G R A P H I C D E S I G N B F A
Degree Application Instructions & Forms
Rev. 2/18/2014
The BFA-Degree Program in the Department of Art and Visual Communications at Utah Valley University is for students who would like to receive a degree with a specialization in one of five areas of emphasis: fine art, graphic design, illustration, photography, or sculpture/ceramics. Students must apply to be accepted into any of the BFA degree programs listed. • The Graphic Design BFA Degree offers a more rigorous and advanced program of study than do non-BFA degrees. • Several 3000- and 4000-level graphic design courses are restricted to Graphic Design BFA students only.
• This degree is the only UVU/AVC four-year degree with an official “Graphic Design” emphasis.
• A BFA degree is helpful (and is often necessary) for students who wish to pursue graduate school, or who wish to include the more desirable degree with their credentials.
• BFA students generally benefit from having a stronger portfolio when they graduate. If a student is not accepted into the BFA degree program, the student may:
• Continue in the Bachelor of Science (BS) degree program or the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree program in the AVC Department. (These are general degrees having no specialized “graphic design” emphasis.)
• Reapply during a subsequent application period. Students are limited to applying/reapplying to the Graphic Design BFA program a total of 3 times.
R E V I E W D A T E S & D E A D L I N E S I N I T I A L S U B M I S S I O N S
Reviews are generally held in March of each year. Watch for posters advertising the application, listen for in-class announcements, and/or check the AVC Graphic Design Blog for additional information. Missing the submission deadline will void any application. Following the initial application, qualified applicants are instructed to submit a portfolio for review. Based on GPA, course completion, and portfolio strength, a limited number of applicants are accepted into the program. Students who apply during one semester and are not accepted are invited to apply during a subsequent semester. Students are limited to applying/reapplying to the Graphic Design BFA program a total of 3 times.
B F A R E - S U B M I S S I O N S
An additional/optional review limited solely to re-applicants (students who previously applied but whom were not accepted) may be (but generally are NOT) offered during fall semester. Students are limited to applying/reapplying to the Graphic Design BFA program a total of 3 times regardless of the semesters during which they apply.
G R A P H I C D E S I G N B F A A P P L I C A T I O N Q U A L I F I C A T I O N S
Refer to the course catalog for specifics on BFA Program application requirements, including but not necessarily limited to: • Minimum UVU GPA requirements
• Minimum AVC GPA requirements
• Minimum AVC course completion including minimum allowable grades earned
• Minimum GPAs and grade earning requirements may continue to be in place throughout the duration of the BFA-degree-earning process.
• If accepted into the Graphic Design BFA Program, students must complete a BFA Project. Minimum grade maintenance for ART499R BFA Project may be required in order for the student to graduate.
PROCEDURAL INFORMATION:
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AV C C O R E C O U R S E C O M P L E T I O N R E Q U I R E M E N T S ( F O R 2 0 1 3 – 2 0 1 4 O R L AT E R C ATA L O G Y E A R ) : Students may apply for candidacy in the Graphic Design BFA program during the semester in which they will have finished completing (a minimum total of ten (10) required completed courses) including ALL of the following five (5) courses with a grade of -B or better:
• ART 1110 Drawing I • ART 1120 2D Design
• ART 1130 3D Design • ART 1400 Graphic Computer Applications
• ART 1420 Introduction to Graphic Design
G R A P H I C D E S I G N C O U R S E C O M P L E T I O N R E QU I R E M E N T S ( F O R 2 0 1 3 – 2 0 1 4 O R L AT E R C ATA LO G Y E A R ) : Students may apply for candidacy in the Graphic Design BFA program during the semester in which they will have finished completing (a minimum total of ten (10) required completed courses) including ALL of the following three (3) courses with a grade of C or better:
• ART 1410 Typography I (Type & Layout I) • ART 2400 Production Design (1430/2400 Digital Prepress) • ART 2430 Branding I (Graphic Design I)
A D D I T I O N A L C O U R S E C O M P L E T I O N R E Q U I R E M E N T S ( F O R 2 0 1 3 – 2 0 1 4 O R L AT E R C ATA L O G Y E A R ) : Students may apply for candidacy in the Graphic Design BFA program during the semester in which they will have finished completing (a minimum total of ten (10) required completed courses) including at least two (2) courses with a grade of C or better from the following list:
• ART 1050 Photo I • ART 2410 Type and Layout II
• ART 2440 Motion I • ART 2450 Digital Imaging
• ART 2460 Interactive Design I • ART 2480 UX/UI Design I • ART 2490 Portfolio I
If you are on a catalog year earlier than 2013-2014, have your academic advisor fill out a Graphic Design BFA Pre-2013–2014 Catalog Year Academic Advisor Verification Form (included in this document).
