How to Apply to Art and Design at Arizona State University: Graphic, Industrial and Interior Design at The Design School and Animation, Photography, Ceramics and Other BFAs at the School of Art With No Portfolio at Application, and Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School and Transfer Students

At Arizona State University (ASU; art and design are mainly on the Tempe campus), undergraduate art and design is in two schools of the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts: The Design School and the School of Art. Here is what you need to know, based on ASU’s official websites, for students at high schools in China (including A-level, IB and AP students), students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver students), and transfer students.

1. Degrees

• The Design School:
  • Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interior Design and Architectural Studies: Bachelor of Science in Design (BSD);
  • Environmental Design: Bachelor of Science (BS);
  • Landscape Architecture: Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture (BSLA).
  • Graphic, Industrial and Architectural Studies are also offered through ASU Online; Interior Design, Environmental Design and Landscape Architecture are Tempe only.
• School of Art (concentrations within the Art degree):
  • BFA: Animation, Art Education, Art Therapy, Ceramics, Craft and Sculptural Practices, Digital Photography, Expanded Arts, Painting, Drawing and Printmaking, and Photography;
  • BA: Art Studies, Art History, and Museum and Curatorial Practices.
• Structure: design degrees start with lower-division studio and lecture courses, then move to collaborative upper-division studios on professional projects; the Graphic Design page lists information, interaction and exhibition design, animation, motion graphics, branding, publication, web and interface design. The Industrial Design page mentions an internship program. The Animation BFA rests on a fine arts foundation with core courses in 2D, 3D, stop-motion and experimental animation.
• Credits: the Graphic Design BSD and Animation BFA pages list 120 credit hours.
• STEM-OPT: the Graphic, Industrial and Interior Design BSD pages and the Animation BFA page all say the program is not eligible for the STEM-OPT extension.

2. Portfolio

• School of Art: its admission page says undergraduates apply to ASU and select their major, and no portfolio is required at the time of admission; after admission, students who want to change majors can meet a School of Art advisor.
• The Design School: its admission page says the first undergraduate step is applying to ASU; the Graphic, Industrial and Interior Design degree pages list only the general university admission requirements, with no portfolio.
• Changing into a design major after enrolling: the Graphic, Industrial and Interior Design pages require current ASU students new to the major to have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 and raise it to 3.00 within one semester; returning students need 3.00. The Animation BFA page lists no additional requirements for changing majors.

3. International first-year requirements

• Grades: a secondary school GPA of 3.00 (B, where A=4.00); some programs have higher requirements or may consider ACT or SAT scores.
• Coursework: three years of high school coursework (grades 9–11 if still in school, 10–12 if graduated) and a completed diploma or certificate. Students who finished high school outside the U.S. need four years of math (algebra I, geometry, algebra II and one course with algebra II as a prerequisite) and three years of laboratory science.
• Testing: ACT or SAT scores are not required for admission but may be sent for course placement or as supplemental information.
• Country requirements: ASU shows requirements for each country (including China and individual Canadian provinces) through a country selector; this guide did not read them, so select your country on the international first-year page.
• After admission you need an I-20 to apply for an F-1 or J-1 visa.

4. How and when to apply

• Application: ASU’s application or the Common App, with no preference; if you submit both, one will be canceled.
• Fee: USD 90 for international nonresidents (USD 75 for ASU Online programs), non-refundable.
• Documents: official transcripts and exam results sent directly by your schools, with certified English translations; originals or attested copies with an original seal or signature (photocopies, notarized copies, faxes or scans are not accepted). ASU evaluates credentials in-house at no cost and also accepts course-by-course evaluations from ECE, FCSA, ACEI and Scholaro.
• Deadlines: the international first-year page currently lists only fall 2026 (priority deadline 15 January 2026; enrollment deposit 1 May 2026) and spring 2027 (priority deadline 1 November 2026). Fall 2027 dates are not yet published; check again later.

5. English requirements

• “All other majors,” which includes art and design: IELTS 6.0, TOEFL iBT 61 or 3.5, Cambridge English 170, Duolingo 95 or PTE 53.
• Conditional admission: applicants who meet the academic and competency requirements but not the English requirement may be admitted conditionally and have up to three semesters to meet it.
• Automatic exemption: citizens of countries on ASU’s English-speaking country list, which includes Canada (all provinces except Quebec).
• Exemption by form: for example, graduating from an officially recognized secondary school abroad whose sole medium of instruction was English; submit the exemption form after applying.

6. Students at high schools in China

• A 3.00 GPA plus the math and laboratory science requirements; send transcripts, the graduation certificate and English translations.
• Gaokao and art exams: the pages read do not say how these are used; not published, so check the China requirements in the country selector on the international first-year page.
• No portfolio is required.

7. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver)

• English: Canadian citizens outside Quebec are automatically exempt.
• Credentials: the country selector lists provinces separately, including “Canada-British Columbia”; this guide did not read the details, so select BC on the international first-year page.
• The 3.00 GPA, four years of math and three years of laboratory science also apply.

8. Transfer students

• Definition: anyone with 12 or more transferable credits after high school.
• GPA: generally a cumulative 2.50 (C+); with 12–23 credits you must also meet first-year requirements; with an associate degree or higher, a cumulative 2.00. Some majors require more; see each degree page.
• Credit: use ASU’s transfer credit guide to check course equivalencies; report every college you have attended.
• Transfers into art and design majors also apply without a portfolio; the change-of-major GPA on degree pages applies to current ASU students.

9. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-27, international undergraduates (12 credits per semester): base tuition USD 39,062, plus a USD 350 tuition surcharge, USD 200 technology fee, college fee of up to USD 2,190, USD 807 student-initiated fees and USD 400 international student fee; with on-campus housing and meals (USD 18,819), books, travel, personal costs and health insurance, the estimated total is USD 69,906. College fees vary by program; use ASU’s tuition estimator.
• New American University (NAMU) Scholarship: international F-1 first-year and transfer students may be considered, based on academic achievement; awards are limited.
• Colleges and departments also offer scholarships with varying amounts and criteria. International students cannot receive federal or state financial aid.

10. Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• ASU application or Common App with your chosen major; no portfolio
• 3.00 GPA, four years of math and three of lab science; IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 61
• Check China requirements in the country selector, and check fall 2027 deadlines once published

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• No English test for Canadian citizens outside Quebec; check BC requirements in the country selector

Transfer students:

• Cumulative GPA 2.50 (2.00 with an associate degree); check credit in the transfer guide

Sources: Arizona State University, The Design School undergraduate degrees; The Design School admission; School of Art degree programs; School of Art admission; School of Art animation; Graphic Design BSD; Industrial Design BSD; Interior Design BSD; Art (Animation) BFA; International first-year admission; Undergraduate English proficiency; English-speaking country list; International transfer admission; International student cost of college. Check ASU’s official websites for the latest information.