How to Apply to Art and Design at Boston University: BFAs in Painting, Sculpture, Graphic Design, Printmaking and Art Education and the BA in Art at the College of Fine Arts, a 15–20-Piece Portfolio With Three Observational Drawings and a “Water” Piece, and Portfolio Requirements and Timelines for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

At Boston University (BU), undergraduate art and design is offered by the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in the College of Fine Arts (CFA). This guide summarizes BU’s official requirements 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 majors

• Five BFAs: Painting, Sculpture, Graphic Design, Printmaking and Art Education.
• BA in Art: studio training combined with substantial liberal arts study; BU says BA students are generally expected to add a minor or second major outside SVA.
• Minors: SVA also offers Printmaking and Visual Arts minors; the Visual Arts minor requires a separate application after enrolling (five images and short essays).
• Venice: the school runs a study abroad program in Venice, Italy, covering studio art, graphic design, art history and Italian.

2. How the programs work

• BFAs start with the Foundation: taking Graphic Design as an example, students begin in the Foundation program, studying two- and three-dimensional visual concepts with an emphasis on drawing from observation, then specialize in graphic design from sophomore year; senior year ends with a thesis project exhibited in the BU Art Galleries.
• BFA Graphic Design requirements (Bulletin): 132 units in total, including 26 units of Foundation (the CFA first-year course, two terms of Drawing I, Foundation Painting, Foundation Sculpture and two art history courses), six sequenced terms of graphic design studio, four terms of typography, photography, web/interactive design, history of graphic design and a printmaking elective, plus BU Hub general education and electives.
• BA in Art: students start with a 4-credit drawing course, Foundation studio electives and foundational art history; in spring of sophomore year they take the BA’s Research Topics seminar, and the senior Capstone combines studio work with research from another discipline and includes a written component.
• Exhibitions: each BFA student’s senior thesis work is exhibited in a professional gallery.

3. Portfolio requirements

• Who submits: besides the BU application, every CFA applicant needs an artistic evaluation; for SVA this is a portfolio submitted online only at SlideRoom (bucfa.slideroom.com).
• Size: at least 15 and no more than 20 works. BU stresses quality over quantity: 20 images are not inherently better than 15.
• Required pieces:
  • three drawings from direct observation in an analog medium (charcoal, graphite or ink suggested) showing craftsmanship and design principles such as line, value and composition;
  • one piece representing water, open to interpretation and in any medium;
  • one piece made outside a classroom assignment, which can be sketchbook pages.
• Other guidance:
  • include recent work, from roughly the past 12 months;
  • portfolios consisting primarily of photography are not acceptable;
  • composite pages of multiple images are discouraged;
  • sketchbook pages are not required but are encouraged;
  • enter title, dimensions, medium and description in SlideRoom’s text fields rather than on the images;
  • submit only original work; fraudulent portfolios are not tolerated.
• Portfolio deadlines: November 2 (Early Decision), January 5 (Early Decision 2), January 15 (Regular Decision). The page shows no year.
• Preliminary reviews: SVA attends National Portfolio Day events; students who cannot attend can email to book an individual virtual portfolio review.

4. Application rounds and materials

• Application deadlines (BU deadlines page, no year shown): Early Decision November 2, decision December 14; Early Decision 2 January 5, decision February 8; Regular Decision January 5, deposit by May 1. Note that the Regular Decision portfolio deadline (January 15) is later than the application deadline (January 5).
• Merit scholarships: some require applying by December 1. The CFA first-year page says CFA applicants are considered for the Presidential Scholarship with or without SAT/ACT scores if they apply by December 1.
• Testing: CFA does not require the SAT or ACT, though applicants may submit scores; CFA artistic scholarships do not require them either.
• Materials: Common App (or QuestBridge), the personal essay plus a BU supplement, high school transcript, counselor recommendation and school report, one teacher recommendation; the application fee is USD 80 and can be waived.