A P P L I C A T I O N P R O C E S S
Students should submit the following to the Graphic Design Area Coordinator by the application deadline:
• Letter of intent outlining why a BFA degree is desired and a list of the qualifying strengths possessed by the student. Also include:
- Student name and student ID#
- Area of emphasis for which student is applying
- Student transcript highlighting completion of/enrollment in required courses (unofficial transcript is acceptable) - Student contact information including phone number, address, and email
• A complete and accurate Graphic Design BFA Application Form (included at the end of this document)
• Optionally include a Graphic Design BFA Pre-2013–2014 Catalog Year Adademic Advisor Verification Form IF you are on a catalog year earlier than 2013–2014.
V E R I F I C A T I O N P R O C E S S
• Applications will be reviewed and qualifications will be verified.
• Qualified applicants will be required to submit a Graphic Design BFA Application Portfolio. Neither the AVC Department nor UVU will be responsible for loss or damage to any portfolios.
• Qualified students will be notified by email of where/when to submit portfolios for the portfolio review phase of the application process and where/when to pick up portfolios after they have been reviewed.
• Students who do not meet the qualifications will also be notified and provided with information on why they were not accepted into the degree program.
P R E P A R I N G A P P L I C A T I O N P O R T F O L I O S F O R R E V I E W
Students wishing to have feedback and assistance with preparing their BFA portfolios for application to the Graphic Design BFA Degree Program should enroll in the ART2490 Portfolio I course. Students wishing to receive feedback on their portfolios with specifics relating to the evaluation and final scoring of their portfolio should also enroll in the portfolio course. Feedback on BFA portfolios will not be provided by AVC Graphic Design faculty outside of the Portfolio I course.
A P P L I C A T I O N P O R T F O L I O R E V I E W S
Faculty members in the Graphic Design Area (Graphic Design BFA Portfolio Review Committee) will review the Graphic Design BFA Application Portfolios and will score the portfolios utilizing the criteria below:
• Within a week after portfolio reviews, an email will be sent to each student who has applied indicating whether or not he/ she has been accepted including information on why they were/not accepted into the degree program.
• A list of accepted students will be sent to the academic advisors to facilitate registration for BFA-only courses.
G R A P H I C D E S I G N B F A P O R T F O L I O S P O R T F O L I O R E Q U I R E M E N T S
• Portfolios must be submitted inside of a sturdy, functional, and professional case. • Portfolio should consist of 9–12 examples of the student’s best graphic design work.
• Include ONLY projects completed exclusively by you as coursework in a UVU/AVC graphic design course. Transfer students may utilize work completed as part of class assignments and their former school(s). Do NOT include work completed outside of design classes, at design employment, or at design internships.
• At least two-thirds of the portfolio should be graphic design projects.
• In addition to graphic design projects, include at least one piece each from Drawing and any Photography courses you may have had. Include projects incorporating the good use of photography and illustration whenever possible. Including drawings/roughs indicating your ability to represent design concepts and layouts is beneficial.
• A USB flash drive or CD-ROM may be submitted for drawings, photography and motion and/or interactive designs. • All other work must be mounted on 16 x 20-inch black or gray matteboard. Your portfolio presentation should be pristine
and expertly crafted. Include artwork at (or as close to) actual size as possible while maintaining wide margins on your presentation board. Include optically even margins whenever possible.
