Kohinga toi whaiaro,
A portfolio is a selection of your creative work that shows your creative potential. It can include examples from school or your own projects at home or in the community.
Automatic entry
If you are still at secondary school, or left secondary school with NCEA, and have achieved NCEA level 2 or level 3 with Merit or Excellence overall and a Merit or Excellence endorsement in an approved art, design or technology subject, you have automatic entry, and will not need to submit a portfolio.
This also applies to students achieving Cambridge International AS grade A or B in an approved art, design or technology subject.
When you apply online and are asked to upload a portfolio, you should either upload a copy of your NCEA results, or upload a note that says "I qualify for automatic entry"—we'll verify it with NZQA.
We recommend that you apply for the Bachelor of Fine Arts before 1 October. However, applications will be accepted for Fine Arts, Māori Visual Arts and Design up until one week before semester begins.
Show us your creativity
Your portfolio should tell us something about you and your creativity. It will help us understand how you:
- generate, explore and develop creative ideas
- experiment with different media, materials, techniques and technologies
- use those methods to transform your ideas into creative works
- think in innovative and contrasting ways
- show originality and inventiveness.
Portfolio formats
You can send us your portfolio in either digital or physical format, but we prefer digital.
Digital portfolio
Upload your portfolio saved as a PDF with 12–24 pages—maximum file size of 20MB.
If your portfolio is a website or on another online platform, send us the live link inside a PDF.
When you apply online, there will be an option to upload the portfolio.
Physical portfolio
Mail us a printed portfolio in an A4 clear file folder with 12–24 pages. Don't include original works—send colour photocopies instead—and make sure it's all clearly labelled with your name.
Sending a physical portfolio may take longer for us to assess it. And although we have a well-established tracking process for all portfolios received, the University does not accept liability for loss of, or damage to, portfolios that are sent through the post.
Send Design and Fine Art portfolios to:
Student Central Massey University
Wellington Campus
Entrance A, Wallace Street
Wellington 6141
Send Māori Visual Arts portfolios to:
Toioho ki Āpiti Te Pūtahi-a-Toi
Massey University
Private Bag 11 222
Palmerston North 5301
What to include
We're not picky about the type of work you show us in your portfolio, as long as you think it's your best. Here are some ideas of what to include:
- Drawings
- Sketches
- Paintings
- Photographs
- Prototypes
- Mock-ups/3D models
- Performance art
- Graphic design
- Sculpture or installations
- Fashion/sewing/patterns/textiles
- Developmental work like copies of workbook pages or journals
- Digital or conventional photographic contact sheets
- Screen captures of digital work
- Links to work on digital platforms like YouTube, Tumblr or Instagram
- It's good to provide notes about the ideas behind your work and how they're expressed in the final pieces.
Portfolio reviews, Kāpiti College
Portfolio pre-approval
You can show 'work in progress' to a Massey College of Creative Arts staff member during their visit to your school, at a Massey Open Day, or at other events throughout the year.
They'll look at examples of your work with you, and if it shows the creative potential we're looking for, they'll sign a portfolio pre-approval letter. You can then upload that letter with your online application and you won't have to submit a final portfolio.
A portfolio pre-approval conversation usually takes about fifteen minutes, and you can show physical examples of your work, workbooks, and digital content on platforms like Tumblr or Instagram.