Studio Art Entry-Portfolio Review Process

All students admitted to UNT who wish to major in Studio Art are designated as a pre-major in Studio Art until the entry-portfolio review process is completed and the student is accepted into one of the seven concentrations.

Important: You must complete the Foundations courses before you may complete the entry-portfolio review process. Read the first question and answer for details.

Due Oct. 15 in Fall | March 15 in Spring

Late portfolios will not be accepted. Submit all contents through UNT Slideroom, the portal for submitting application materials.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. When should I apply?

Students should apply as soon as they meet the eligibility requirements, typically upon completion of their sophomore year.

Students must have completed the following.
a) Completion of Foundations courses (four courses total) with grades of C or better

  • Grades must be posted; these cannot be in-progress courses.
  • If you are not sure if you have completed these or not, contact your academic advisor.

b) Completion of nine credit hours (three courses) of 2000-level or higher studio art courses.

  • At least one course must be in the concentration you wish to pursue
  • A grade of “B” or better is required in the concentration-specific course.
    • For example, if you are applying to Ceramics, you must have completed at least one Ceramics class with a grade of B or better. If you are applying to the Photography concentration, you must have completed at least one photography class with a grade of B or better, and so on.

c) Students must have an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher.

All eligibility requirements must be met. Your portfolio will not be reviewed if you do not meet the eligibility requirements. If you have questions about whether or not you meet the eligibility requirements, contact a CVAD academic advisor.

2. May I apply to more than one concentration?

Yes! For instance, if you want to review for Ceramics, you must have taken and completed and earned a B or above in a Ceramics course. If you want to review for both Ceramics and Photography, you need to have taken and completed and earned a B or above in both Ceramics and Photography. Acceptance to the program is contingent on a 2.5 overall GPA and good academic standing.

You must apply for each concentration by indicating in which areas you are interested in the online form that is part of the UNT Slideroom.com application. The department does not encourage pursuing multiple concentrations because it will likely cause scheduling issues and could delay graduation. Upon notification of your acceptance(s), you will be asked to confirm the concentration that you intend to pursue.

3. What if I am not a UNT student?
Acceptance into the concentration does not constitute acceptance into UNT. You must be accepted by UNT Admissions to pursue a B.F.A. at UNT. But you absolutely may submit your portfolio in advance of your application and acceptance to the university. All eligibility requirements still apply; the current or transfer GPA is considered the overall or cumulative GPA.
4. What if I don't pass the entry review?
You may request feedback on your portfolio, and you may reapply in any subsequent long semester. You should discuss additional details and course planning with a CVAD academic advisor.
5. When will I be notified of acceptance?
You will receive a notification within one month of applying (Fall: Nov. 15 | Spring: April 15). Once you confirm acceptance, you will receive notification of the next steps and a degree plan.
6. How will my portfolio be assessed?
Portfolios will be reviewed by faculty in each concentration based on the following criteria in the Studio Art Entry Review Rubric.

Portfolio Requirements

1. Artwork

Apply separately to each concentration you would like to study.

Submit your work that best highlights your skill, technical competencies (see below), and concepts from the media area in which you plan to concentrate. Your submitted work will be assessed on the following medium-specific competencies.

Technical Competencies by Concentration

For all concentrations, successful work submitted must demonstrate technical proficiency with the chosen medium, be of high quality, and be presented professionally.

Ceramics: Demonstrate basic technical skills in hand-building and/or throwing

Drawing and Painting: Demonstrate technical skills in paint application, color mixing, compositional arrangement, and drawing methods.

Metalsmithing and Jewelry: Demonstrate good craftsmanship and finish.

New Media Art: Demonstrate proficiency in adapting to and working with a range of new media tools and technologies, from audiovisual editing and digital imaging to interactive, generative, and installation-based workflows. 

Photography: Demonstrate proficiency in image exposure, color correction, and tonal correction using digital cameras and editing software.

Printmaking: Demonstrate proficiency in at least two printmaking processes. Documentation or artwork must show the entire piece of paper, including margins and edges. 

Sculpture: Demonstrate basic technical skills in woodworking, welding, mold-making and casting.

At least half of your portfolio should be based on the concentration for which you seek entry. The portfolio requires 12 to 18 individual artworks. If appropriate, include detailed images.

The artwork must be legible.

Please document your work with the best possible photographs. Some good guides include the following.

2. Transcripts

Upload your transcripts to UNT Slideroom, the portal for submitting application materials. UNT students must include an unofficial copy of their transcripts, which may be downloaded from My.UNT.edu. For transfer students, you must include unofficial transcripts from all previous institutions attended. All transfer transcripts will be included if you get your unofficial transcripts from the UNT Office of the Registrar. Acceptance to the program is contingent on a 2.5 GPA and good academic standing.

Save as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file, using the following file-naming convention: Last_First_Transcripts (e.g., Smith_John_Transcripts).

3. Statement

Write a statement of up to 2,000 characters responding to the following prompts.

  • Describe your artwork's strengths, weaknesses, and plans for further development.
  • Give examples of one historical and one contemporary practice/artist/method related to your artwork.
  • Describe the relationship between form and content in one of the artworks in your portfolio.
  • What resonates with you about the concentration to which you are applying?
  • Explain your work from a creative and technical standpoint. What is your body of work about, and how are you expressing your ideas with the medium of your choice?