The following information is for college students who are interested in transferring into VCUarts.

Art Foundation

Art Foundation, or its credit equivalent from another institution, must be completed prior to applying to major in one of the following departments: Art Education, Communication Arts, Craft/Material Studies, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Kinetic Imaging, Painting & Printmaking, Photography & Film, and Sculpture + Extended Media. Art Foundation courses are degree requirements for all of these majors.

The Art foundation program is the first year experience of the Fine Art and Design departments in the School of the Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University. The first year is designed to give students a broad range of experience in a variety of historic and contemporary media. Through tangible studio practice, Art Foundation students refine their intellectual dexterity and develop a diverse skill set. Through the Art Foundation curriculum, students experience ideas and mediums that they would not encounter if they went directly into one of the Schools’ Fine Art and Design majors. The foremost goal of the Art Foundation program is to develop keen intellectual skills through observation, palpable studio technique, dialogue and peer interaction. Through these experiences, Art Foundation students develop a basis for self-criticism that will serve them throughout their majors and on into their professional life.

Transfer credits

Portfolios of transfer students who have completed courses equivalent to the Art Foundation must demonstrate that they have both the range of exposure and quality of work required by VCU’s School of the Arts in order to receive transfer credit. Upper level courses cannot be considered for transfer as Art Foundation equivalents, but will be considered for transfer into major departments once Art Foundation has been completed. Once a student is accepted into a major department, transcripts are re-evaluated and additional transfer credits can be granted by his or her major department. A course with a C or higher final grade is eligible for transfer.

Applying to a major department after completing Art Foundation

Art Foundation students are not affiliated with a major department until they complete the Art Foundation Program. Upon completing Art Foundation, students apply to the department of their choice during the annual spring portfolio review. During this review, major departments make acceptance decisions based upon the evaluation of students’ academic records, creative work and performance in Art Foundation courses or their equivalent transfer course work.

Depending when a transfer student begins Art Foundation and how many courses they need to complete, it is possible to be finished after the fall semester. The guidelines for acceptance within the Fine Art and Design departments for spring admission are as follows:

The departments listed below review portfolios in early December by appointment for Spring admittance and during the spring portfolio review for Fall admittance. Space in these departments may be limited due to enrollment. Please check with your preferred department to learn their policies, application procedures and space availability. Override decisions are made by the department chair and are based on availability.

• Art Education

• Craft / Material Studies

• Painting and Printmaking

• Sculpture + Extended Media

The departments listed below only review portfolios in April during the spring portfolio review for Fall admittance. Due to the sequential nature of the courses in these programs it is not possible to enter these majors in the Spring. These departments are highly competitive, and not all applicants are accepted. Overrides are generally not given out to non-majors.

• Communication Arts (illustration)

• Fashion Design

• Graphic Design

• Interior Design

• Kinetic Imaging (video, animation, and sound)

• Photography and Film

VCU Application for Admission

For questions concerning transfers into a visual or design arts department, please contact Art Foundation at 804.828.1129 or artfdtn@vcu.edu. For questions concerning transfers into a performing arts department, please contact the specific department.