Admission Information - Animation Program
CSULB General Admission
Link to CSULB Admission Page: Click here.
Admission into the BFA programs requires the submission of a portfolio for consideration. Freshmen will submit a portfolio closer to their junior year, while Transfers have the option of submitting a portfolio during their admission cycle or as an art major at CSULB. Admission to the BA degree will not guarantee admission into the BFA.
BFA in Animation Admission Requirements
To be considered for admission to the major, applicants must demonstrate the following. Applicants to BFA in Art, Option in Animation must also receive a positive recommendation from the faculty following a review of a portfolio submitted by the applicant. Students wishing to study Animation at CSULB are first admitted into the BA Studio Arts degree option or as a Pre-Art major. In this degree option, students may focus on Animation. BA students may then choose to apply to enter the BFA program in Animation. The BFA program has limited enrollment, and the selection process is competitive.
Applying for School of Art BFA
Current students interested in applying to the BFA should work with an art advisor to determine when the best time to apply, the courses to take to keep them on track for both the BFA and BA, the steps and timeline, and the resources available.
SoA BFA Guideline: Click here.
BFA Portfolio Requirement:
To gain entry into the BFA program, a student must submit a portfolio for formal evaluation on SlideRoom. Students must begin the application through the School of Art advising center to receive a link to SlideRoom and proper instructions.
The student’s portfolio must include a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 15 images representing the student’s best past or current work in animation, pre-production, or other appropriate areas. Choose original work that represents the artistic interests, draws from observation, composition, use of color, use of imagination, and painting. Ten seconds of animation counts as one piece. Students must indicate either Animation or Pre-Production track when submitting the portfolio.
Student portfolios are evaluated on formal skills as well as the demonstration of imaginative problem-solving and a willingness to take creative risks. BFA application portfolio consists of a variety of artwork and moving pictures, including but not limited to drawings/paintings from observation, sketchbook pages, and animation design work such as character, prop & environment designs showing the thought process in your artwork along with the final product. Moving pictures such as animated clips, and short films are strongly recommended to submit for the Animation track application. We discourage fan art, master copies, and photo-based drawings/paintings and would prefer work representing your original ideas in visual and motion designs.
To remain a BFA candidate, a successful student must maintain a specified minimum GPA in their discipline. Students who fall below a GPA of 3.0 in upper-division courses in Animation for 2 consecutive semesters will be removed from this BFA program.
School of Art Advising
Link to the School of Art Advising: Click here.
Animation BFA Program Catalog
Link to Animation BFA Program Catalog: Click here.
