How to apply to art and design at Grand Valley State University: the Studio Art BFA in eight emphases, with no admission portfolio according to the department and a Second Year Advisory Review in early spring of sophomore year, plus requirements and timelines for students from China, Canada and transfers

Grand Valley State University (GVSU), in Allendale, Michigan, teaches undergraduate art and design in the Department of Visual and Media Arts in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; the department office is in the Calder Art Center. This guide summarises GVSU’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

• Studio Art: BA, BS and BFA, plus a minor. The BA/BS suit students who want breadth or to combine art with another field; the BFA is a professional degree with two-thirds of the curriculum in the visual arts.
• Eight BFA emphases: ceramics, graphic design, illustration, jewelry and metalsmithing, painting, printmaking, sculpture and visual studies. You choose a preliminary emphasis when declaring the BFA and can change it later; a double emphasis is possible.
• Other majors in the department: photography BA/BS, film and video production BA/BS (courses include animation, documentary, fiction filmmaking, new media and sound design), art education BA/BS and art history BA.
• BFA curriculum (updated from fall 2022): foundations 12 credits, a film/video or photography course 3, a 3D studio elective 3, emphasis courses 15, studio electives 27, culmination courses 9, art history 12 and up to 45 credits of general education, for up to 126 credits.
• First year: Studio Art and Art Education students take 4 or 5 foundation courses focused on drawing, design and problem solving; the four BFA foundations are ART 150, 151, 153 and 155.

2. Admission and portfolio

• The department: Studio Art majors and minors can be declared directly in Banner, and no admissions portfolio is required. New students attend orientation before declaring.
• The catalog: the 2026-2027 catalog lists majors whose entry standards exceed GVSU’s minimum admission requirements, including Studio art (all emphases), art education and film and video production; students must meet the department’s additional requirements before declaring.
• Both statements are given here: the department page says no portfolio is needed, while the catalog lists Studio Art as having additional requirements. Check with the department before applying.
• Art education: the department’s declare page says “Apply Here” for art education, and the transfer page says art education requires an application and portfolio; requirements for first-year applicants are not on the pages we read, so ask the department.
• First-year admission (university-wide): high school courses, cumulative GPA and grade trends; tests are optional, but applicants for the top scholarships must submit scores. GVSU recommends electives including the fine arts.

3. Three BFA reviews

• Second Year Advisory Review: required for all BFA students, for the degree and for junior review eligibility. It is an in-person discussion of your work with 2 studio art faculty, using physical or digital samples; students who entered as first-years present in early March of sophomore year, and transfer students may do it earlier. After the review you confirm your BFA emphasis.
• Coursework in progress or completed that semester: all foundations courses, a 3D studio elective (ceramics, jewelry/metalsmithing or sculpture), and three other studio courses (two in your intended emphasis, one in another area).
• Preparation: a series of advisor and faculty meetings from your first semester, which may be checked at registration.
• A Junior Review and Senior Review follow; both are required BFA milestones.

4. Applying and deadlines (international undergraduates)

• Deadlines (no year shown): fall (August) 1 June for the application, 1 July for the I-20 financial verification form; winter (January) 1 November and 15 November.
• How to apply: Common App or the GVSU online application; there is no undergraduate application fee.
• Documents: English scores sent by the testing agency, all secondary and post-secondary transcripts and certificates (with English translations), and a personal statement.

5. English

• TOEFL 4.5 (86 on the prior scale; MyBest and Essentials not accepted), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 105; Cambridge English, PTE, SAT Reading and Writing and others are also listed on the international application page.
• Canada is on the list of exempt countries.

6. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-2027 undergraduate tuition: non-Michigan residents $23,492 a year at lower level and $24,184 at upper level; a traditional residence hall with unlimited meals is $11,100.
• GVSU International Scholarship: automatic for admitted international undergraduates on listed visa types, covering the difference between nonresident and resident tuition (about $6,700 a year, per GVSU), renewable for 4 years.
• International Merit Scholarship: $2,500 a year, fall entrants only, separate application recommended by 15 February.
• Department scholarships: mostly for current students, applied for by 1 March each year on myScholarship. Examples: the Studio Art Major Support Scholarship of $2,640 (BA/BS/BFA students enrolled for at least one semester, by GPA and financial need); two Art Education Merit Scholarships of $1,320 each (junior standing, five artworks, a 300-word essay, financial need). Whether international students are eligible is not published.
• Art supplies: the department has an “Art Supply Payments” page; amounts are not published.

7. Students at high schools in China

• Gaokao and art exams: the catalog says applicants from countries with national exams must submit official results; how the Gaokao is used, and whether art exams count, is not published, so ask admissions.
• Portfolio: the department says none is needed on entry; preparation for the second-year review starts in your first semester (see above).

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

• English: Canada is on the exemption list.
• Grades: BC grade requirements are not published.
• Scholarship: the GVSU International Scholarship is for listed visa types; check which visa applies to you and whether you are eligible.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts as a transfer: the department says students who have earned credit for at least one college studio art course; students who attended college without taking studio courses can declare directly in Banner.
• Portfolio: Studio Art BA/BS/BFA, photography, film and video production and art history do not need an application and portfolio to receive transfer credit; art education does.
• Credit: with 30 or more college credits send official college transcripts; with fewer, also send your high school transcript. Only courses comparable to GVSU’s are credited, and software-only courses cannot count as studio courses; Studio Art transfer students take at least 15 art credits in the department, including one art history course; up to 15 credits can count toward BFA studio electives; a bachelor’s degree needs at least 58 credits from four-year institutions.
• AP and IB: AP art scores of 3 or higher and IB art scores of 4 or higher receive equivalency credit.
• Resolve transfer equivalencies soon after starting, before the second-year review.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Submit the application by 1 June for fall (no fee) and the financial verification form by 1 July
• Prepare TOEFL 4.5 (86), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 105, and official national exam results
• Apply for the International Merit Scholarship by 15 February
• Ask the department whether Studio Art or Art Education needs materials on entry

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

• Canada is exempt from English tests; confirm your visa type and international scholarship eligibility

Transfer students:

• Send college transcripts (plus high school if under 30 credits); start studio course equivalencies right after enrolling

Sources: Grand Valley State University, Department of Visual and Media Arts; Undergraduate programs; Studio Art; Studio Art BFA; BFA curriculum and requirements; Second Year Advisory Review; Declaring the Studio Art degree; Declare your VMA degree; Studio Art transfer information; Department scholarships; 2026-2027 catalog: admissions; International undergraduate application; International scholarships; 2026-27 tuition. Deadline pages do not state a year. Check GVSU’s website for the latest.