Can my one major project from my one-year course alone demonstrate my skills and meet the portfolio requirements for the programs I'm applying to, or should I include additional projects or process documentation to show a wider range of abilities?

No, you should not rely on your one-year course's major project alone. Admissions committees want to see breadth and versatile problem-solving, not just depth in a single topic, so a single project risks feeling irrelevant if it does not match a reviewer's specific interest.

Single Project vs Multi-Project Portfolio

What to Add to Your Capstone

• Keep your one-year capstone as the centerpiece, but present it as an in-depth case study, including mistakes and iterations, not just the polished final result.
• Add 2 to 3 supplementary mini-projects or standalone features from earlier in your course, to prove you can handle different tools and aesthetics.
• Include at least one self-directed passion project built outside class instructions, to show genuine curiosity.
• Integrate process documentation such as sketches, logic workflows or a rejected prototype alongside your final pivot, since reviewers care how you think.

My Advice

Before you finalize your portfolio, check the exact program prompt for page counts, file size limits or a mandatory project number, since these constraints should shape your structure. Then build outward from your capstone rather than starting from scratch.