The standard entry requirements for this course are as follows:

*          An honours degree in a relevant subject area OR

*          An equivalent EU / international qualification

AND three year’s professional experience in a relevant setting.

APEL - Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning

Exceptionally applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:

*          Related academic or work experience

*          The quality of the personal statement

*          A strong academic or other professional reference

*          OR a combination of these factors.

Each application will be considered on its own merit but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case.

English Language Requirements

IELTS level 6.5 or above, with at least 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking (please check our main English Language requirements webpage).

Applicants will be selected on the basis of the following criteria. These criteria are assessed through a review of the Personal Statement, Portfolio and Interview. Interviews are only arranged on the basis that the portfolio demonstrates the applicant’s ability to skilfully generate and communicate a range of ideas addressing problems relevant to the discipline.

Portfolio Criteria for all Applicants

The quality of portfolio demonstrating:

• Strong design and technical skills
• A personal approach to developing a design concept (including research, design development and final outputs)
• A knowledge and understanding of materials
• A creative approach to visual communication and presentation.

Interview Criteria for all Applicants

In addition to the skills demonstrated in the portfolio and in the written project proposal, the applicant’s potential ability will be assessed using the following criteria:

• The ability to discuss your portfolio, through verbal or written means, demonstrating a critical perspective of your work
• A clear understanding of your design context and an engagement with issues that affect your industry
• The ability to have an informed conversation about your role as a designer
• Motivation, commitment and understanding of the ethos of the MA Material Futures course.

What we are looking for

We are looking for people who are highly driven and passionate about design and who keep informed about the material, ethical, moral, social and political issues that affect the creative industries today as well as how they locate themselves and their work within a global context of design.

Communicating with you

After you have successfully submitted your application, you will receive an email confirming we have successfully received your application and providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal.  We will request any additional information from you, including inviting you to upload documents or book an audition, through the portal.  You should check your UAL Portal regularly for any important updates and requests.

What happens next

Initial application check

We check your application to see if you meet the standard entry requirements for the course.  If you do, you will be invited to submit a portfolio through the UAL Portal.

Portfolio

Your portfolio should be up to 20 pages and demonstrate:

• Strong design and technical skills
• A personal approach to developing a design concept (including research, design development and final outputs)
• A knowledge and understanding of materials
• A creative approach to visual communication and presentation.

Following the review of the portfolio we select a small number of applicants to move on to the next stage of the process.  These applicants will be invited to an interview.

Interview

Applicants who are invited to interview may be interviewed either in person or by skype.

In addition to the skills demonstrated in the portfolio and in the written statement, the applicant’s potential ability will be assessed using the following criteria during the interview:

• The ability to discuss your portfolio, through verbal or written means, demonstrating a critical perspective of your work
• A clear understanding of your design context and an engagement with issues that affect your industry
• The ability to have an informed conversation about your role as a designer
• Motivation, commitment and understanding of the ethos of the MA Material Futures course.

How we notify you of the outcome of your application

You will receive the outcome of your application through the UAL Portal.

MA Material Futures has established various links with industry in London and beyond, allowing students to work on international design projects and initiatives. MA Material Futures itself has contributed much to debate around design, both through the media and by organising and delivering papers at international conferences.

MA Material Futures students are expected to establish their own network of contacts and develop collaborations within industry as part of the development of their Masters project. Employers have included Adidas, Distance Lab, Banff New Media, Castelbajac, Donna Karan, Etam, Hussein Chayalan, Line Consultants, Louis Vuitton, Margiela, Media Lab Europe, Nicole Farhi, Speedo, Ted Baker, Design Lab, Trend Union and Nissan Design Europe.