Art Degrees Online

Submit approximately 20 examples of your most recent work, or a presentation of your practice that is complete and cohesive, and represents what you believe to be your best work. The works you submit need not be purely photographic; we are interested in a variety of media practices and integrations. Edit and sequence works carefully. You may send more than one body of work and more than one media type (video, slides, texts, web sites, CD-ROMs, DVDs). However, we recommend that you emphasize two or three bodies of work clearly rather than sending a sample of many different projects.

BFA applicants

Submit examples of personally directed work, not class assignments. We want to know what your interests are and how you represent them in your practice. Photographic works can be originally shot in any format (film, 35mm, medium/large format, digital, Polaroid, pinhole, etc.).

MFA applicants

Applicants who have passed the preliminary selection process will be notified by mail in mid-February. At that time, candidates will be invited to visit CalArts in March for an interview and to meet faculty and students. The interview is a full-day event and an important component of the final selection process.

BFA applicants

Submit a portfolio of your current work with a minimum of 20 pieces. These should include examples of graphic design, typography, conceptual visualization (drawing as examples of conceptual thinking) and your level of experience with technology. These examples may range from class assignments and self-initiated projects to professional work. In your artist’s statement, we recommend that you specifically address your interest and knowledge of graphic design as a professional practice.

MFA applicants

Submit a portfolio of your current design work with a minimum of 20 pieces. Additional materials may be included if they further demonstrate your conceptual abilities. Your artist’s statement should concisely address your objectives and goals as a designer in the context of current issues in design practice, as well as how they serve as a basis for graduate-level study. Candidates who have passed the preliminary selection process will be notified by mail in mid-February. At this time, candidates will be invited to visit CalArts in March for an interview and to meet faculty and students. The interview is an all-day event and an important component of the final selection process.

Submit approximately 20 images representative of your most recent work. When relevant or necessary, submit videotapes, DVDs, texts, audio CDs, etc. Do not send original work. The faculty is interested in what motivates or inspires each individual applicant, and looks for evidence of this in both the portfolio and the artist statement.

BFA applicants

Submit examples of personal work, not class assignments. We want to know what your interests are and how you represent them in your practice.

MFA applicants

Applicants who have passed the preliminary selection process will be notified by mail in mid-February. At this time, candidates will be invited to visit CalArts in March for an interview and to meet faculty and students. The interview is an all-day event and an important component of the final selection process.