First-Year Applicants
Important Dates
- November 1: Priority consideration will be given for ECW portfolios submitted prior to November 1
- November 30: Priority university admissions application date
- February 15: Evidence of Creative Work and application submission deadline.
Application Steps
- First-year applicants must submit an online application found at admissions.psu.edu
- Submit Evidence of Creative Work via SlideRoom
Notes
Many graphic design students also qualify for the Schreyer Honors College. Please consider the requirements and benefits of the Honors College at shc.psu.edu. Also note that many requirements in the B.Design in Graphic Design program also satisfy honors requirements, such as study abroad.
Change of Major Applicants
Important Dates
- February 15: Submission deadline
- February 15: Evidence of Creative Work submission deadline
Application Steps
- Contact your academic adviser to initiate change of major
- Submit Evidence of Creative Work via SlideRoom
Notes
Applicants must have a 2.5 or greater cumulative GPA. The graphic design major is a four-year program beginning the fall semester of acceptance.
Transfer Applicants
Important Transfer Eligibility Information
Fall term admission only. Only applicants who have 2 or less academic semesters of attempted college coursework (roughly 34 attempted credits) by their projected date of enrollment may apply for consideration.
Important Dates
- February 15: Application deadline
- February 15: Evidence of Creative Work submission deadline
Application Steps
- If you are enrolled in another university, you must submit an application to Undergraduate Admissions.
- Submit Evidence of Creative Work via SlideRoom
Notes
Applicants must have a 2.5 or greater cumulative GPA. The graphic design major is a four-year program beginning the fall semester of acceptance.
Evidence of Creative Work (ECW)
The ECW is designed to provide the committee with insight into how you observe, think, and communicate via visual information. Such insight can be derived from a wide variety of approaches – do not feel constrained by methods, materials, or styles that you consider to be “design-y.” Do what you do best to make the most impactful interpretation of the ECW requirements.
We are more interested in your thinking and creative process than your technical skills. Don’t be afraid to be experimental.
All work submitted should be original to you. Products of generative AI are not acceptable in ECW submissions, and applications containing them will not be reviewed. They should not make use of pre-existing artwork or imagery (excepting collage or resampling where you are confident that you have significantly transformed the form, content, and context of the sampled works).
ECW submissions will be evaluated by the ECW Review Committee, comprising graphic design faculty.
The ECW must consist of:
- Three Examples of Visual Work
- Original Poster Design
- Problem-Solving Journey Map
- Statement of Intent
1. Examples of Visual Work
Submit three (3) samples of your best work from the past two years. These pieces do not need to be created specifically for this submission; however, it is important to show work that represents your current skills and experiences. Visuals may be graphic design or images from related disciplines such as photography, illustration, drawing, painting, reproductions of 3-D media, time-based work, animations, ceramics, tattoos, fiber, fashion, collage, sculpture, installation, or other visual media.
Comments (Optional): When you submit your work in SlideRoom, you may include a 100-word statement providing context for your pieces.
2. Original Poster Design
Objective: Design an original poster that communicates an important topic. An effective poster should combine text and image to attract attention, appeal to the intended audience, communicate a message to the viewer, and imprint itself upon their memory.
Topic: Select a subject related to a particular sustainable issue about which you feel strongly (e.g., Energy, Pollution, Deforestation, Hunger, Health Care, Education, Racism, Animal Rights, etc.). For more ideas, you can explore the areas of sustainability on the UN Sustainable Development Goals webpage.
Medium: You may execute your design either digitally or in traditional media. You may use a computer program (Photoshop, Inkscape, InDesign, etc.) or create your poster using traditional approaches like drawing, painting, collage, photomontage, cut paper – it’s up to you.
Required Visual Element: Include a circle as a specific element in your poster design. How you incorporate this element into your design is up to you, but it must be present.
3. Problem-Solving Journey Map
Objective: Design a visual format that documents the problem-solving process of your original poster to demonstrate your skills in analysis and communication.
Approach: Communicate the stages in your problem-solving process. Consider the following questions:
- What was your goal when tackling this project?
- What initial steps did you take to understand the problem?
- What problems or challenges did you encounter?
- What research or information gathering did you do?
- What creative processes did you use to generate solutions?
- How did you decide on the final solution?
- How did you evaluate the results of your process?
Represent this information in a way that is concise, clear, and easy for someone unfamiliar with your process to understand.
