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Visual Studies Art Program
Admission to the BA or BFA art major
General Information:
Admission as a BA or BFA art major occurs either by an earned GPA of 3.0 in Art Foundations fall courses or by a portfolio review/ interview for students with a GPA that is below a 3.0 in Fall Art Foundations courses. Please read the following information carefully. Contact the Academic Advisor, Kim Yarwood, for more information on the review process.
Information for Freshmen, Honors Applicants, Currently Enrolled UB students, and Transfer Students, please read:
Entering Freshmen:
Students accepted to the University that indicate "Fine Art" or "Studio Art" as their intended major on their UB application will be “block registered” into fall semester Freshman Foundations courses on a first-come, first-serve basis. At the beginning of the spring semester of the freshman year, students who have earned a GPA of 3.0 or above in their Fall foundations courses will automatically be accepted into the Visual Studies Art Program. Students that have a GPA in foundations courses of less than 3.0 will have to pass a portfolio review/interview during the spring semester of the freshman year to be accepted as an Art major.
Honors Scholarship Applicants
Honors scholarships are given by the University, not the Department of Visual Studies. See UB Honors College for further information. Honors students intending to major in Art are automatically accepted to the program without a portfolio review.
Currently Enrolled UB Students
Currently enrolled UB students with a minimum 2.5 GPA are eligible to apply to the Visual Studies Department’s Art BA or BFA program. Admission is determined by portfolio review and interview, which usually occurs during the fall semester. Freshman Foundation courses are required for all Art BA/BFA degrees. The Foundation courses are pre-requisites for most upper level courses, and students are encouraged to take these courses before application to the major.
Transfer Students
Students accepted to UB must apply to and be accepted by the Department of Visual Studies Art Program, and must have a minimum 2.5 GPA to be eligible to apply. Admission is by portfolio review/interview. This review should take place as soon as students are admitted to the university, preferably before the fall of entry. Due to space limitations, a delay could jeopardize admission to the Art major. The only transferable courses/credits on a student’s transcripts are ones that are evaluated to be equivalent to UB Art courses. Accepted transfer credits will be applied to the department's degree requirements upon acceptance as an art major.
Transfer students interested in Communication Design or Emerging Practices must have a second portfolio review to be admitted into these concentrations.
Advanced Placement
The Visual Studies Art Program gives studio art or open elective credit for AP, depending on the score, but this does not waive any departmental requirements.
Individualized Admissions
High school student applicants who have SAT and GPA scores that are lower than scores required by the University, but have unique artistic talents and a strong portfolio may be eligible for admission by individualized admissions. Contact the Visual Studies Department Academic Advisor, Kim Yarwood, for more information.
