How to Apply to Art and Design at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: The BFA in Art and Design Offers Graphic Design, Photography and Video, and Studio Art, with 8–10 Works and a 350–550 Word Statement Due 31 January after You Apply, Plus Portfolio Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

At California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly SLO), undergraduate art and design is taught by the Department of Art and Design in the College of Liberal Arts. The degree is the BFA in Art and Design, accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). Cal Poly is part of the California State University (CSU) system and uses Cal State Apply. This guide sets out what Cal Poly publishes for fall 2027 entry for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including British Columbia and Vancouver) and transfer students.

1. The degree and its three concentrations

• One degree, three concentrations: you are admitted through a portfolio in your chosen concentration.
  • Graphic Design: typography, identity design, UX/UI design, illustration, publication, packaging and motion design, and design history; each spring, design professionals review seniors’ portfolios. The department notes it differs from the print-focused concentration in the Graphic Communication Department.
  • Photography and Video: traditional and alternative photographic processes, digital imaging, large format, advertising illustration, and narrative, documentary, experimental and video art; Cal Poly describes it as commercially oriented.
  • Studio Art: painting, drawing, sculpture and time-based art, with specialisation in a medium in upper-division courses; admissions calls it a selective program.
• Units (2026-2028 Catalog): 120 units in total, including 39 concentration units, general education and free electives. Cal Poly has moved to semesters, with new four-digit course numbers.
• Minors: Art History, Photography and Studio Art, plus two affiliate minors (Computing for Interactive Arts; Media Arts, Society and Technology).
• Class format: most art and design classes have a 1 hour 20 minute lecture followed by a 1 hour 20 minute studio lab.

2. Application and portfolio (fall 2027)

• Fall entry only; admission is by major, so choose Art and Design when you apply.
• Filing period, two versions: the department page says 1 October to 1 December; the admissions first-year and international dates pages say 1 October to 30 November, with no late applications. Follow the admissions pages and Cal State Apply.
• Portfolio submission: after your application is processed, Admissions emails instructions for the Application Status Portal; submit by 31 January 2027. The international dates page also says all Art and Design applicants must complete their files by 31 January (other majors by 15 February).
• Statement: 350–550 words as a PDF, with your name, the date and your intended concentration at the top: why you are applying, the experiences and influences behind your work, what you hope to explore at Cal Poly, and your goals.
• Work: 8–10 original works from the last three years, in any medium, finished or as sketches, storyboards or works in progress. Include some work related to your intended concentration, but it need not be limited to it. Give each work a brief description of medium, size and relevant information.
• Formats: JPEG, PNG, GIF or PDF for images and documents; MP4 or MOV for video, with 10 minutes total across all videos; public web links are allowed. Files up to 5GB; no Google Drive links or native files such as Illustrator or Photoshop files.
• Originality: the work must be your own; the portfolio page sets out how to note any tools used in a work’s caption, so follow its wording before you submit.
• Decision: all applicants hear by 1 April 2027. The department does not give individual portfolio feedback.
• Selection: Cal Poly and all its undergraduate majors are impacted, so meeting CSU minimums does not guarantee admission; applicants compete within their major, and first-year applicants may list one alternate major. Cal Poly says a change of major after admission is not guaranteed.
• First-year review: a weighted GPA in college-preparatory courses from grades 9 to 11, plus activities, work and leadership. The Cal Poly admissions pages read do not mention the SAT or ACT.

3. International, Chinese and Canadian students

• English minimums: TOEFL 80 (4.5 on the new scale for tests after 21 January 2026), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115, valid for two years. Three years at an English-medium school can qualify for a waiver.
• China: the country table requires the senior high school graduation certificate, with Gaokao results listed as preferred; no score is published. Whether art exams are considered is not published.
• Canada: the provincial grade 12 diploma; in Quebec, grade 11 graduation plus at least two years of CEGEP. No British Columbia grade requirement is published. The English test exemption list, by citizenship, includes Canada (except Quebec).
• Funding: Cal Poly gives no financial aid to international students, who must show they can pay all costs.

4. Transfer

• Required courses for fall 2027: English communication (oral communication, English composition, critical thinking and composition), one CSU GE Area 2 math or statistics course, and two of ART 1101 Fundamentals of Drawing, ART 1102 2D Design, ART 1103 3D Design and ART 2212 Renaissance to Modern Art, completed by the spring before fall entry.
• Desired courses: a CSU GE Area 3 course (literature or philosophy strongly encouraged); ART 1184 Beginning Sculpture or ART 2282 Beginning Painting; and any of the four major courses not used above.
• General requirements: most majors need 60 semester (90 quarter) units before transfer; the Golden Four (oral communication, written communication, critical thinking, and math or quantitative reasoning) at C- or better; a CSU minimum GPA of 2.0, though admitted students usually have more. Students outside California compare course descriptions with the Cal Poly catalog.
• Portfolio for transfers: the catalog says BFA students are admitted through a portfolio in their concentration; the department’s steps do not separate first-year and transfer applicants; and the admissions transfer course page lists only courses. Follow the instructions emailed after you apply and check with the department.

5. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-27 estimate for entering students (USD, College of Liberal Arts): base tuition and fees 14,682; nonresident tuition 14,130 (30 units at $471) and the nonresident opportunity fee 8,804; for international students, an international student fee of 900 and mandatory health insurance of 1,533; residence hall 12,682, meals 7,656, books and materials 1,160, miscellaneous 2,586, transportation 1,466 and loan fees 72. International total for Liberal Arts: about 68,473.
• Department scholarships: the Photography and Video page lists the Kurt O. Brown, Kodak Professional Photography and Darren E. Loyd photography scholarships; amounts and international eligibility are not published.
• Art course material or studio fees are not listed on the pages used here.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Submit Cal State Apply by 30 November 2026, choosing Art and Design and an intended concentration
• After the email, upload the 350–550 word statement and 8–10 works to the Application Status Portal by 31 January 2027; prepare the graduation certificate (Gaokao results preferred) and IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 4.5

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

• Apply with your grade 12 diploma; Canadian citizens (except Quebec) are on the English exemption list
• The portfolio is also due 31 January, with decisions by 1 April

Transfer students:

• Before transferring, complete English communication courses, one math or statistics course and two of ART 1101, 1102, 1103 and 2212
• Reach 60 semester units and the Golden Four; confirm the portfolio requirement with the department

Sources: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Art and Design: how to apply and portfolio; Art and Design: BFA overview; Graphic Design concentration; Photography and Video concentration; Studio Art concentration; 2026-2028 Catalog: Art and Design BFA; Art and Design major; First-year dates; International dates; Art and Design transfer course criteria; International selection criteria; Country-based entry requirements; English exam requirements; Impaction; Transfer selection criteria; 2026-27 undergraduate cost of attendance. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are for students entering in 2026-27). Check Cal Poly for the latest details.