5. English requirements

• International applicants whose first language is not English must submit TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic or Duolingo: the most competitive applicants have TOEFL 90–100 with at least 20 per section (5.0 or higher on the new scale from January 21, 2026); IELTS 7 or higher meets the requirement for all programs; Duolingo 125–135.
• IELTS Indicator, TOEFL ITP Plus, TOEFL Essentials and IELTS One Skill Retake are not accepted; a waiver can be requested before the deadline and is decided by the admissions committee.

6. Students at high schools in China

• Credentials: the high school graduation certificate, full transcript and any leaving exam results; current seniors state which credential they expect and when. Non-English documents need notarized English translations, with both versions submitted.
• Gaokao, art joint exam and school-set exams: BU does not say how these results are used; this is not published, so ask BU international admissions. The artistic evaluation is based on the portfolio.
• A-Level and IB: British-system students should complete two years of A-Levels; counselors submit predicted results for IB, A-Level and other exam-based curricula. The pages we read do not say whether AP or A-Level can replace CFA courses.
• Financial documents: F-1 or J-1 students submit financial documentation and a sponsor form; ED and ED2 applicants must submit them by the deadline or academic review will not start.

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

• Accepted credentials: the BC Secondary School Graduation Diploma, Ontario OSSD, Quebec secondary diploma plus one to two years of CEGEP, and other provinces’ high school diplomas.
• Grade requirements: BU does not publish cut-offs for Canadian or BC curricula; this is not published.
• Status: Canadian citizens who are not US citizens or permanent residents are international applicants; non-native English speakers submit an English test or request a waiver before the deadline.

8. Costs and scholarships

• 2026/27 costs (USD): tuition 73,024, housing 13,170 (depending on room type), food 7,570, fees 1,570, for billed expenses of 95,334; books and supplies 1,000, personal 1,455 and local transportation 630, for a total cost of attendance of about 98,419.
• No need-based aid for international students: BU does not currently offer need-based aid to international students, who may be eligible for select merit scholarships. BU’s merit scholarships include awards recognizing artistic achievement.
• CFA scholarships: CFA pages mention artistic scholarships, but the pages we read give no amounts or criteria; this is not published. The transfer page says students who transfer out of CFA or change a CFA major to a minor lose CFA merit aid.

9. Transfer

• From other colleges: apply under BU’s transfer policies (September entry March 15; January entry November 2) and submit a portfolio meeting the undergraduate requirements, also via SlideRoom.
• Placement: every portfolio is evaluated for first-semester standing; students whose transcript and portfolio show enough college-level studio work may enter at a higher studio level, decided case by case, up to first-semester junior.
• From within BU: email CFA first; a 2.0 GPA is required to be artistically evaluated, and most programs require an audition or portfolio review. F-1 international students cannot change programs until after their first academic year in the US.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply to CFA on the Common App for a BFA or the BA in Art; ED November 2, ED2 and RD January 5 (check the current year)
• Submit 15–20 works on SlideRoom, including three observational drawings, a water piece and a non-class piece; the RD portfolio deadline is January 15
• TOEFL 90–100 (5.0 on the new scale), IELTS 7 or Duolingo 125–135; apply by December 1 for the Presidential Scholarship

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

• Submit the BC diploma or another provincial diploma; the SAT/ACT is not required
• Follow the international policy on English testing or waivers and prepare financial documents

Transfer students:

• September entry closes March 15; the portfolio follows the first-year requirements, and the highest entry level is first-semester junior

Sources: Boston University, CFA undergraduate admissions; First-year applicants; Transfer applicants; Visual arts undergraduate portfolio requirements; The undergraduate experience; BA Art; BFA Graphic Design; BFA Graphic Design requirements; Application deadlines; International applicants; Cost of attendance; Scholarships and financial aid. The deadlines page shows no year and costs are 2026/27 figures; check BU’s website for the latest.