Information for Applicants

This Instruction is for Transfer Students

Welcome to the School of Art, Graphic Design Program submission guidelines. The information below is for transfer students. Please read the instructions below carefully.

BFA Graphic Design Submission Criteria

Note: In addition to the eight major-specific required courses (4 art courses and 4 GE courses), BFA Graphic Design applicants must complete courses equivalent to Art 181 – Foundation Drawing and Art 223 – Intro to Typography to be considered for BFA Graphic Design admission.

Applying to the BA Studio Art program vs. the BFA programs

We often recommend transfer students apply as a BA Studio Art major rather than a BFA major, as the BA application does not require a portfolio.  If a transfer applicant applies to the BFA program and is not accepted, admission to CSULB and the School of Art may be denied.  It should be noted that only two attempts to apply for the BFA program are allowed,  and transferring BFA applicants must compete against current CSULB students applying to the BFA program.  Not being accepted counts as one of these two attempts. 

Current students applying to BFA programs are taking upper-division courses in these program areas and are working with instructors here.  They subsequently have an advantage over transfer students.  Regardless of whether one transfers as a BA or BFA, the coursework for the first two semesters is nearly identical.  Furthermore, our advisors can inform current students of the optimal time to apply to the BFA program. It is particularly helpful to enter as a BA Studio Art major if you are pursuing our BFA Graphic Design program. Our BFA Graphic Design portfolio review is very competitive, and it is helpful to take at least two upper-division Graphic Design courses before submitting your portfolio. 

If you have applied to the BFA program during the admission cycle, then you must submit a portfolio.  Again, we strongly recommend applying for a BA in Studio Art during the admission cycle.

BFA Pportfolio Requirements

Graphic Design at CSULB

Graphic design encompasses a broad approach to conveying ideas, information, and subjective impressions through print, film, video, and digital media. Students are trained to adapt to new trends and technologies, and to move seamlessly across disciplines. The program prepares students for professional careers in design studios, advertising agencies, corporate design departments, motion graphics firms, web/mobile design companies, UX/UI design firms, and freelance consulting. Students may pursue Graphic Design coursework through our BA Studio Art program, the BFA Graphic Design program (with a submitted portfolio for consideration), or through the Minor in Graphic Design.

 

Submission Of Portfolios

Online Portfolio

  1. Eligible applicants are invited to submit a portfolio electronically. Program-specific directions regarding formatting images and/or videos, as well as your artistic statement, can be found by clicking here.
  2. Submit your portfolio online by the deadline. Students will have a maximum of 15 slides to represent a minimum of 6 Graphic Design projects. 

 

Portfolio Review

The School of Art Faculty will review the BFA student portfolios in the weeks following your submission.

 

Admission Decision

CSULB Admissions will notify you of your major status. If it says 'BFA,' you have been accepted. If you were not accepted, you will receive an email from Admissions indicating you were denied from the School of Art for BFA admission.  This might result in a denial of your entire application to CSULB. 

If you have questions or concerns regarding the BFA Portfolio Review process, please contact the School of Art Advising Center by clicking here to send an email to the School of Art Advising Office.

 

Submission Rules

The Graphic Design committee highly recommends that students include only Graphic Design projects in their portfolios, excluding other specialization areas (such as Illustration, Drawing, Photography, etc.). If students want to showcase their Photography, Illustrations, etc., it is highly recommended that they incorporate them into a Graphic Design project; otherwise, they are not viewed favorably for acceptance. Approved Graphic Design solutions include poster design or series, book cover or book cover series, multi-page layout or editorial design, packaging design, branding design, ad or ad campaign, motion graphic design, UX/UI design, web design, screen-based design, and/or experimental project (with or without a process video). Applicants should photograph or videotape 3D work, such as packaging, to showcase the project in its best light. Lastly, you must select one piece of work presented in your submission portfolio and write about its production process in the artist statement section. Explain your conceptual development and choice of images and the typefaces used, and/or any unusual production process. Purely describing Photoshop or other software techniques is not what we are looking for as a unique statement. Instead, describe what makes this piece unique and how it challenged you as a designer.