Portfolio requirements

When you apply to the Interactive Multimedia and Design (IMD) program, you will be required to submit a portfolio of creative work as part of your application. This portfolio, along with your academic records, will be considered equally when evaluating your application for admission to the program.

All portfolios (see below) must be submitted by March 3.

Portfolio contents

Your admission portfolio should include the following components:

1. A cover letter introducing yourself, your interests, and strengths. Use this letter to tell us about yourself, to help us get a feel for who you are and why you are suitable for the IMD program. This letter should be no more than 1 page.
2. A resume highlighting your educational background and any opportunities/activities that you believe make you especially suited for the program. Your resume should not be more than 1 page.
3. Six to eight examples of creative work. These should demonstrate that you can think creatively and can express yourself visually. You should submit a variety of pieces that show the breadth of your creativity. Each piece should include a description to make it easy to understand each piece or project both in terms of the medium and motivation. If a project has been created as part of a team, please be explicit about your role and contribution. Where work was done for a course, provide a brief overview of the assignment. If part of the work is based on content by others, please specify clearly. Each description should be no more than 100 words.

Creative work can include (but is not limited to):

• 2D and 3D Animation
• 3D Modelling
• Architectural Design
• Collages
• Craft Design
• Physical Art (Sculpture, Woodwork, Metalwork)
• Robotics
• Fabric Arts (Knitting, Crocheting, Weaving, Sewing)
• Art Installations
• Digital Artwork (2D or 3D)
• Drawings and Sketches (Characters, Environments, etc.)
• Paintings
• Stop-Motion Animation
• Website or User Interface Design/Layouts
• User Experience Design
• Software/App Design
• Photography and Digital Manipulation Projects
• Video and Visual Effects
• Film Production
• Games (video capture only) and Game Design
• Virtual or Augmented Reality Apps (video capture only)
• Set Design
• Fashion Design
• Posters, Flyers, and Logos
• Sound Design or Music Composition (submit as video)

Note: you are required to submit at least one piece of work that includes an obvious unique identification of yourself and/your submission; examples include (but are not limited to):

• Yourself included with the item (especially for paintings, drawings, sculptures, etc.) as an additional component (i.e. submit both the work and you with the work)
• The words “Interactive Multimedia & Design” clearly embedded into the work (not just pasted on the front of the image)
• Any pieces requiring a video should be uploaded to either YouTube or Vimeo (instructions for submitting this work are on the portfolio website). They should still have a description and highlights of the work. A maximum of 45 seconds for videos is permitted. Do not embed videos into the PDF.

Portfolio format

Your portfolio should be submitted through our portfolio website.

All work should be submitted as a single PDF document, in the order listed in the “Portfolio Contents.” Any pieces requiring a video should be uploaded to either YouTube or Vimeo (instructions for submitting this work are on the portfolio website).

You may need to use more than one page to fully present a multi-dimensional work such as sculpture, multimedia projects, models, etc. and may include progression work and other sketch material work relating to the project; in such cases, you must limit the presentation of a single project to a maximum of four pages.

The design of the portfolio is part of the evaluation process. The design and layout of the portfolio should complement (not compete with) the work presented.

Submit your portfolios online at portfolios.carleton.ca. Your Carleton applicant or student ID will be required to create an account on the portfolio system.

The final PDF document should not be larger than 40MB.

Should you not have the necessary equipment to digitize your work, the School will provide you access to such equipment on the University’s premises.