P O R T F O L I O E VA L UAT I O N C R I T E R I A
Portfolios will be evaluated based on the following criteria. Enrollment in the ART2490 Portfolio I course will likely benefit students in fulfilling the objectives of providing appropriate portfolio pieces. Each student applying to the degree program should include pieces which adequately demonstrate skills in all of the following areas:
Design—Hierarchy & balance
• Incorporation of positive and negative spaces utilizing balance (symmetrical and asymmetrical) • Use of good visual hierarchy and balance in both positive and negative spaces
Design—Use of positive and negative space
• Effective use of negative space to assist with readability and flow of content. Design—Use of harmony and variety
• Implementation of harmonizing elements combined with contrasting components while forming a cohesive design • Appropriate use of harmony and variety creating designs with appropriate level of being static or dynamic
Drawing skills
• Inclusion of hand-drawn works demonstrating ability to accurately render realistic, three-dimensional spaces and objects • Inclusion of hand-drawn works demonstrating ability to accurately render graphic design concepts and layouts
Photography skills
• Inclusion of pieces demonstrating the ability to photograph, retouch, select, and/or edit photographic images appropriately for a variety of graphic design applications
Typography—Creative/conceptual/communicative use of typography
• Use of good typographic hierarchy to effectively communicate large amounts of information
• Demonstration of creative, original, and conceptual type use and application through altering of letterforms, placement, and context (including the development of custom letterforms)
• Demonstrate the ability to apply type which is stylistically appropriate in overall tone, personality, time period/era, etc. Typography—Proper type usage
• Ability to properly apply and use letterforms in a “typographic” manner, maintaining legibility and adhering to the guidelines of “proper type usage” (designs following basic rules of proper typesetting)
Typography—Type family/ type style combinations
• Implementation of aesthetic type family/font combinations—combining fonts in an attractive/aesthetic manner • Use and combinations of font attributes to implement good typographic hierarchy and communication of text content
Typography—Type and image combinations/appropriateness
• Effective use of typographic texture for overall appropriateness, readability, and compatibility with other design elements (photography, illustrations, textures, patterns, etc.)
• Effective use of typography associating shapes of letterforms to successfully match and/or contrast the shapes within imagery/graphics
Concept & Communication—Originality and appropriateness • Ability to convey complex ideas conceptually and efficiently • Demonstration of creativity and originality in concept-based designs
• Effective implementation of concepts appropriate for the hypothetical target audience/market Concept & Communication—Effectiveness and clarity
• Incorporation of imagery, text, and other communicative components to form a rich and efficient form of communication • Effectively combine text and imagery (and other elements) to create a non-redundant “synergy” or “interplay”
• Demonstrate the ability to convey very complex ideas in an easy-to-understand format relatively quickly and simply Portfolio—Craftsmanship and presentation
• Portfolio presentation (in, and of, itself) is well crafted and neatly presented.
Portfolio—Technical production skills and file craftsmanship of individual design pieces
• Individual portfolio pieces consist of designs well crafted demonstrating a high level of technical excellence and complexity Other Considerations
• Student grades, work ethic, attitude and potential
• For students who have completed UI/UX designs, incorporating effective pieces demonstrating strong UI/UX skills will be beneficial
• For students who have completed motion designs, incorporating effective pieces demonstrating strong motion graphics skills will be beneficial
P O R T F O L I O E VA L UAT I O N F E E D B A C K
Based on the following reasons, the AVC Graphic Design Program does not generally endorse individual student-instructor mentorship or meetings in order to coach BFA candidates to prepare their portfolios.
• After BFA Application Portfolios are assessed a score report will be provided to each applicant. The report will provide feedback relating to strengths and weaknesses as evidenced by the portfolio for each of the criteria listed above. Students who may be reapplying to the BFA program after unsuccessfully applying to the program previously have received a score sheet outlining various areas of strengths and weaknesses in their portfolio and will be helpful for revising any portfolio for future submissions.
• The AVC Graphic Design Program would like students to prepare their portfolios and ascertain which pieces to include and/or exclude (based within the guidelines for the portfolio submission requirements documented elsewhere). Students capable of functioning well within the BFA program need to have design skills strong enough to differentiate stronger designs from weaker ones.
