National Portfolio Days

Run by the National Portfolio Day Association, these events help you before you apply. National Portfolio Days are a chance to get advice about improving your portfolio where you will meet with an academic representative in-person or online to discuss your work and post-secondary plans. You can also learn more from academics about their college or university.

Take a look at the list of dates we will be attending and our advice on preparing for the events. You can also get in touch with our local US and Canadian Country Managers for specialist advice. If you're based elsewhere in the world, you can find your local UAL representative.

Please note that no admission decisions will be made at National Portfolio Days.

UAL academics will attend several National Portfolio Day (NPD) events online and across the US, Canada, Europe and the Middle East. Be ready to get feedback on your portfolio and learn more about studying at UAL. You will need to register for events that you wish to attend. UAL will be participating in both virtual and in-person events this year, so make sure to familiarise yourself with how these events will run. You will need to register for all events that you wish to attend.

All NPD in-person event times are listed according to the event’s local time and all virtual events are listed in Eastern Time. Please be sure to check the equivalent time in your local time zone. Use this global time zone converter to make sure you're on time.

Our top tips for in-person events

• Bring a portfolio of visual artwork that includes your best and most recent work, along with work in progress, sketchbooks ad tear sheets.
• Be prepared to explain how you develop your ideas and where you want to go with them. Sharing your process work can be as valuable as presenting the finished piece.
• Your portfolio can be presented as original work or in digital form but note that WiFi may not be available at all locations.
• Discuss your work with as many colleges/universities as possible and bring no more than 15 pieces of work. You will hear many different opinions that will reflect the admission requirements of each school.
• Students who are not ready to show a portfolio can still attend to gather information form college/university academic representatives.

Our top tips for virtual events 

• Prepare a digital portfolio to share with reviewers. You will be meeting with a reviewer via Zoom, and will have the opportunity to share your screen and show your portfolio directly from your computer.
• Make sure your digital portfolio includes your best and most recent work. Also include work in progress sketches and tear sheets. This can be up to 15 pieces of work in 1 or 2 PDF files with a max size of 50MB each.
• Be prepared to explain how you develop your ideas and where you want to go with them. Sharing your process work can be as valuable as presenting the finished piece.
• Discuss your work with as many colleges/universities as possible. You will hear different opinions that reflect the admission requirements of each school.

Talk to our Country Managers

Get advice from our Canadian and US Country Managers. They offer in-country support throughout the application and admissions process - from selecting a course or College to preparing your portfolio.

Contact our Country Managers to find out more about NPD events in Canada and the US and register your interest. Take a look at the full list of UAL events taking place in Canada and the USA. You can also see all of our upcoming Virtual Open Day events.

Fees and funding

Students with international fee status are charged different tuition fee amounts and have different funding options to students with Home fee status.