Portfolio & Audition Requirements
School of Art Portfolio Requirements
School of Design Portfolio Requirements
School of Film Portfolio Requirements
Illustration
Design, Art & Technology
5-Year BFA/Master of Art in Teaching
College of Performing Arts Audition/Interview Requirements
Division of Liberal Arts
Performing Arts Audition Dates
National Portfolio Day Events
National College Fairs
Performing and Visual Arts College Fairs
College of Art, & Media and Design - Portfolio Information
As an applicant to the College of Art, Media & Design, you are required to submit a portfolio of original artwork. We look for individuals who are highly motivated and who provide evidence of visual experiences that demonstrate the ability to succeed in a highly competitive visual arts program.
The portfolio you present will vary based on your own experiences, interests, education, and training. You may submit a broad-based portfolio containing examples of work from a variety of media or a more focused portfolio.
Creating Your Portfolio
An artist’s portfolio is a way to present your talents, express your individuality, and tell us something about your formative creative visual experiences. We would like to see recent, original work that demonstrates your strengths and experience in the visual arts. The selection of pieces in your portfolio will tell us a great deal about you. Choose thoughtfully and carefully those pieces you think best demonstrate your talent and potential for further development in the art, media, and design professions. Just as all talents are different, so are the backgrounds of all students. The Admission Committee keeps this in mind when reviewing your work; we know that applicants’ portfolios may reflect a wide range of experience.
Recommendations for Portfolio Development
For specific portfolio requirements for the program to which you are applying, please follow the links above.
- Schedule a Preliminary Portfolio Review: If you’re looking to receive feedback on your portfolio during the development process, the Office of Admissions is now scheduling preliminary portfolio reviews. An Admissions Counselor or faculty member will review your portfolio in its current stage, and offer recommendations for preparing your portfolio for an official review. Preliminary reviews are done Mondays and Fridays between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm. The Office of Admissions is also holding a Preliminary Review Day on Sunday, November 17, 2013. To schedule an appointment, contact the Office of Admissions at 215-717-6049. A preliminary review is not required for admission.
- Join us for a National Portfolio Day: National Portfolio Days offer students another opportunity for a preliminary portfolio review. At these events, you can receive feedback on your portfolio-in-progress from UArts’ representatives, as well as representatives from other schools you may be interested in. The University of the Arts participates in a number of National Portfolio Days hosted throughout the U.S. from October to January. Pre-registration is not required for National Portfolio Days.
- Enroll in a Portfolio Preparation Class: A portfolio preparation class can be a useful tool in building and polishing a portfolio for review for college admissions. The University of the Arts offers two portfolio preparation classes through its Pre-College Office – Portfolio Preparation for College Admissions, a semester-long Saturday School course, and Portfolio Preparation, a weeklong intensive offered through the Pre-College Summer Institute. Visit our Pre-College Programs page for more information, or check with your local colleges or art centers for portfolio preparation classes offered in your area.
- Still Have Questions? Contact Us!: Our Admissions Counselors are happy to answer questions regarding portfolio requirements. Contact our counselors by calling the Office of Admissions at 215-717-6049, or e-mailing us at admissions@uarts.edu.
Presenting Your Portfolio
While the presentation of your portfolio needn’t be elaborate, it should demonstrate the respect you have for your work. If you show us your portfolio in person, you should be able to talk about it—what each project involved, how you made design decisions, what you learned from the experience, and how you feel about the finished piece. It is not necessary for you to mount or mat your work as long as it is presented as a
neat and coherent body of work. Group the pieces in a specific order, such as by medium, by size, by date completed, or by subject matter. Both you and your interviewer will then have an easier time grasping the full import of what you show. Work done in charcoal, chalk or pastels should be sprayed with fixative and covered with a clean sheet of paper to protect it.
Methods of Presentation:
- On-Campus Review
- Since we believe that the questions you ask of us are as revealing as the questions we ask of you, UArts encourages all applicants to visit the campus. There’s no fixed format or schedule of questions for the interview, so you’ll be evaluated as an individual by an individual. The admissions officer or faculty member who conducts the interview will be interested in your academic record, personal achievements and extracurricular activities, as well as your plans-however vague they may be-for your creative future.
