A portfolio is required for all B.F.A. programs in the School of Art, School of Design, and Department of Film and Media Arts. A portfolio is also required for the B.I.D. program in the School of Design. A portfolio is not required for the School of Art’s B.S. in studio arts program or the School of Design’s B.S. in design studies program.

Select your area of interest below for specific instructions for each individual program. Students are responsible for submitting their portfolios online per the “Submitting Your Portfolio” instructions at the bottom of this page and for meeting our deadlines.

Please note: Applicants must submit the portfolio online through the applicant portal (see “Submitting Your Portfolio” below). You must complete the Syracuse University application prior to submitting your portfolio. You will receive an email notification with details on how to access the applicant portal within 72 hours of submitting your application. Please plan accordingly.

Art, Design, Film and Media Arts Deadlines

Early Decision (First-year students only):

November 15, 2023

Early Decision II (First-year students only):

January 5, 2024

Regular Decision (Fall):

January 5, 2024

 

Spring Enrollment:

Spring enrollment into VPA programs is very limited. Please call the Office of Recruitment and Admissions to discuss availability and timeline.

School of Art Portfolio Requirements

School of Design Portfolio Requirements

Department of Film and Media Arts Portfolio Requirements


Transfer students

Transfer students are encouraged to complete the application and portfolio review as soon as possible as space is limited in some programs. It is strongly recommended that transfer applicants to VPA follow the first-year application deadlines. Please note:

    • Online submission of transfer portfolios is required as they are reviewed by a faculty member in the student’s proposed major.
    • If you have experience in the area in which you hope to major, please show examples of work in that area.
    • Please upload an unofficial college transcript along with your portfolio through the applicant portal. This is in addition to the official college transcript required for your application that is submitted via the Syracuse University application.
    • Include a paragraph explaining why you wish to study art, design, or film and media arts, what major you hope to pursue and why, what you expect from the major, and your career aspirations.

Submitting Your Portfolio

Applicants must submit the portfolio online through the applicant portal. You will receive an email from the Office of Admissions within 72 hours after submitting your application confirming receipt of your application and providing instructions to log in to your applicant portal. In your portal, you will find your Application Checklist which will include a hyperlink to complete the portfolio submission. It is acceptable if you submit your portfolio a few days after you submit your application once you have access to your portal.

Get Feedback on Your Portfolio Before Final Submission with Virtual Advisory Reviews

Virtual advisory portfolio reviews are available to students who would like to share their work and get advice on strengthening the portfolio prior to the final online submission. These can be scheduled on an individual basis by contacting the Office of Recruitment and Admissions at or by participating in Virtual National Portfolio Days. View our Visit VPA page for more information. We also offer sessions on portfolio preparation twice monthly; you can find registration information on the VPA Visit page as well.