B.F.A. Portfolio Submission

Admission to the B.F.A. programs in Visual Arts and Graphic Design & New Media is by portfolio review.

Note: The B.A. programs in Art Studio and Graphic Design & New Media and the the B.F.A. Arts Education program do not require a portfolio.

Once you have been accepted to the College, you can submit your online portfolio for a review by the Art Department Faculty. If you receive a positive review on your portfolio, you will be accepted directly into the B.F.A. program.

Important Note: If the department decides you are not yet ready for the B.F.A. program, you will still have ample opportunity to build your portfolio as a student in the B.A. program, with one-on-one assistance from our faculty. We hold a B.F.A. portfolio review every semester, and all of our students are welcome to submit. 

Overview of the BFA application process:

1. Apply for B.F.A. and get accepted to SUNY Potsdam
2. Student receives acceptance letter indicating that acceptance into the B.F.A. is contingent on a portfolio review
3. Student receives information letter about the B.F.A. portfolio
4. Student submits portfolio for review by Art Department Faculty 
5. Student is notified if accepted into B.F.A. program 

Portfolio Requirements

Please review these requirements carefully. We cannot review incomplete applications or incorrectly formatted files.

Contact Information

Please provide your contact information (email and/or cell phone number) in case we have questions.

First Year students

• 10 images showcasing best work. Please include some examples of drawing work.

Transfer students

• Please indicate concentration area, if known.
• 10 images showcasing best work. Include artwork from desired concentration (if known) as well as some examples of drawing work.

Note:  All B.F.A. students must maintain a SUNY Potsdam grade point average of 3.0 or higher to continue in the program.

Format:

• Please upload all images and descriptions in a single PDF file.
• Include your name and which program you are applying for: Visual Arts or Graphic Design & New Media  
• Please include which semester and year you are planning to start at SUNY Potsdam. 

Description of each piece

Portfolio can include artwork created as a class assignment and self-initiated.

For work created in a class, please include:

• Class name where work was created 
• Description of the assignment/project
• Your class year when it was made (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior)

For self-initialed work, please include:

• Title
• Medium
• Year created 

Detail shots

If it is appropriate, you may provide detail shots of particular works. Be sure to indicate if an example is a detail shot.

Multiple Views

If a single image does not adequately display your work (e.g. a large sculpture), you may include more than one image.