The Art and Design Portfolio Development Short Course at the Royal College of Art supports students in developing a refined and industry-ready portfolio through guided learning.

Whether you are preparing for postgraduate study or seeking to advance your professional practice, a compelling portfolio is crucial. This short course at the world's leading university for art and design provides the expert mentorship to develop a body of work that is truly distinctive and communicates your creative voice.

Art and Design Portfolio Development is led by a multidisciplinary team of academics, researchers and practitioners from the Royal College of Art. They bring a wealth of experience in nurturing emerging talent, offering a student-centred approach that values and builds upon the experience you bring to the course.

Over four weeks of intensive online sessions, you will learn to critically reflect on your practice, interrogate your work through new perspectives and develop a clear, strategic narrative for your portfolio.

You will gain practical strategies for creative and professional advancement, preparing you for the intellectual demands of world-leading institutions and senior roles across the creative industries globally.

The Royal College of Art views a portfolio as a strategic articulation of your practice, potential and ambition. This course provides the critical framework and world-leading support to construct that compelling story, ensuring your work stands out.

School: Royal College of Art
Course: Art and Design Portfolio Development Short Course
Type: Short course
Location: Online, remote
Course dates: Week 1: 5 and 6 March 2026, Week 2: 12 and 13 March 2026, Week 3: 19 and 20 March 2026, Week 4: 26 and 27 March 2026. Optional GradDip Portfolio and application review: 17 April 2026
Application deadline: 22 February 2026

Find out more about the course and apply ›

What will I learn during this course?

– A deep understanding of the role of the portfolio in art and design practice
– Clarity of positioning your practice and greater awareness of how to transform your concerns, interests, skills and approaches into a communication language
– Strategies for the initiation and maintenance of a portfolio as practice and how to tailor it for different contexts, purposes and audiences
– Increased confidence in discussing and presenting your research and practice in a diverse multidisciplinary peer group
– A clear understanding of your individual progression requirements and aspirations for furthering your practice and/or postgraduate study
– Knowledge and technical skills to develop a portfolio using Adobe InDesign

What are the requirements?

– Good command of English with IELTS 5.5 minimum
– A sustained practice through personal and/or professional experience and/or equivalent to BA level
– A representative body of creative work
– A sound level of digital literacy and familiarity with Adobe InDesign and any specialism-specific software for the creation and/or presentation of work

What facilities and resources are available?

– A blend of guided contact time through lectures, interactive workshops, presentations, small-group reviews and one-to-one tutorials
– Open access materials via our dedicated VLE
– Softwares include, Moodle, Zoom and Padlet

What career prospects can I expect upon graduating?

– A deep understanding of the role of the portfolio in art and design practice
– Clarity of positioning your practice and greater awareness of how to transform your concerns, interests, skills and approaches into a communication language
– Strategies for the initiation and maintenance of a portfolio as practice and how to tailor it for different contexts, purposes and audiences
– Increased confidence in discussing and presenting your research and practice in a diverse and multidisciplinary peer group
– A clear understanding of your individual progression requirements and portfolio development

Who teaches this course?

– Richard Nash, tutor (research) and course leader, art and design graduate diploma
– Gary Clough, head of programme, art and design graduate diploma

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