Portfolio Requirements
A portfolio review is required for all students seeking admission to the School of Art and Design. Please note the following instructions for students applying to the school's programs in the Departments of Art, Design, and Transmedia:
IF APPLYING TO A PROGRAM IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ART OR DEPARTMENT OF DESIGN:
Traditional Art Portfolio:
• Present a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 20 images of your best and most recent artworks.
• Include at least eight works from real-life observation such as still life, figure drawing, portraits/self-portraits, and landscapes.
• Works in other media such as sculpture, ceramics, photography, etc. are encouraged in addition to observational drawing.
• Works copied from photos, magazines, and masterworks are not considered strong portfolio material.
• Two-dimensional works should show consideration of background and composition. Avoid “floating” objects.
• Concepts (ideas) are very important.
• Quality of work is more important that quantity. Show your strongest work.
• Do not include sewn garments, t-shirt designs, yearbook layouts, scrapbook pages, or images only involving simple manipulation of software.
• Do not include more than two gesture or technical/mechanical drawings. Fashion illustrations should not make up the bulk of the portfolio. Any cartoon work must be your original idea and should consider composition and concept.
• All computer-generated work will be evaluated on artistic merit and not the manipulation of software.
• It is not necessary for prospective first-year students to show work from an area in which they are considering as a major.
• Portfolios should be neat, clean and organized. Matting is not required.
IF APPLYING TO A PROGRAM IN THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSMEDIA:
Portfolios for applicants to art video, computer art, or film may be submitted online, by mail, or delivered personally to the Office of Recruitment and Admissions; it is not possible to have an in-person review for these areas. Portfolios for applicants to art photography may be submitted online, by mail, or by in-person review. Traditional work is also acceptable for all areas except film if the applicant has not worked in the area of interest. Please see our requirements for a traditional art portfolio as described above.
Art Photography Applicants:
• Present a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 20 images of your best and most recent photography work.
• Include a one-page, typed statement about your creative ideas.
Art Video Applicants:
• Present a series of video works that demonstrate technical competence and strong conceptual development. Submissions may not exceed a total of ten minutes. You may include clips of different projects within this ten-minute limit.
• Include a two- to five-page, typed essay on subjects such as media literacy, critical approaches to music video, or personal media versus corporate media.
• Optional inclusion of accomplishments in other media art forms such as photography, film, computer art, audio art, and performance art is encouraged. You may also include work in traditional media, especially those pieces that relate to your work in video and other media art forms.
Computer Art Applicants:
• Present a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 20 still images in any medium and/or a two- to three-minute video of your best work. Computer work is preferable, but inclusion of drawing or other traditional media is acceptable.
• Include a one-page statement of intent.
• Please note: Students interested in computer animation should have drawing skills. Strong math skills are critical for special effects.
Film Applicants:
• Present a five-minute film. You may include multiple clips of different projects within this five-minute limit.
• Include a typed paragraph stating why you wish to study film.