How to apply to art and design at Portland State University: BFAs in Art Practice and Graphic Design with admission on PSU’s general standards and no entry portfolio, a sophomore portfolio review for Graphic Design, with portfolio requirements and timelines for students from China, Canada and transfers

Portland State University (PSU) is in downtown Portland, Oregon. Undergraduate art and design is taught in the Jordan Schnitzer School of Art + Art History + Design in the College of the Arts. PSU runs on quarters (fall, winter and spring). This guide summarises PSU’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

• BFA in Art Practice: 180 credits, any start term. Students combine painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, video, sculpture, textile arts and Art + Social Practice. The final year is a year-long thesis project that ends with a group exhibition and an individual BFA Oral Review (ART 499). The program page calls it a competitive four-year program.
• BFA in Graphic Design: 180 credits, any start term. The school runs a student design studio (Rodeo), an annual showcase (Be Honest) and a senior review (Fresh).
• BA/BS in Art & Design: a liberal arts degree with fewer requirements than the BFA, covering printmaking, painting, drawing, sculpture, textiles, photography, video, graphic design and social practice, with a focus chosen in upper-division work.
• The school also offers BA/BS degrees in Art History and in Cultural History of the Arts, and minors including Art Practice and Graphic Design.

2. First year

• Core: first-year Art Practice and Art & Design students, and transfer students starting their art education, take six Core courses over the year: ART 101 Surface, ART 102 Space and ART 103 Time (5 credits each), and ART 104 Digital Tools, ART 105 Ideation and ARH 106 Intro to Visual Literacy (2 credits each), one studio and one toolkit course each term.
• Art Practice majors also take ART 131 Intro to Drawing and a 200-level art history course in the first year, plus PSU University Studies (First Year Inquiry) or Honors.
• 2026-27 degree map (an example): 200-level studio electives and art history in year two; ART 303, ART 336, ART 339, ARH 398 and upper-division studio electives in year three; ART 439, ART 485, ART 496, ART 498 and the ART 499 BFA Oral Review in year four. The degree needs 180 credits, at least 62 of them upper-division.

3. Portfolio: none for admission, a separate step for upper-division work

• Admission: the Art Practice, Graphic Design and Art & Design pages and the application pages list no portfolio for admission; applicants are reviewed on PSU’s general standards (see section 5).
• Upper-division courses: PSU’s deadlines page lists Art Practice and Graphic Design among programs that require a separate application to enroll in restricted upper-division coursework. The Art Practice program pages do not describe that application; ask a Design, Creativity & Performance Pathway advisor.
• Graphic Design Sophomore Portfolio Review:
  • Held once a year at the end of spring term. All Graphic Design majors, including transfer students with lower- or upper-division credit, must pass it to take 300-level graphic design courses; students who have not passed cannot take 300- or 400-level courses regardless of experience or class standing.
  • The review is based primarily on creative performance; the writing sample, contextual statements and process are secondary.
  • In 2026 materials were due on 4 June, 9am to 6pm, through spr.psu.gd, with no late submissions, and students had to attend one of three online information sessions. The 2027 date has not been published.
  • The site says several pathways are available whatever the outcome.

4. Dates and materials (international first years)

• Fall 2027: applications open 1 August 2026 and close 1 August 2027; documents are due 5 August and classes start 27 September. Winter and spring entry are also possible. Decisions take about four to six weeks after the file is complete.
• Application: PSU online application, $60 fee; high school transcripts and diploma or exam results (unofficial copies are accepted at first). SAT/ACT optional for first years.
• Finances: financial documentation is needed for the I-20.

5. Admission and English

• International first years: at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA on a US 4.0 scale; applicants who meet PSU’s country standards and submit complete files are admissible.
• English: TOEFL iBT taken on or after 21 January 2026 4.0 with 3.5 in reading and writing (71 with 15 in reading and writing before that); IELTS Academic 6.0 with 6.0 in reading and writing; PTE 53; SAT reading and writing 560; Duolingo 110.
• Exemption: citizens of English-speaking Canada, the UK, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and similar countries whose education was entirely in English in those countries.

6. Students at high schools in China

• Grades: PSU’s country standard for China is a senior high school diploma with an overall average of 80% or higher.
• Gaokao and art exams: PSU does not say how they are used; ask International Admissions (intladm@pdx.edu).
• IB: full IB diploma with 30 points or more. A-Level requirements are not published.

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

• BC: BC Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood) with an overall average above 73%. Ontario OSSD above 70%; Alberta average of 3.0 (B) or higher.
• English: citizens of English-speaking Canada whose education was entirely in English can be exempt.

8. Transfer students

• International transfers: at least 30 transferable quarter credits (20 semester credits) with a cumulative GPA of 2.25. The fall 2027 transfer deadline is 1 September 2027.
• Art Practice transfers: apply to PSU through the main application, meet a Design, Creativity & Performance Pathway advisor to see how completed courses apply, then meet a faculty advisor in your area. Students with extensive professional art experience may be referred to Art Practice faculty for review.
• Transferable courses: the Art Practice transfer guide lists courses at Portland Community College, Clackamas, Mt Hood and Chemeketa community colleges and Clark College that match PSU’s Core courses, drawing, 200-level art history and studio courses. It suggests taking courses in two studio areas as a foundation for upper-division study.
• Graphic Design transfers: transfer students must also pass the Sophomore Portfolio Review before taking upper-division courses.

9. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-2027 international undergraduate estimate (12 credits per quarter, three quarters, base tuition $712 per credit): tuition $25,632, fees and health insurance $5,775, living expenses $20,406, total $51,813. Each extra credit costs $712 to $782.60 depending on the department.
• International Achievement Scholarship: new international undergraduates are reviewed automatically on academic merit, $3,000 to $10,000 a year; recipients usually enter with at least a 3.25 GPA.
• School scholarships: applications go through PSU’s Scholarship Universe. Examples include the LAIKA Scholarship ($10,000, College of the Arts undergraduates, reapply yearly), the College of the Arts Scholarship ($1,000, 3.0 GPA) and the Blick Art Materials Scholarship ($1,000, 3.25 GPA, financial need); the Justin Eyerly scholarship for Graphic Design is for students who have passed the sophomore review and is judged on portfolio. The school does not say whether international students are eligible; ask the school.
• Two deadlines: the school’s scholarship page says Scholarship Universe is open until midnight on 1 April, while PSU’s deadlines page gives 1 March as the deadline for general and most departmental scholarships. Both are shown; confirm with the school.

Checklists

Students at high schools in China:

• An average of 80% or higher; apply by 1 August 2027 for fall, earlier is better
• TOEFL 4.0 (71 on the old scale) or IELTS 6.0, meeting the reading and writing minimums
• No portfolio for admission; Graphic Design majors prepare for the sophomore review in spring of year two
• Ask admissions whether Gaokao results can be used

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

• A BC Dogwood average above 73%; confirm the English exemption

Transfer students:

• 30 quarter credits and a 2.25 GPA; apply by 1 September for fall; meet the Pathway and faculty advisors to review credits

Sources: Portland State University, Schnitzer School of Art + Art History + Design; Art Practice; Graphic Design; Art & Design; Core; Art Practice BFA 2026-27 degree map; Transferring as an Art Practice major; Art Practice transfer advising guide; BFA in Graphic Design; Sophomore Portfolio Review; School scholarships; Dates and deadlines; International first years; Minimum academic requirements by country; English language proficiency; International transfers; International cost estimate; International student scholarships. Dates are for fall 2027 entry and costs are for 2026-2027. Check Portland State’s website for the latest.