Portfolio Requirements
Applicants for the 2025-2026 academic year are pre-screened. Faculty offers or declines interviews based on the submitted application and required pre-screen materials.
Prescreen Materials
To qualify for prescreening, the following documents must be uploaded by Wednesday, January 15, 2025 (11:59 p.m. EST):
- Application
- Application Fee
- Transcript(s)
- Prescreen Portfolio
There are two (2) required parts of the Prescreen Portfolio:
10 Examples of Original Work (Required)
- Applicants upload exactly 10 examples of original work.
- At least two (2) examples must be of drawing. Applicants may include more than 2 examples
of drawing, but may not exceed the 10 item limit.
- May also be included:
- a diversity of media (drawing, painting, photography, sketchbooks, sculpture, design, etc.)
- a diversity of subject matter (observational, abstract, and nonobjective works)
- work that demonstrates level of craftsmanship and formal considerations
- work that exhibits your individual voice
- If including photographs of 3D artwork:
- Pieces should be photographed clearly with even natural lighting and a neutral background.
- Pieces should be cropped to the work itself and not include frames, borders, or distracting backgrounds.
- Images should not be digitally altered in any way other than image cropping and editing
the work for minor brightness and color matching edits.
- Most digital cameras and cell phones are perfectly fine for photographing work.
Video (Required)
- Applicants upload one (1) video recording that includes:
- Introduce yourself and tell us what inspires your work.
- Applicants may showcase up to 3 examples of their work in the video.
- Record this in a single-take. Do not upload multiple videos or multiple videos that
have been edited together.
- 1 to 2 minutes in length total.
- Introduce yourself and tell us what inspires your work.
Interview Materials
The following requirements are only for interviewing applicants. Applicants who move forward and are invited to interview will be contacted by Monday, February 10, 2025.
Interviewing applicants will be required to complete an in-person interview on the UNCSA campus. Applicants are required to bring their physical artwork with them. If pieces are too large to be transported, photographic documentation is required. Interviewing applicants should bring the following:
- Prescreen portfolio pieces
- Any additional portfolio pieces you would like to showcase
In addition to the portfolio materials, interviewing applicants must have the following Required Application Documents uploaded to their application portal in time for the Required Materials Deadline:
- Artistic Statement
- Artistic Resume
- Letters of Recommendation (must be uploaded by applicant’s references)
Not all applicants have formal training or are accustomed to having their work critiqued. This is perfectly fine. Faculty ask that you demonstrate the desire for serious discourse and a passion for artistic engagement.