- The best way to prepare for the interview is simply to be curious: come with plenty of questions - about the application process, financial aid, courses, instructors, programs of study, student life and anything else you can think of. And don’t be afraid to ask for advice. While many students come to UArts already knowing exactly what they want to do, others are still searching. Each talent is unique, and thus has its own yardstick and follows its own path. Our faculty and staff are dedicated to recognizing and nurturing that talent. So even though the interview is not a prerequisite for acceptance to UArts, it does help both of us decide if we’re right for each other.
- To schedule an on-campus review, contact the receptionist in the Office of Admission at 800.616.2787, ext. 6049, or 215.717.6049. Portfolio reviews can be scheduled for the following days and times:
Monday-Friday (Year-Round): 10 am - 3 pm
Saturday, December 14, 2013: Time TBA
Saturday, January 18, 2014: Time TBA
Saturday, February 1, 2014: Time TBA
- An official review can only be completed for students whose applications have been received by the Office of Admissions.
If you are a transfer applicant, the Office of Admission will contact you to schedule a portfolio review after we have received all transcripts and a list of coursework in progress.
- Online/Internet Submissions
- Freshman and transfer applicants to Art and Design programs may submit their portfolio online via an image hosting website such as www.carbonmade.com or www.deviantart.com. Freshman and transfer applicants to Film or Animation may submit work online through www.youtube.com or www.vimeo.com. Please send a direct link to your online gallery to admissions@uarts.edu.
- Electronic/Digital Submissions
- You may submit your work on CD-ROM or USB flash drive. Images submitted for review must be either .JPG or .GIF file formats. You must provide documentation with your files including a description indicating the concept, project or problem involved. All files must be viewable on a PC. The submission must be self-contained and not require special software to be viewed; for example, a Director piece should be a "projector" and not the original file. The documentation can either be printed, or included as a Microsoft Word file, or Text file on your disk or CD. Please do not assume that our offices can launce your digital project. Any interactive pieces should have an embedded or runtime program with your files.
- Films/Videos/Animation
- Work may be submitted via DVD or uploaded to a video hosting website such as www.vimeo.com or www.youtube.com. DVDs submitted must be in NTSC format. Please include both up to a 5-minute cut of each piece, and the full-length works for films, videos or animations. DVD submissions must be clearly labeled with your name, address, phone number, and running time. Please send a direct link to your online videos to admissions@uarts.edu. Include a short description of your role in the production, and how you feel it expresses your abilities. If you have a script or storyboard that you followed in making the film/video/animation, please include it.
- Writing Samples - Creative Writing and Writing for Film & Television ONLY
- Writing samples are to be e-mailed as a Word doc or PDF to your assigned admission counselor.
Transfer Applications
Because you are seeking admission at an advanced level (above that of a freshman), a faculty member from your major department will evaluate your portfolio. We assume that students seeking advanced standing have completed preparatory course work similar in content to the university’s first year. Your portfolio should include work from these courses in addition to work directly related to your intended major. Although online/internet and electronic/digital submissions are accepted, an on-campus, in-person interview is always preferred for transfer applicants.
The Office of Admission will contact you to schedule a portfolio review after we have received all transcripts and a list of coursework in progress.
Performing Arts Audition/Interview Dates
Applicants to the College of Performing Arts will schedule their audition/interview date when completing the online application, and will receive confirmations and instructions for their auditions once their applications are processed. Applicants should not make travel arrangements until their audition/interview date is confirmed. Applications must be submitted to the Admissions Office at least 2 weeks prior to the requested Audition/Interview date.
To be eligible for Priority Admission and Scholarship Consideration for the Fall Term (beginning September 2014), students must apply by February 1 and complete the audition or interview on or before March 1, 2014. Video Auditions and Phone/Skype Interviews from students who live more than 500 miles from Philadelphia must be submitted to the Office of Admissions by March 1, 2014 for priority consideration. Students applying for the Spring Term (beginning January 2014) should plan to audition or interview on campus in November or December.
