- CSAD Home Page
- CSAD Courses
- Study at CSAD
- Research
- Enterprise
- Cardiff Open Art School
- CSAD Staff
- Alumni
- Open Days
- Contact CSAD
Advice for Applicants
Academic qualifications
The programme is both practical and theoretical - you need to understand the history, theory and context of your subject in order to produce high-quality work. Our starting point is 285 tariff points: our current students have an average of 362 points since the majority complete a 1-year Foundation in Art & Design or a 2-year National Diploma before coming to study with us.
However, we welcome 'direct entry' applications from those with non-traditional educational backgrounds, from mature students and from strong A-level students. Direct entry students are asked to complete a short, pre-interview, Evaluation Project which will help us (and you) assess your ability to cope with the creative challenges of the programme. The project is designed to be a useful (and enjoyable) addition to your portfolio regardless of the outcome of your application. In general, provided that you can convince us of your aptitude and commitment at interview, and provided your written and practical work is strong, we are happy to be flexible regarding formal qualifications.
Your portfolio
The offer of a place on the course is largely based on your portfolio and interview. We will ask you to bring a limited selection of portfolio work (approximately 12 x A2 folio sheets), carefully edited to show your strengths.
We are looking for evidence of visual thinking and creative problem solving in the work itself. The way you present the work is also important: think about how each page is laid out, use changes of scale to to draw our attention to specific elements, try using repetition (of scale, colour, media, subject) and then a contrasting page to emphasise the breadth of work.
Consider including working roughs for one or two projects to show your creative thinking process. Also bring up to two sketch-books / research books, chosen to reveal your creativity and media experimentation. If your drawing is strong make sure you include some examples - particularly those which focus on particular aspects of the visual form e.g. light & shade, mass, movement, texture etc.
In addition, we suggest you include a small selection of personal work; self-set projects, obsessive collections, visual experiments, creative writing, musical composition... work which helps us get a sense of who you are beyond the world of formal education. Finally, you must include an example of written work - an analytical essay or critical report - to show your capacity for written communication.
The interview
We are aiming to select students both for their individual capabilities and for their capacity to contribute positively to the life of the course. This approach helps to build a lively creative community within which current students and graduates support and mentor each other.
Members of the course team review your portfolio, and on the basis of the quality of work, will select students for either a full interview or a short ‘advisory’ interview.
The full interview will normally take 15-20 minutes. We will ask you about your work, your interests and sources of inspiration, and your opinions about life and the universe. We will also ask you why you would like to study with us and what you feel you could contribute to the course. We are looking for evidence of communication skills (although we do take in to account the state of tongue-tied stress that an interview can create!), engagement, passion and ambition.
If we believe, on the evidence of your portfolio, that our course is not appropriate to your interests and/or ambitions, an advisory interview will be used to explain our decision and give you advice for the next round of interviews.
News
W-TWO-ONE-0
We are delighted to launch the inaugural issue of W-TWO-ONE-O design magazine, written and produced by first-year students on the BA Graphic Communication programme at Cardiff School of Art & Design. It reflects both theoretical and practical understandings of the major cultural/visual movements of the last century – revealed through studio projects, articles about designers, and through the design of the magazine itself.
posted 9th Mar '10
New work added
The second year 'sustainable:me' project has been added to the 'Student work & links' page.
For this project, students were asked to focus on the sustainability of their practice as Graphic Communicators.
View a selection of images here.
posted 2nd Mar '10
4-Designers
Our annual student trip to the 4 Designers Conference took place again this year, between 22nd-23rd Feb, and an enjoyable, inspiring time was had by all.
Among the speakers were Patrick Baglee and Lise Brian, and the designers of the SomeOne design agency.
posted 28th Feb '10
UWIC Christmas e-card
This year's UWIC Christmas e-card has been designed by 3rd year Graphic Communication student Jo Hawker. Take a look at it here. Well done Jo!
posted 13th Dec 09
Reflective Journal
A piece of work by Matthew Weeks has been added to the student work and links page, documenting and reflecting on his first term as a Graphics student at CSAD.
posted 8th Dec 09
The inaugural AUCB & CSAD Undergraduate Symposium - November 27 2009
The event was carefully conceived to give all final year graphics students from CSAD and Bournemouth Arts University College a timely opportunity to share, and reflect upon some of their wide-ranging research and academic thought – so often confined to the bound, written submission enjoyed only by examiners.
posted 1st Dec 09
Students work featured
Four designers featured in a new book about Marmite are current students or recent graduates of the BA Graphic Communication programme. 'The Bumper Book of Marmite' published by Absolute Press features work by 2008 graduates Ben Clay and Rebecca Cooke, and current 3rd year students Richie Evans and Harriet Cooper. The book is designed by another BA Graphics graduate and friend of the course, Claire Siggery.
posted 17th Nov 09
Politics Show feature
Third year Graphics students Joanne Hawker and Ritchie Evans have designed a poster for a feature on BBC's The Politics Show being aired this coming Sunday (15th Nov) at 12.15pm. A film crew came and filmed Jo and Ritchie in the studio working on their design. Congratulations to you both.
View the BBC article here.
posted 13th Nov 09
Fice Featured
Andrew Fice, 2006 BAGC graduate and friend of the course, has been featured as a 'rising star' in this weeks Design Week magazine. Currently working for Parker Williams Design, Fice has worked on some big brands such as Waitrose and WKD. View a scan of the article here.
posted 23rd Oct 09
Computer Arts Feature
Third year Jo Hawker has had her portfolio scrutinised by experts in October's Computer Arts magazine. Jo was praised for her ability to generate concepts then design and implement her ideas. Well done Jo! View a scan of the portfolio clinic on the W210 blog.
posted 22nd Oct 09
Student work in Design Festival
Third year work by recent graduates Tom Harle and Alex Scott has been chosen for inclusion in this year's 'exposé' exhibition of graduate work, part of the Cardiff Design Festival. View the work in the 3rd year section of the 'Student work and links' webpage.
posted 18th Oct 09
SLuG becomes W210
Salt has been poured on the SLuG blog, but it's been replaced by the W210 blog - still the same great taste and groaning with interesting links. Take a look here.
posted 15th Sept 09
New Blood 2009
A few images from the New Blood 2009 Exhibition have been added to the SLuG blog.
posted 14th July 09
YCN Commendation
Chris Welsby has received a commendation for his entry into YCN National Portrait Gallery competition.
posted 29th May 09
Insight
Congratulations to Libby Morgan, Andrew Penny, Gareth Dunt and Francis Daly, winners of awards at this year's second year show.
posted 26th May 09
