Overview
Students apply to one of the following majors in the College of Fine and Applied Arts: Art & Art History, Art Education, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Studio Art (BA), or Studio Art (BFA).
Studio Art concentrations (fashion, general studio art, new media, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture) are declared in the first year of study. Undecided students apply to Art Undeclared. Art Undeclared students will declare their Art & Design major by December 1 of their first year of study.
Admission Requirements
- Favorable portfolio review
- Minimum GPA of 2.00 (2.50 for Art Education)
Fall 2025 Admission Process
To be considered, submit your portfolio and indicate which major you’re applying to, using the School’s Fall 2025 Intercollege Transfer Portfolio Submission Form. If you encounter problems with the form or have questions, contact Michael Foellmer at foellme1@illinois.edu or (217) 244-8462.
- Applications for Fall 2025 admission are due by March 1
Spring 2025 Admission Process
To be considered, submit your portfolio and indicate which major you’re applying to, using the School’s Spring 2025 Intercollege Transfer Portfolio Submission Form. If you encounter problems with the form or have questions, contact Michael Foellmer at foellme1@illinois.edu or (217) 244-8462.
- Applications for Spring 2025 admission are due by October 15
- Please note Graphic Design is at limited capacity for Spring 2025 Intercollege Transfers
Portfolio Contents
The portfolio is a collection of your recent work that illustrates your ability for advanced study as an art and design practitioner, educator or historian. It should demonstrate your ability to create and communicate ideas visually using various mediums and technical processes. The portfolio should consist of 10 examples of your recent work. Examples of work could include drawings, paintings, ceramics, sculpture, textiles, photographs, digital artwork, designs (product and other objects), and video. Work illustrating proficiency in a variety of mediums is encouraged. Drawings from real life observation are preferable to those copied from photographs or other images. These drawings can be exploratory, i.e. spontaneous, or more finished.
Portfolio Submission Guidelines
- Required: 10 JPEG images, where, ideally, the pixel dimensions are between 1000 and 1500 in either height or width. Individual image files should not exceed 500 KB. IMPORTANT: Check the image file property size (Right click > Properties in Windows, Control+click > Get Info in Mac), and, if necessary, use an image editor (e.g., Photoshop) to adjust the pixel dimensions and the final file size.
- Optional: Enter up to 2 direct video links, using Vimeo or YouTube. Be aware, the admissions committee might not watch more than 1-2 minutes. Configure your submission appropriately (trailer, excerpt, etc.).
- Optional: Enter a web address for your art work webpage.