On-Campus Auditions/Interviews (Dance, Music & Theater)
November 23, 2013
December 7, 2013
January 25, 2014
February 15, 2014
March 1, 2014
March 22, 2014
April 5, 2014
Off-Campus, School of Dance
Seoul: November 30, 2013
Chicago: February 2, 2014
Los Angeles: February 9, 2014
Miami: February 22, 2014
Off-Campus, School of Music
Los Angeles: February 9, 2014
Miami: February 22, 2014
Off-Campus, Ira Brind School of Theater
New York City: January 25 and 26, 2014 (National Unified Audition)
Chicago: February 3, 4 and 5, 2014 (National Unified Audition)
Los Angeles: February 8 and 9, 2014 (National Unified Audition)
Miami: February 22, 2014
National Portfolio Day Events
UArts will have representatives at the following upcoming National Portfolio Day events:
For the most current information about NPDA Events, please click here.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Austin, Texas
Location: TBA
Time: TBA
Hosted by School of Visual Arts
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Dallas, Texas
Location: TBA
Time: TBA
Hosted by School of Visual Arts
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Richmond, Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth University
Time: 1-5 pm
Hosted by Virginia Commonwealth University
Saturday, October 12, 2013
San Diego, California
Laguna College of Art + Design
Time: TBA
Hosted by Laguna College of Art + Design
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Chicago, Illinois
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Time: 10 am-2 pm
Hosted by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford Art School
TIme: TBA
Hosted by Hartford Art School
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Boston, Massachusetts
Hynes Convention Center
Time: 12-4 pm
Hosted by Massachusetts College of Art & Design
Sunday, November 10, 2012
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadephia Convention Center
Time: 12-4 pm
Hosted by Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Purchase, New York
Purchase College, SUNY, School of Art & Design
Time: 12-4 pm
Hosted by Purchase College, SUNY: School of Art & Design
Sunday, November 17, 2013
New York, New York
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
Time: TBA
Hosted by Fashion Institute of Technology
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Washington, DC
Corcoran College of Art & Design
Time: TBA
Hosted by Corcoran College of Art & Design
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Baltimore, Maryland
Maryland Institute, College of Art
Time: TBA
Hosted by Maryland Institute, College of Art
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Seattle, Washington
Cornish College of the Arts
TIme: TBA
Hosted by Cornish College of the Arts
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Portland, Oregon
Pacific Northwest College of Art
TIme: 12-4 pm
Hosted by Pacific Northwest College of Art
Saturday, January 18, 2014
San Francisco, California
California College of the Arts
Time: TBA
Hosted by California College of the Arts
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Los Angeles, CA
Otis College of Art and Design
TIme: TBA
Hosted by Otis College of Art and Design
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Miami, Florida
Miami Dade Campus
Time: TBA
Hosted by New World School of the Arts
UArts will have representatives at the following upcoming National College Fairs:
For the most current information about these events, please click here.
Saturday, September 29, 2013
Chicago, Illinois
Navy Pier
600 East Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
11 am - 3 pm
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Orlando, Florida
University of Central Florida Arena
Gemini Blvd N
Oviedo, FL 32816
1 - 4 pm
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Ft. Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center
1950 Eisenhower Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
9 am - 12 pm; 5 - 8:30 pm
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Convention Center
1101 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
11 am - 3 pm
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Miami, Florida
Double Tree by Hilton Miami Airport Convention Center
711 NW 72nd Ave
Miami, FL 33126
Time TBA
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Tampa, Florida
Tampa Convention Center
333 S Franklin St
Tampa, FL 33602
Time TBA
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
San Diego, California
San Diego Convention Center
111 W Harbor Dr
San Diego, CA 92101
Time TBA
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Ventura/Tri-County, California
Ventura County Fairgrounds
10 West Harbour Boulevard
Ventura, CA 93001
Time TBA
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Los Angeles, California
Pasadena Convention Center
300 East Green Street
Pasadena, California 91101
Time TBA
Saturday, May 3, 2014
San Francisco, California
Cow Palace
2600 Geneva Ave
Daly City, CA 94014
Time TBA
Performing and Visual Arts College Fairs
UArts will have representatives at the following upcoming Performing and Visual Arts College Fairs:
For the most current information about these events, please click here.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Ft. Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center
1950 Eisenhower Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
7 - 9 pm
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Denver, Colorado
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts
1101 13th St
Denver, CO 80204
6 - 8 pm
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Los Angeles, California
University of California, Los Angeles, Ackerman Union
308 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90095
1 - 3:30 pm
Sunday, October, 27, 2013
San Francisco, California
Nob Hill Masonic Center
1111 California St
San Francisco, CA 9410
1 - 3:30 pm
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Seattle, Washington
Seattle Center, Fisher Pavillion
305 Harrison Street
Seattle,WA 98109
7 - 9 pm
