How to Apply to Art and Design at UMass Lowell: The B.F.A. in Art (Studio Art, Animation and Interactive Media) and the B.F.A. in Graphic Design with a 10-Piece SlideRoom Portfolio, with Portfolio Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

At the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell), undergraduate art and design is offered by the Art & Design Department in the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (FAHSS), which is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). Here is what you need to know, based on UMass Lowell’s website, 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 and majors

• B.F.A. in Art, with two concentrations:
  • Studio Art: painting, sculpture, photography and printmaking, with options such as web design, motion graphics, interactive design, typography and video.
  • Animation and Interactive Media: 2D and 3D animation and modeling, 3D printing, computer-generated art and virtual and augmented reality, ending with a year-long senior capstone project and an online portfolio and resume.
  • The major page says the B.F.A. in Art focuses 80+ credit hours on making art.
• B.F.A. in Graphic Design: typography, branding, UX/UI design, motion graphics and web design.
• Two descriptions of the majors: the programs page lists the B.F.A. in Art with Studio Art and Animation and Interactive Media concentrations and a separate B.F.A. in Graphic Design, while the department home page describes a B.F.A. in Art with a concentration in Animation and Interactive Media, Graphic Design or Studio Art. Both are given here; follow the program pages and Admissions.
• Internships: the Studio Art and Animation and Interactive Media pages both say internships are required for all graduates.
• Minors: Art, Graphic Design, Art History and Architectural Studies.

2. Applying and the portfolio

• Two steps: applicants for graphic design or fine arts apply to Undergraduate Admissions and submit a portfolio directly to the Art and Design Department via SlideRoom. Admissions reviews academic records first, then the department reviews portfolios; Admissions sends the final decision.
• What to include: 10 original works representing your best artwork, design or photos, showing independent thought and a range of visual art experience, and including drawings from direct observation. You may include 2-D work (painting, illustration, comics, photography, printmaking), 3-D work (ceramics, sculpture, installation) and time-based media (animation, motion graphics, game design, video). Works in progress are fine if you note their status.
• Format: JPEG, video (.MOV, .WMV, .FLV) or PDF; images ideally no larger than 1220 px at 72 dpi and videos under 60 MB each. Use SlideRoom’s text area to give each piece’s size, medium and completion date, and optionally the assignment, concept or process.
• By mail: if you cannot use SlideRoom for technology reasons, you may mail your portfolio to the department in Mahoney Hall; call the department first. The department is not responsible for items lost or damaged in transit.
• First-year portfolio deadlines: November 1 for early action and no later than February 1 for regular admission. The university’s Early Action I deadline is November 5, which is not the same day as the portfolio deadline; both are given here, and the department’s page governs the portfolio. The pages do not state a year.
• If your portfolio does not pass: students admitted to the university may take first-year art courses and resubmit well-graded work from them after the first semester.
• No portfolio: the department says it aims to train any student accepted at UMass Lowell. If you have no portfolio but want to major in art, you can take Drawing I and Art Concepts I to prepare; if you choose another field, they count toward general education (Arts and Humanities).
• Interviews: the pages read do not mention an interview.

3. Deadlines and materials

• Application: international first-year and transfer applicants use the UMass Lowell Application or the Common App; the application fee is $70 and non-refundable.
• Domestic first-year deadlines: Early Action I November 5, Early Action II January 15, Regular Decision February 15.
• International first-year deadlines: fall July 25. For spring, the deadlines page says December 12 and the international undergraduate page says December 1. UMass Lowell advises international applicants to start at least 12 months ahead. The international fall deadline is much later than the department’s portfolio deadlines, and the department does not say separately when international applicants should submit portfolios; ask the department.
• Materials: secondary school transcripts with graduation or leaving exam results (professionally translated and notarized if not in English), SAT/ACT or the No Test option, one essay (250–650 words), one recommendation and English test scores.
• I-20 deadlines (applicants outside the U.S., who must be admitted first): fall August 2, spring December 15.

4. Students at high schools in China

• Gaokao and art exams: UMass Lowell does not say whether it considers them or publish any score requirement; ask Admissions.
• English minimums: Duolingo 110, IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 79, PTE 61 for first-year applicants.
• English waivers: written verification that instruction is in English, or enrollment in an IB curriculum, a U.S. school or a Cambridge International (IGCSE/O-level and A-level) curriculum.

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

• English: citizens of Canada (except Quebec) do not need an English test.
• Grades: UMass Lowell does not publish requirements for Canadian or BC curricula; ask Admissions. Portfolio requirements are the same; the department does not list separate rules by country.

6. Transfer students and changing majors

• Portfolio: transfer portfolios are accepted on a rolling basis, with deadlines of January 10 for spring and August 20 for fall.
• University deadlines: international transfer fall July 25; for spring, the deadlines page says December 12 and the international page says January 7.
• Changing majors: current UMass Lowell students who want to enter the B.F.A. are internal applicants, with portfolios accepted on a rolling basis.
• Transcripts and credit: international transcripts need a WES course-by-course evaluation, plus translated and notarized course descriptions for all courses; applicants with fewer than 24 college credits also send high school transcripts. Departments decide transfer credit, and not all credits are guaranteed to transfer.

7. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-2027 international estimate: tuition $36,610 and an estimated total of $59,559 (including mandatory fees, housing and meals). The pages read do not list art course or studio fees.
• University scholarships: first-year merit scholarships are awarded at admission with no separate application. International students cannot receive U.S. federal aid.
• Department scholarships: apply through the university’s online scholarship system by early April each spring; in addition to the financial aid application, you also submit an art or design portfolio. They include:
  • Brush Gallery and Studios Art Scholarship: $1,000 a year, merit-based, with priority for incoming and first-year art majors.
  • Friends of the Art and Design Department Endowed Scholarship: for full-time Studio Art or Graphic Design majors with a 3.0 GPA and financial need determined by the Financial Aid Office.
  • William E. Peredina, Sr. Memorial Scholarship: Studio Art or Graphic Design majors with at least a B+ GPA; the page says Massachusetts residents may be eligible.
  The pages do not say for each award whether international students are eligible; ask the department.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Prepare 10 original works including drawings from direct observation, with size, medium and date for each
• Submit the portfolio via SlideRoom; the department lists November 1 (early action) or no later than February 1, so ask the department about timing for international applicants; the international fall application deadline is July 25
• Prepare IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 79 or Duolingo 110; IB and A-level students may be exempt

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

• Citizens of Canada (except Quebec) are exempt from English tests; ask Admissions about grade requirements
• Portfolio deadlines are the same as above

Transfer students:

• Submit your portfolio by January 10 (spring) or August 20 (fall); get a WES course-by-course evaluation for international transcripts

Sources: UMass Lowell, Art and Design Department; Programs of study; B.F.A. in Art; B.F.A. in Graphic Design; Studio Art concentration; Animation and Interactive Media concentration; How to apply to Art and Design; Applicant portfolio; Art and Design scholarships; Deadlines and fees; International undergraduate requirements; Undergraduate tuition and fees. Deadline pages do not state a year, and costs are 2026-2027 estimates. Check UMass Lowell for the latest details.