4. Statement of Intent
Write a brief statement (up to 1,500 words, 10 point font, 1.15 space) that explains why you are interested in graphic design as a discipline, and what you hope to do with it in the world.
Submission Guidelines
Please title your submitted files as follows for clarity and organization, this ensures consistency and easy identification of each file:
- Examples of Visual Work
a. YourLastName_WorkSample01
b. YourLastName_WorkSample02
c. YourLastName_WorkSample03 - Original Poster Design
a. YourLastName_Poster - Problem-Solving Journey Map
a. YourLastName_JourneyMap - Statement of Intent
a. YourLastName_Statement
File Size and Format:
- Single Image: no larger than 8.5” x 11” and under 10 Megabytes.
- Multipage document: save as a PDF file under 20 Megabytes.
- Animation or video: must be between 15 and 90 seconds.
- Statement of Intent: must be a PDF file
- Others: If you use a format that does not fit any of these specifications, please use the above as guidelines for file size.
- Orient your submission files so that they are right-side up when viewed
Evidence of Creative Work Submission
Once the ECW is completed, upload the digital files to Slideroom.
There are a number of different applications that can help you resize your images. For example, Photoshop, PaintShop Pro, and PixResizer all have the capability to resize images and manipulate file sizes. SnipShot is a tool that can be used to resize and crop images online for a minimal fee. Photosize is a free tool that can be used to resize and crop images online.
Minor Applicants
At this time, the Graphic Design Minor is not accepting any new portfolio submissions to enter the minor. We encourage students interested in a creative minor to explore other minor or certificate options within the College of Arts and Architecture.
Integrative Arts Students
It is recommended that IA students wishing to incorporate graphic design coursework first confer with the IA adviser, then submit the materials listed below.
Important Application Dates
Submission deadline is February 15
Step 1. Cover letter (1 page)
Write a cover letter addressed to the graphic design faculty. Introduce yourself, briefly describe why you wish to incorporate graphic design coursework into your Integrative Arts program. You may also wish to reference the accompanying essay and how it supports your application.
Step 2. Essay (3-4 pages)
Write a succinct and compelling essay telling us:
- What aspects of this diverse profession most interest you
- What traits and accomplishments (skills, creativity, advocacy, innovations) you possess that show why you’re suited to pursuing graphic design
Step 3. Upload to SlideRoom
Once your letter and essay are well-crafted, create separate PDF files and upload to Slideroom. Submit your materials to Slideroom. Please create an account and follow instructions.
Information for Integrative Arts Students Wishing to Incorporate Graphic Design Coursework
- Courses available for approved Integrative Arts students: GD 100, GD 101, GD 102, GD 200, GD 201, GD 202
- Integrative Arts students approved to take the 100-200 level Graphic Design sequence of courses do not have to complete the spring portfolio gateway for Graphic Design pre-major students.
- Integrative Arts students approved to take the 100-200 level Graphic Design sequence of courses may be interested in the Graphic Design minor. Please speak with your adviser and contact our pre-minor adviser Rodney Trice for further details.
Questions
Additional Assistance
Technical assistance is available in SlideRoom. If you are unable to supply digital images through SlideRoom, or if you have questions about the portfolio, Huiwon Lim.
MFA Graduate Applicants
In addition to the steps and materials detailed on the Graduate School website, you will need to submit the following materials as part of your Graphic Design MFA application.
1. Portfolio:
Submit a portfolio for review using the Slideroom web application at https://psu.slideroom.com/ The portfolio should consist of 18-20 examples of the applicants original artwork presented in a digital format. The majority of the work should be in the area of the applicant’s interest with a lesser emphasis on related areas. If you are unable to supply digital images through Slideroom or if you have questions about the portfolio process, please contact the Penn State School of Visual Arts by calling 814.865.6570.
2. Statement of Professional Aims:
Submit a Statement of Professional Aims for review using the Slideroom web application at https://psu.slideroom.com/ The Statement of Professional Aims should include your intentions for proposed study, an indication of your personal philosophy, beliefs, and goals in regard to education and art, and evidence that you are prepared to undertake graduate level work in the Master of Fine Arts program.
For additional MFA program information, contact:
Jean Sanders, Associate Professor of Art
Studio Graduate Program Officer
210 Patterson Building
University Park, PA 16802
jms31@psu.edu