How to Apply to Art and Design at the University of Florida: School of Art + Art History BA/BFA in Art and BFA in Graphic Design with Sophomore Portfolio Reviews, Freshman Portfolios for Scholarships Only, with Portfolio Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

At the University of Florida (UF), undergraduate art and design is in the School of Art + Art History (SA+AH) within the College of the Arts. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on official UF information, for students at Chinese high schools (including A-Level, IB and AP students), students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver) and transfer students.

1. Undergraduate degrees

• BFA in Art: 120 credits, with about two-thirds of coursework in art, for students who want to commit fully to an artistic career. Areas include ceramics, creative photography, digital and electronic media, drawing, installation, painting, performance, printmaking and sculpture. Seniors get dedicated studios, and a year-long Senior Studio leads to the BFA Thesis Exhibition.
• BA in Art: less than half the coursework in art, offering flexibility for a dual degree, certificate, minor or professional school preparation.
• BFA in Graphic Design: 120 credits covering design thinking, typography, visual systems and work with teams and clients; juniors and seniors get dedicated studio space and finish a senior portfolio. The catalog says students must obtain a qualifying computer when they enroll in their first design course.
• The school also offers the BA in Art History, minors in art, art history and graphic design, and certificates in art education and ceramics.
• First course: all three majors begin with the school’s WARP (Workshop for Art Research and Practice).
• Grades: all coursework required for the major needs a C or better.

2. Entering the major: critical tracking and the sophomore portfolio review

• Critical tracking: UF checks each semester whether students have completed the required tracking courses and GPA.
  • Art BFA: semester 1, 6 credits of ART 1803C or 2000-level art with a 2.0 UF GPA; semester 2, 3 of 8 tracking courses with 2.5; semester 3, 3 more with 2.75; semester 4, all remaining tracking courses with 3.0; 3.0 every semester after that.
  • Graphic Design: semester 1, GRA 2111C and GRA 1113C with 2.0; semester 2, ART 1803C and GRA 1831C with 2.5; semester 3 with 2.75; 3.0 from semester 4.
• Art BFA sophomore review: the catalog says students must submit and pass the sophomore portfolio review before beginning 3000/4000-level studio courses.
• Graphic Design is limited access: students begin as design majors and apply to the limited-access program through a portfolio at the end of the sophomore year. The portfolio, including responses to prompts, is a PDF in SlideRoom; the deadline for Summer B or fall entry is March 1, once a year. Meeting the minimum GPA, prerequisites and portfolio does not guarantee admission; decisions rest mainly on the competitive portfolio.
• Changing majors at UF: current students who want art, art history or graphic design should contact the school’s undergraduate advising office early; graphic design changers also submit the end-of-sophomore-year portfolio.

3. Freshman applicants: no portfolio required; supplements are for scholarships

• Apply to UF first: freshman admission is handled by the UF Office of Admissions, and the school says no portfolio or supplemental material is required for freshman admission.
• Optional supplement: after the deadlines, applicants who list Art, Art History or Graphic Design as their intended major are invited to send supplemental materials through SlideRoom (a portfolio, or a summary of art history activities), reviewed only for scholarships. For Summer B/Fall 2027, Early Decision and Early Action applicants should submit by November 8 and Regular Decision applicants by February 9, following the school’s PDF portfolio formatting guide.

4. Dates and materials (2026-27 cycle)

• Common App only.
• Early Decision (binding): apply by October 15, materials by October 22, decisions December 11, commit by January 8.
• Early Action: apply by November 1, materials by November 8, decisions January 22.
• Regular Decision: apply by January 15, materials by January 22, decisions March 19.
• Testing required: under Florida Board of Governors rules, every freshman submits the SAT, ACT or CLT (self-reporting accepted) by the materials deadline.

5. Students at Chinese high schools

• Gaokao and art exams: UF does not say how they are used (not published); ask admissions.
• Credential evaluation: coursework outside the US needs a course-by-course evaluation with GPA from a NACES member, received by the materials deadline; non-English transcripts need a word-for-word certified translation.
• English: the freshman international page lists no English test requirement; the international transfer page requires TOEFL iBT 80 or IELTS Academic 6.0. Ask admissions whether freshmen need scores and at what level.

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

• Canadian coursework is treated as coursework outside the US and needs a course-by-course evaluation with GPA; UF publishes no separate BC grade requirement (not published).
• The international transfer page lists Canada as exempt from English proficiency; whether this applies to freshmen is not stated.
• The SAT, ACT or CLT is still required.

7. Transfer students

• Basics: all SA+AH undergraduate majors are limited access and require at least 60 transferable credits with a 3.0 cumulative GPA; an AA degree is preferred. Students with 90+ credits at a four-year institution may not be admitted. Transfers typically take two to two and a half years to finish.
• Prerequisites (3.0 GPA): the Art BA/BFA requires 2D design, 3D design, Drawing 1 and 2, Art History 1 and 2, plus two more studio courses; Graphic Design replaces those two studios with two graphic design courses (design methods and typography). Prerequisites must be finished before attending UF and cannot be taken at UF.
• Deadlines: the UF application is due March 1, 2027 for Summer B/fall and September 15, 2026 for spring; the school’s SlideRoom portfolio (PDF) is due March 1, or October 1 for spring. Graphic Design admits for Summer B/fall only.
• Portfolio: include your best and most recent work with a coherent theme and creative direction, and avoid commercial work such as wedding or product photography or fan-art commissions; add an artist statement. UF admission and SA+AH admission must both be met; neither guarantees the other.
• International transfer English: TOEFL iBT 80 or IELTS 6.0, or an exemption such as a full-time academic year in the US or a country where English is the only official language; Canada is on the exempt list.

8. Costs and aid

• 2026-27 out-of-state undergraduate budget (USD, projected for new freshmen): tuition and fees 34,620 (30 credits over fall and spring), books and supplies 1,220, transportation 1,700, total 54,010. 2027 figures are not yet published, and art supply costs are not listed separately.
• Scholarships: freshman supplements are reviewed only for school scholarships; amounts and international eligibility are not stated on the pages read (not published).

Checklist

Students at Chinese high schools:

• Apply on the Common App by October 15 (ED), November 1 (EA) or January 15 (RD), listing Art or Graphic Design as your intended major
• Submit the SAT, ACT or CLT; get a course-by-course evaluation with GPA
• When invited, send the supplemental portfolio (November 8 for EA, February 9 for RD) for scholarships

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

• Also get a course-by-course evaluation and submit the SAT, ACT or CLT
• Ask admissions about freshman English requirements

Transfer students:

• At least 60 transferable credits and a 3.0 GPA; finish prerequisites before enrolling
• Submit the UF application and the school portfolio by March 1 for fall; Graphic Design admits for fall only

Sources: University of Florida, School of Art + Art History degrees; BFA in Art; BA in Art; BFA in Graphic Design; Incoming freshmen; Current students; Transfer students; Catalog: Art BFA; Catalog: Graphic Design BFA; 2026-27 freshman deadlines; Freshman international applicants; International transfer and English requirements; 2026-27 cost of attendance. This is for fall 2027 entry (2026-2027 catalog, 2026-27 costs); check UF’s website for the latest.