How to apply to art and design at Kent State University: the Studio Art BFA with eight concentrations, Animation Game Design BS and Fashion Design BA, first-year admission on grades and a portfolio review after foundation courses, with portfolio requirements and timelines for students from China, Canada and transfers

At Kent State University in Ohio, undergraduate art and design is split between the School of Art and the School of Fashion, both in the College of the Arts. The School of Art is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), and its studios and most classrooms are in the Center for the Visual Arts, opened in 2016. This guide summarises Kent State’s published requirements for students at high schools in China (including A-Level, IB and AP), students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver) and transfer students.

1. Degrees and majors

• School of Art: Studio Art BFA, Studio Art BA, Animation Game Design BS, Art Education BFA and Art History BA.
• Studio Art BFA: 120 credit hours with eight concentrations: Ceramics; Drawing; Glass; Jewelry, Metals and Enameling; Painting; Print Media and Photography; Sculpture and Expanded Media; and Textiles. You do not declare a concentration on admission but must do so by the time you complete the Common Review (ART 30001). The degree ends with an independently planned senior thesis exhibition reviewed by at least three faculty.
• Animation Game Design BS: Animation and Game Design concentrations covering 2D and 3D modeling, animation and game environment design.
• Foundations: new School of Art students take courses such as 2D Composition, 3D Composition, Digital Media and Drawing, with a Foundations Show every semester; the Jack and Dora Tippens Scholarship in Foundations gives $500 each to two students.
• School of Fashion: Fashion Design BA and Fashion Design BFA, plus a business-oriented BS in Fashion Merchandising. Fashion design students can study a semester in New York, Florence or Paris, or through partner universities in Hong Kong, South Korea and London.

2. Portfolio and reviews

• First-year admission: the Studio Art and Animation Game Design pages say admission to the Kent Campus is selective and based on cumulative GPA, the strength of your college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. No portfolio is listed.
• Studio Art Common Review: after seven specific courses (2D Composition, 3D Composition, Digital Media, Renaissance to Modern art history, Drawing I and two foundation electives), students register for ART 30001 and submit a portfolio of representative foundation work to a studio art faculty committee, with an art history exam. The review covers a digital portfolio, an installation of selected works and written and oral critical thinking.
• Fashion Design BA: first-year applicants need at least a 2.75 GPA (on a 4.0 scale). Those who do not meet it are admitted to the Exploratory program in University College and can declare the major after 12 credit hours at Kent State with a 2.75 GPA.
• Fashion Design BFA: not open to new students. Students apply while in junior-level fashion design studio courses, with at least a 2.75 Kent State GPA, the support of fashion design faculty, and a letter of intent and BFA proposal submitted by the deadlines. The BFA thesis collection is reviewed by faculty and industry designer-critics and shown publicly.

3. Applying and deadlines (international first-year)

• Deadlines: 1 June for fall and 1 October for spring. The page does not state a year; late applications are accepted, but international students are encouraged to apply early.
• Application fee: $70, non-refundable.
• GPA: at least 2.5 on a US 4.0 scale for first-year applicants; some majors are more selective. Applicants below a program’s requirements may be considered for the pre-major.
• Testing: under Kent State’s test-optional policy, SAT and ACT are not required for first-year or transfer applicants.
• Documents: passport biographical page, English scores, and your secondary school diploma and transcripts (in the original language with certified English translations). Financial documents are needed only after acceptance. Scans are accepted for admission; bring official documents to International Admissions for verification in your first semester.

4. English

• TOEFL iBT 71; IELTS Academic 6.0; Duolingo 100; PTE 48; SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 510; ACT English 21; or completion of Kent State ESL Center Level 8 (3.75/4.0 GPA) or ELS Level 112.
• Applicants who meet academic requirements but not the language score can be admitted conditionally and study at Kent State’s ESL Center first.
• Waivers: the waiver country list includes Canada (except Quebec); see the waiver page for conditions.

5. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-2027 estimate for international undergraduates (international aid and tuition page, also used for I-20s): tuition and fees $24,298 (out-of-state rate), living expenses $14,360, medical insurance and books $3,935, total $42,593. Program and course fees are extra.
• International students must buy the university’s student health insurance, with a waiver possible under certain criteria.
• Global Scholarship (international students): reviewed automatically on admission; for fall you must be admitted by 1 July. Awards are tiered by GPA, from $12,000 a year for 3.70 and above down to $4,300 a year for 3.49 and below.
• The international aid page says combined scholarships can give an international undergraduate up to $68,000 over four years.

6. Students at high schools in China

• Send your diploma and transcripts with certified English translations; scans are fine at first.
• How the Gaokao is used is not published; ask International Admissions.
• The Studio Art and Animation Game Design pages list no first-year portfolio; Studio Art portfolios are used in the Common Review after you enrol; Fashion Design BA needs a 2.75 GPA.

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

• Students educated mainly in Canada (except Quebec) can apply for an English waiver.
• Kent State does not publish grade requirements for the BC curriculum; the published minimum for international first-year applicants is a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale, and 2.75 for Fashion Design BA.

8. Transfer students

• Studio Art: after meeting general transfer requirements, meet a School of Art academic advisor and submit a portfolio to a studio art faculty member for course placement; the faculty member may set other reasonable requirements. Credit is evaluated using Ohio’s Transfer Articulation Guides (TAG), but each student is assessed individually; incoming transfers are expected to show foundation work equivalent to the Common Review requirements.
• Fashion Design BA: at least a 2.75 GPA over at least 24 credit hours at an accredited institution; with fewer than 24 credits you are evaluated as a new first-year student.
• Animation Game Design: graduates of the regional campuses’ Technical Modeling Design associate degree can start with AGD 22004.
• Anyone who has attended college after high school applies as a transfer student.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Check your GPA meets 2.5 (2.75 for Fashion Design)
• Take TOEFL 71, IELTS 6.0, Duolingo 100 or PTE 48
• Apply by 1 June for fall with the $70 fee, and be admitted by 1 July for the Global Scholarship
• Ask International Admissions whether the Gaokao can be used
• After enrolling, build your foundation work for the Studio Art Common Review

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

• Request an English waiver (unless you studied in Quebec)
• Apply by 1 June and ask Admissions how BC grades are reviewed

Transfer students:

• For Studio Art, contact a School of Art advisor and arrange a portfolio review
• For Fashion Design, check you have at least 24 credits and a 2.75 GPA

Sources: Kent State University, School of Art undergraduate programs; Studio Art BFA; Studio Art BA; Animation Game Design BS; Foundations; School of Fashion undergraduate programs; Fashion Design BA; Fashion Design BFA; International first-year requirements; International student aid and tuition; English requirement waivers; International scholarships. International deadlines do not state a year; costs are for 2026-2027. Check Kent State’s website for the latest.