Frequently asked questions

Microsoft Teams (MS Teams) is a free application which allows you to make telephone and video calls over the internet using your Windows or Mac computer, laptop or mobile device. You can find out further information, including how to download the app on the Microsoft website.

Interviews and portfolio reviews will take place via MS Teams to help ensure that we offer you the most comfortable and flexible experience possible.

Technical preparations

• Ensure that you are available for the interview/portfolio review which will be at the time indicated on your booking confirmation and MS Teams invite. Please remember that the time of your interview will be in Greenwich Mean Time (or GMT+1 when British Summer Time is in effect).
• Please accept the MS Teams invite you are sent.
• Ensure that you have access to MS Teams on your computer or device. Check that your computer / device, webcam, microphone and speakers are working. It is advisable that you plan spare time the day before the interview to do this.
• If you have a learning differences which requires adjustments for your interview/portfolio review, please email the Applicant Events Team to declare this in order for us to make any required changes beforehand.

Preparing for your interview/portfolio review

• Organise a practice interview for yourself. Ideally the person interviewing you will be a teacher/ careers adviser. If this is not possible it is usually better to use someone who isn’t a close friend or family member as this will help you to gain experience talking about yourself and your work.
• Review your personal statement. Think about how you might expand on what you have written if asked to discuss in more detail.
• Conduct yourself professionally and adhere to a smart dress code.
• Ensure that your laptop/computer and phone are fully charged and you have access to a power supply if your device is battery-powered.
• Make sure you have tested your equipment to make sure it works and that you have a quiet space for your MS Teams interview to take place.
• Have a read of our course pages to help you prepare for and anticipate interview questions.

You must notify De Montfort University and UCAS in writing via email. Our computer systems do not automatically update this information so informing both parties is vital. It is your responsibility to keep us informed of changes. We cannot be held responsible for misinformation being sent or emailed to you because your details are not correct.

To help you prepare for your interview/portfolio review and what will happen on the day, you will be sent further guidance along with your MS Teams invite. You can also check out our digital guides with specific information on the interview process for your chosen course area, or our portfolio advice page for information on what we want to see in your portfolio.

Please contact the Applicant Events Team for advice on other dates that may be more convenient for you. Please note, depending on course popularity and the number of interview or portfolio review dates remaining, it may not always be possible to offer you an alternative date.

Please contact the Applicant Events Team for advice on alternative dates which may be available.

If it is short notice (after you have already confirmed your attendance) you must email the events team (applicantevents@dmu.ac.uk) as soon as you can to advise us that you will not be able to attend.

If you contact us after the event and want to be rescheduled we will try to arrange another date. However, please be aware this may not always be possible due to high volume of applications we receive for the course.

If you are late due to unforeseen circumstances we would ask that you call to advise us as soon as possible on the day and we will advise you on how to proceed.

Please contact us as soon as you are able to and let us know when you are able to join your MS Teams interview or portfolio review. If necessary we can inform you of any alternate arrangements in some instances, if you expect to be significantly late, we may suggest you book a different date.

Contact the Applicant Events Team by email.

You will need to attend an interview/portfolio review for each course. It may be that both courses are interviewing or reviewing on the same day, in which case you will need to book your interview/portfolio review slot for both courses separately.

Please see our portfolio advice page for more information.

On the day of your interview/portfolio review it is important that you do the following:

• Find a quiet space in a family room at home that you can solely use for your interview/portfolio review, where you will not be interrupted, with a computer or device that has a webcam, speakers and microphone. Again, check they are working ahead of your interview/portfolio review time slot.
• We will send you a calendar invitation via email in advance of your interview/portfolio review, this will include a link for you to join your interview/portfolio review in MS Teams. On the day of your interview/portfolio review, 10 minutes before your allocated time, please follow these instructions:

1. Click on the Join MS Teams Meeting link.
2. That'll open a web page, select: Join on the web. (Your browser may ask if it's okay for Teams to use your mic and camera. Be sure to click allow).
3. Enter your name and choose your audio and video settings. Select phone audio if you want to listen to the meeting on your mobile.
4. On the date and time of your booked interview/portfolio review slot, hit join now.
   This will bring you into the meeting lobby and a member of staff in the meeting will admit you.

• If there is a connection failure, please try and reconnect using the same instructions above as soon as possible. The host will wait for as long as they can to continue your interview/portfolio review.
• Ensure your devices and your mobile phone are fully charged (in case of severe technical difficulties with MS Teams we may need to reschedule).
• Check that you have your photo ID ready as your host will ask to see this during the interview/portfolio review.
• Ensure you have a pen and paper.

Interviews

Interviews tend to be between 30-45 minutes long. You will be asked to speak about your interest in the course and why you would like to study at DMU. Further information and advice on the interview process for each course can be found on the interview advice page.

Portfolio reviews

Portfolio reviews tend to be between 30-45 minutes long. You will be asked to speak about your interest in the course, your previous work and why you would like to study at DMU. Further information and advice on the portfolio review process for each course can be found on our portfolio advice page.

If you have applied for a professional accredited course, you will be required to have your photographic ID to hand.

Please see our MS Teams troubleshooting guide.

We aim to make decisions as soon as possible after the interview/portfolio review. In most cases these will be communicated via email and an update on UCAS Track within a week of you attending your interview/portfolio review. We will also be in touch if we are unable to make our decision straight away.

If you would like to find out the reasons for the decision you can contact the Applicant Events Team and request interview/portfolio review feedback. Please note that such requests cannot always be actioned immediately, although the admissions office will provide feedback as promptly as possible.

Please read your offer email carefully as all necessary information will be included in this. If you are still unsure about the offer you have been made, please contact the Applicant Events Team for further advice.