings
- life drawings
- demonstration of colour awareness
- sculpture of any other artefact that demonstrates creativity
You should upload your portfolio to our Apply to Newcastle portal as one single PDF file. It should contain no more than 6-8 pieces of artwork in total (usually 1 piece of artwork per page/slide) and be no greater size than 30mb.
Ideally each piece of artwork should be represented by one image. The exceptions to this are:
- 3d (sculpture/model) – you can use up to three images on one slide to show the work from different angles
- Showing development of a work from idea to finished piece – you can use up to three images on one slide can to show the progress of the work
Take care when you put together your portfolio, it is better to send us a smaller portfolio of your very best work.
Do not forget the value of annotation/explanatory notes within your portfolio. There is a large difference between being presented with a series of images, and being presented with a well laid out presentation of images and notes justifying their selection.
The overall design of your portfolio is as much a reflection of your artistic and design abilities as the actual artwork contained within the portfolio.
You should save your portfolio as a PDF and upload it to the Apply to Newcastle portal.
The PDF should be no larger than 30MB. Please download our Portfolio Size Reduction Guide (PDF: 0.8MB) to find out how to manage the file size of images in your portfolio.
Step 1. Register to access the Apply to Newcastle portal
Step 2. Click on Upload Documents next to your application to the relevant degree
Step 3. Click Upload Document
Step 4. In the Document type drop down menu, choose Portfolio. Your course should automatically populate, but if you are applying to more than one degree, please choose the relevant course in the Your course (Choice) drop down menu
Step 5. Click Choose Files and attach your file
Step 6. Click Save & Close
Your portfolio will display in the Documents Uploaded section. You can view the document by clicking View. Please note the Portfolio will take 15 minutes to disappear from the Documents Required section. Your status will then change to Awaiting Decision.
Please note that we will NOT assess portfolios not sent as one single PDF file.