How to Apply to Art and Design at UMass Dartmouth: CVPA BFAs in Animation + Game Arts, Fashion, Graphic Design, Illustration and Photography, an 8–10 Piece First-Year Portfolio and Foundations, with Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

At the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMassD), undergraduate art and design is taught in the College of Visual & Performing Arts (CVPA). Here is what you need to know, based on UMassD’s official information, for students at high schools in China (including A-level, IB and AP students), students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. Degrees and programs

• Art + Design BFA, with six options: Animation + Game Arts, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Photography, and Studio Art and the Expanded Field.
• Other bachelor’s programs: Art Education BFA, BS in Interior Architecture and Design, and BA in Art History; the CVPA program list also includes Studio Arts Undeclared. Minors include Drawing, Film & Media Arts, Painting, Sculpture and Studio Art.
• Foundations: the Foundations Program is required of all CVPA majors except Art History and Music; 100-level Foundations courses are prerequisites for all 200-level and higher courses in Fine Arts, Artisanry, Visual Design and Art Education. All first-year students take the Freshmen Visual Arts Seminar (FOU 101).
• Choosing an option: transfer students choosing a major with options, such as Art + Design, must select one when accepted; when first-year students choose is not published, so ask CVPA.

2. Portfolio

• Who submits: applicants to any studio arts program; the portfolio is part of the admission decision. Interior Architecture + Design requires a portfolio for transfers only.
• How: after submitting the Common App or UMassD application, upload in the applicant portal; no hard copies. Accepted files: images (jpg, gif, png) up to 5 MB each, videos (fav, wmv, mov, mp4) up to 60 MB, audio (mp3) up to 30 MB, and PDFs up to 10 MB. Embedded media from YouTube and SoundCloud is accepted.
• How many: first-year 8–10 original works; Fashion Design 1–10; transfers 12–15.
• By program:
  • Animation + Game Arts, Illustration, Photography: 8–10 pieces mixing visual exploration, design thinking, handmade or technology-based work. Applicants with limited art experience are encouraged to include personal projects, creative problem solving in any medium, illustration or observational drawing (not required), or documentation of building, making, repairing, crafting, coding or organizing. A 200–400 word essay may replace one piece, on one of two prompts: a project in your portfolio and your process, or what draws you to the field.
  • Graphic Design: 8–10 pieces; a 200–400 word essay may replace one (same prompts).
  • Fashion Design: 1–10 pieces, such as sketches, paintings, ceramics, sewn projects, constructed garments, cosplay, prints, illustration, digital work or photography; without a body of work, you may submit an essay about your interest and background in fashion design instead.
  • Art Education, Studio Art and the Expanded Field: 8–10 pieces in any media, 2D and/or 3D, not concentration specific.
• What they look for: CVPA evaluates first-year portfolios on demonstrated potential, such as curiosity, risk-taking, use of composition and visual elements, attention to detail and presentation, and work that reflects your own ideas and experiences, not only technical skill.
• Deadline: a portfolio deadline is not published; ask CVPA admissions.
• Reviews: CVPA takes part in select National Portfolio Days in its area (dates and locations to be announced), and you can email the college’s recruitment director to have your portfolio reviewed at any time.

3. Dates and application materials

• How to apply: Common App or the UMassD application; the international application fee is $60.
• Deadlines: rolling admission. The dates page currently shows fall and spring 2026: Early Action for all applicants 15 November; 1 March priority date; international first-year students apply by 15 July and deposit by 31 July for fall, and apply by 1 December and deposit by 5 December for spring. Check the fall 2027 dates when published.
• Grades: minimum GPA 2.5 for international applicants; at least three years of transcripts, translated into English.
• Optional: SAT/ACT (100% test optional), a teacher or counselor recommendation, and a personal essay of up to 650 words.
• Proof of funds: the international application and cost pages say bank funds of at least $54,000 (less any scholarship), while the international FAQ says at least $51,253 per academic year. Follow what the university asks for when issuing the I-20.

4. English

• Tests: TOEFL 79 or 4 on the new scale, IELTS 6.0, Duolingo 105, PTE 53, Cambridge English 176, TOEFL Essentials 9.0, or ELS level 112.
• Waivers: citizens of Australia, Canada (except Quebec), the UK, Ireland, New Zealand and others; also students with a school letter confirming English-medium instruction, IB students, students at U.S. schools, and Cambridge International (IGCSE/O-Level, A-Level) students.
• Another wording: the admission requirements page says students who attended an English-medium school for at least one year do not need TOEFL or IELTS. The pages differ; confirm with international admissions.
• Students who do not qualify for direct admission can use the university’s Gateway English program.

5. Students at high schools in China

• Transcripts: at least three years, translated into English, minimum GPA 2.5.
• Gaokao and art exams: whether they are considered is not published; email international@admissions.umassd.edu.
• A-level and IB students: Cambridge IGCSE/A-level and IB students can request an English waiver.

6. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC)

• English: Canadian citizens (except Quebec) are exempt.
• BC: grade requirements and conversion for the BC curriculum are not published; ask international admissions.

7. Transfer students

• Portfolio: 12–15 original works; art portfolios help evaluate previous work submitted for transfer credit. Transfers are admitted into specific majors only, and those choosing Art + Design must select an option when accepted; acceptance into advanced courses is not automatic. Interior Architecture + Design transfers also submit a portfolio.
• From universities abroad: get a foreign credit evaluation from an approved U.S. service (CED, TEC or WES); applications without one are not reviewed. Students with fewer than 24 transferable credits or out of high school for less than three years also submit high school transcripts.
• Deadlines (2026 table): transfers from schools abroad follow international first-year dates; international students transferring from a U.S. school apply by 12 August for fall.
• Transfer scholarship: international transfers with a 3.0 transfer GPA are automatically considered for $10,000 a year.

8. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-2027 tuition and mandatory fees: $34,936 a year for out-of-state and international students, or $53,358 with housing and the unlimited dining plan (double room).
• Other costs: college fees depend on your major, $563–$1,200 a year for Visual & Performing Arts; international student fee $535 a year; international orientation $260 (one time); mandatory health insurance for international students $2,338.20; books and supplies $1,000–$2,300, with extra lab fees in some majors. Foundations has art supply kits, with prices not published.
• Scholarships: international first-year students with a high school GPA of 2.75 or higher are automatically considered for $10,000–$15,500 a year, renewable for four years with full-time enrollment and a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
• Aid: international students are not eligible for need-based, federal or state aid.

Application checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Prepare 8–10 original works (1–10 for Fashion) and upload to the applicant portal after applying; a 200–400 word essay can replace one piece (Animation + Game Arts, Graphic Design, Illustration, Photography)
• Prepare TOEFL 79 (4 new scale), IELTS 6.0 or Duolingo 105; apply with the $60 fee by 15 July for fall
• Ask CVPA about the portfolio deadline and international admissions about the Gaokao

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

• Canadian citizens (except Quebec) are exempt from English tests; same portfolio requirements; ask how BC grades are reviewed

Transfer students:

• Prepare 12–15 works and choose an option when accepted; get CED, TEC or WES evaluations for credits from abroad

Sources: University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, College of Visual & Performing Arts; CVPA admissions; Undergraduate portfolio; Open House & Portfolio Day; Foundations Program; International undergraduate application; International costs and scholarships; Admission requirements; Dates and deadlines; Undergraduate tuition. Tuition is for 2026-2027; the dates page currently shows fall and spring 2026. Check UMass Dartmouth for the latest details.