How to apply to CU Boulder for art: no portfolio at admission, everyone starts in the Art Practices BA, and the BFA portfolio review opens after 24 credits in the major — portfolio requirements and timelines for students in China, students in Canada and transfer students

At the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder), undergraduate art is taught by the Department of Art and Art History in the College of Arts and Sciences. Here is what you need to know, based on official CU Boulder information, 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 areas

• BA in Art Practices: 33 credits in the major. Studio areas are ceramics, integrated media arts practices (IMAP: photography, digital media, video, integrated arts), painting and drawing, printmaking, and sculpture and post-studio practice.
  • Required: Introduction to Studio Art ARTS 1010 and 1020, introductory art history ARTH 1500 and 1600, one 2000-level course in your emphasis, at least 12 upper-division emphasis credits and 6 upper-division ARTS electives.
  • Major courses need a C- or better and cannot be pass/fail; a 2.0 major GPA is needed to graduate; no more than 45 ARTS credits count toward graduation. The degree is 120 credits with at least 45 upper-division.
• BFA in Art Practices: 57 credits in the major, more specialised, in one studio area or across two or three. It includes two 2000-level courses in the emphasis, 18 upper-division studio credits, the BFA Seminar, two upper-division art history courses and 12 elective credits; painting and drawing and ceramics have named course sequences, and students show work in the BFA exhibition. At least 12 upper-division credits must be taken at CU Boulder.
• The department also offers an Art History BA and an accelerated BA/MA in art history.
• Naming differs: the BFA page calls the degree that students move to after not passing a second BFA review the “Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art (BASA)”, while the catalog and apply page call it the BA in Art Practices.

2. Portfolio: none at admission, then a BFA review

• Applying to CU Boulder: the department says no portfolio is required at admission and admitted students are placed in the Art History or Art Practices BA; admissions also says it does not accept portfolios or audio/video except for the College of Music. Declaring the Art Practices major needs no portfolio either.
• Applying for the BFA: open only to art majors, reviewed once in fall and once in spring, with deadlines of 15 October (fall round) and 15 March (spring round).
  • You need at least 24 ARTS/ARTH credits completed or in progress; the department strongly recommends applying before reaching 45 credits in the major.
  • Admission is competitive and limited, based on the portfolio, academic record and motivation. Students who do not pass a second BFA portfolio review complete a BA instead.
  • Timing: the catalog’s four-year plan suggests applying in the fourth or fifth semester; the department’s apply page says a portfolio is typically needed when you declare the BFA in your third year.
  • The number of works and format are not given on the pages read; the department’s Visual Resources Center helps with photographing work and preparing a digital portfolio. Check your eligibility with an academic advisor first.

3. First-year application: timing, materials and testing

• The 2027 application is open on the Common App. The application fee is not stated on the pages read; check the application system.
• International first-year deadlines: early action 15 November; regular 15 January; spring entry 1 October.
• Materials: one essay and one short answer, one letter of recommendation, and transcripts (unofficial for the first review, with certified English translations if needed; official records after you enrol).
• Testing: SAT/ACT is not required for 2027; you may self-report scores.
• Review: holistic, led by core-course grades, rigour and GPA, with a prediction of success in your intended major.
• Funding: applicants needing an I-20 must show funding for all first-year expenses before admission is finalised.

4. English

• Minimums: TOEFL 4.0 (from January 2026) or 80 (earlier), IELTS 6.5, Cambridge C1/C2 180, PTE 58, Duolingo 115; or IB English A SL 6 or HL 5, GCSE/GCE English B, AP English 4, SAT EBRW 580 or ACT English 23. Scores must be within two calendar years of your start date.
• Waiver: two years of full-time secondary study in a listed country (including Canada), completed within two calendar years of your start; a medium-of-instruction letter alone does not count.
• Conditional admission: apply without English scores and join the Pathway to CU Program if admitted. English scores must be on file for scholarship consideration.

5. Students at high schools in China

• Submit senior secondary transcripts, mark sheets and exam results; current students send records to date.
• CU Boulder publishes no Gaokao policy or score requirement, and nothing on provincial or school-set art exams.
• A-Level, IB and AP can earn credit; an IB diploma with exam scores of 4+ earns 24 credits at entry, subject to college approval.
• No portfolio is needed to apply; prepare one after you enrol if you aim for the BFA.

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

• Grade requirements for BC and other provinces are not published.
• Two years of full-time secondary study in Canada, finished within two calendar years of your start, waives English testing.

7. Costs (US$)

• 2026-27 international first-year: base-rate tuition and undergraduate fees 48,222 a year, books 1,200, on-campus housing and meals 19,242, about 68,664 in total, plus a one-time 500 new student fee and a 40 immigration compliance fee each semester.
• Tuition tier: the cost page lists Arts & Humanities in Arts and Sciences at the base rate; it does not name the tier for Art and Art History separately, so confirm with CU Boulder.
• Tuition guarantee: undergraduate tuition stays the same for four years from your first term.

8. Transfer

• International transfer deadlines: spring 1 October; summer 15 March; fall early notification 15 March and final 1 June.
• Arts and Sciences: a GPA of 2.5 or higher showing continued success. Applicants with fewer than 24 credits are also reviewed on high school records; with 24 or more, the focus is on college work.
• BFA: at least 12 upper-division BFA credits and 12 upper-division ARTS/ARTH courses must be taken at CU Boulder; how many outside art credits count toward the major is not published, so ask an advisor.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply on the Common App by 15 November (early action) or 15 January; no portfolio and no SAT/ACT needed
• IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 80 (4.0) or Duolingo 115; prepare proof of first-year funding
• At CU Boulder, take ARTS 1010/1020 and ARTH 1500/1600 and prepare a BFA portfolio by 24 credits in the major

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

• Same deadlines; two full-time years of secondary school in Canada waive English testing

Transfer students:

• A 2.5+ GPA; fall early notification 15 March and final 1 June; leave room to take BFA credits at CU Boulder

Sources: University of Colorado Boulder, Art and Art History: apply; BFA information and application; Catalog: Art Practices BA; Catalog: Art Practices BFA; First-year admission; International application deadlines; English proficiency; International transcript requirements; Transfer admission criteria; Fall 2026–spring 2027 costs. The catalog is 2026-2027; 2027-28 costs are not yet published, so figures are 2026-27 rates. Check CU Boulder for the latest.