How to apply to art and design at Louisiana State University: a foundations year, then two portfolios to enter one of seven BFA areas, portfolio requirements and timelines for students in China, students in Canada and transfer students

At Louisiana State University (LSU, Baton Rouge), undergraduate art and design sit in the College of Art & Design: fine art and graphic/digital design in the School of Art, and interior design in the School of Interior Design. This guide follows LSU’s website and is written for students in China (including A-Level, IB and AP students), students in Canada (including BC and Vancouver) and transfer students.

1. Degrees

• Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA): seven areas — ceramics, digital art, graphic design, painting & drawing, photography, printmaking and sculpture. Digital art and graphic design are concentrations of their own; the other five are studio art tracks. Each area has 12–16 classes in the discipline, and students take at least one class in six of the seven areas; the degree is about 65% studio. A minor is optional.
• BA in Art and Design: a broader degree with no concentration and about 30–40% studio; after the second year students plan an “approved course of study” with an advisor, which can be a minor outside the School of Art or a double major. There is also a BA with an art history concentration.
• Credits and accreditation: the accreditation page lists the BFA and BA as four-year, 120-credit programs; the School of Art is a member of NASAD and its degrees are accredited.
• Bachelor of Interior Design (BID): four years, CIDA-accredited, starting with a first-year pre-professional curriculum; internships are required. How students move into the professional curriculum is not described on the pages we read; ask the School of Interior Design.

2. Getting into the major: two steps

• Step 1, admission to LSU: the BFA page says first-year students are identified mainly by high school academic GPA and ACT/SAT scores; students who feel a personal interview showing existing work would represent them better can contact Student Services for an on-campus meeting. No portfolio is required to apply. Students not approved for the first year in the School of Art may pursue a minor in fine arts.
• First-year foundations: six studio courses (18 credits) plus art history and general education. All students take ART 1011 Two-Dimensional Design, ART 1012 Three-Dimensional Design and ART 1847 Drawing and Composition in the first semester; second-semester courses follow the intended concentration.
• Step 2, selective admissions: after foundations, students apply online once a year at the end of spring and may apply to several areas, ranked. Two portfolios are required: the Foundations Portfolio and a discipline-specific portfolio. The page lists a deadline of March 20, 2026; check the School of Art for the 2027 date.
• GPA: the college requires at least a 2.0, but the page says the competitive process means a higher GPA is almost always necessary.

3. Portfolio requirements

• When applying to LSU: none.
• Foundations Portfolio (end of first year): three works from the three foundations classes that show your best practice and range — homework, major projects, in-class exercises or sketchbook pages. Photograph and format them in Photoshop with class, year, size and medium, and upload to Moodle for faculty review.
• Discipline-specific portfolio: set by each area and described in the selective admissions guidelines; we did not check each area.

4. Applying and deadlines

• Application: first-year applicants use the Common App only, which also serves as the merit scholarship application. Fee USD 50; eligible students can use a fee waiver.
• Deadlines (first-year page): scholarship priority December 1; regular decision February 1.
• Deadlines (international page): the page still lists 2025 dates (fall 2025: April 15, 2025); 2027 international deadlines have not been published. It asks for all documents at least 120 days before the semester. Confirm with admissions.
• Testing: first-year applicants with a weighted GPA below 3.5 must submit the ACT or SAT; 3.5 and above may choose. The middle 50% of admitted students had a 3.6–4.1 GPA, ACT 24–29 and SAT 1170–1350 (excluding test-optional students).

5. Students at high schools in China

• Grades: the equivalent of a U.S. high school diploma with an academic average of B (3.0 on a 4-point scale); physical education, vocational, religion, art, music and similar courses are excluded from that average. Send original-language transcripts with English translations. The page strongly encourages ACT or SAT scores.
• English: scores for automatic admission are TOEFL iBT 79 (paper 550), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 100; SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 500 or ACT English 18 also exempts you. Admitted international students generally take an English placement test.
• Gaokao or art exams: LSU does not publish how these are used.
• A-Level and IB: the page asks for certificates, transcripts and syllabi for possible credit; we did not check specific equivalencies.

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

• English: the international page requires TOEFL or IELTS from applicants educated in a country or province where English is not the only official language, and lists as one exemption secondary or tertiary education in a country where English is the primary official language. Canada is not named, so ask admissions whether BC students are exempt.
• Grade requirements: LSU does not publish requirements for BC or other provinces.

7. Transfer students

• University requirements: 30+ transferable credits, a 2.5 GPA and a C or better in college-level English and math; with fewer than 30 credits you must also meet first-year requirements. Credit from international institutions needs a B (3.0) equivalent.
• School of Art: transfers from other LSU programs and other universities are considered on a space-available basis; apply by February 15 for fall. Art courses taken elsewhere may substitute if equivalent, with consideration for NASAD-accredited programs, and transfer students submit a portfolio of work from relevant courses for review by faculty in the chosen area.

8. Costs and scholarships

• Fall 2026 and spring 2027, non-Louisiana resident on campus: tuition and fees USD 29,562, food 5,584, housing 10,300, books 1,020, transport 3,336 and personal 6,320, a total of USD 56,122. The page is split by residency and does not list international students separately; art supply or studio fees were not checked.
• Scholarships: the Common App is also the merit scholarship application (priority December 1). Which scholarships international students can receive, and School of Art award amounts, are not published or were not checked.

9. Checklist

Students in China:

• Apply on the Common App and choose art; submit by December 1 for scholarship priority
• Academic average of B or better; TOEFL 79, IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 100; SAT/ACT recommended
• Complete the three foundations courses in the first year, then submit the Foundations and discipline portfolios for selective admissions at the end of spring

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

• Same process; ask admissions whether you are exempt from English testing

Transfer students:

• 30 credits, 2.5 GPA, C or better in English and math; apply by February 15 for fall and bring a portfolio from your art courses

Sources: Louisiana State University, School of Art undergraduate programs; Bachelor of Arts in Art and Design; Bachelor of Fine Arts; Foundations Portfolio; Selective admissions; Accreditation; School of Interior Design; First-year applicants; International applicants; Transfer applicants; 2026-27 cost of attendance. The selective admissions page shows a 2026 deadline and the international page still lists 2025 deadlines; check LSU for the latest.