• Students may opt to take the ART2490 Portfolio I course which is specifically developed to assist students in preparing a portfolio, either for graduation with a two-year degree and/or for applying to the Graphic Design BFA Program. • BFA candidates will have already completed projects in various courses and will have received in-progress critiques and
feedback as well as a final project critique and final project grade for each project. This provides significant input of various strengths and weaknesses relating to BFA candidate student designs.
• The BFA program requires students to work independently on their BFA project, which requires a high degree of self-motivation, resource management, and for students to have the ability to assess and make decisions on their own to a very high degree. Students who possess the ability to assess their own work and independently prepare their portfolios demonstrate some of the necessary skills which should be in place before entering the Graphic Design BFA Program. Students wishing to receive additional feedback on their portfolios before or after applying to the Graphic Design BFA Program should enroll in ART2490 Portfolio I.
R E G I S T E R I N G F O R B F A - O N LY C O U R S E S
A list of accepted applicants will be provided to the academic advisors shortly after acceptance, and registration blocks will be removed once students are formally matriculated into the UVU/AVC Graphic Design BFA Program. Students can then register for BFA-only courses.
G R A P H I C D E S I G N B F A P R E - 2 0 1 3 – 2 0 1 4 C A T A L O G Y E A R
A C A D E M I C A D V I S O R V E R I F I C A T I O N F O R M
T O B E F I L L E D O U T O N L Y B Y A N A C A D E M I C A D V I S O R ( I F N E C E S S A R Y )
This form should be completed and submitted ONLY IF student is on a catalog year earlier than 2013-2014 R E T U R N T H I S C O M P L E T E D F O R M W I T H Y O U R A P P L I C A T I O N ( I F N E C E S S A R Y )
Student Name: ________________________ Student ID: __________________ Catalog Year: _____ (Prior to 2013-2014) AV C C O R E C O U R S E & G R A D E R E Q U I R E M E N T S
For the purposes of eligibility for application to the Graphic Design BFA Program student catalog year, list core course re-quirements, graphic design course rere-quirements, minimum grade rere-quirements, and grade earned for each course:
Required Course (Completed and/or currently enrolled in) Min. Req. Grade Grade Earned __________________________________________________________ ______________ ___________ __________________________________________________________ ______________ ___________ __________________________________________________________ ______________ ___________ __________________________________________________________ ______________ ___________ __________________________________________________________ ______________ ___________ __________________________________________________________ ______________ ___________ __________________________________________________________ ______________ ___________ __________________________________________________________ ______________ ___________ __________________________________________________________ ______________ ___________ __________________________________________________________ ______________ ___________ G PA R E Q U I R E M E N T S
UVU overall GPA Required: ________ Earned: ________ AVC GPA Required: ________ Earned: ________ _______________________________ ________________________________________________ _______________
Academic Advisor (print): Signature: Date:
T O B E F I L L E D O U T O N L Y B Y Y O U R A C A D E M I C A D V I S O R ( I F N E C E S S A R Y )
G R A P H I C D E S I G N B F A A P P L I C A T I O N F O R M
Applications will be reviewed and qualifications will be verified. Qualified applicants will be required to submit a Graphic Design BFA Application Portfolio. Neither the AVC Department nor UVU will be responsible for loss or damage to any portfolios. Qualified applicants will be notified by eMail of where and when to submit BFA portfolios for the portfolio review phase of the application process and where and when to pick up portfolios after they have been reviewed. Students who do not meet the application qualifications will be notified and will be provided with information on why they were disqualified.
R E T U R N T H I S C O M P L E T E D F O R M W I T H Y O U R A P P L I C A T I O N
A P P L I C AT I O N AT T E M P T S TAT U S (Mark only one line for this particular application):
o Portfolio Application (First Attempt) Spring Semester Year: __________________
o Portfolio Re-Application (Second attempt) o Spring Semester o Fall Semester* Year: __________________ o Portfolio Re-Application (Final attempt) o Spring Semester o Fall Semester* Year: __________________
*Note: Fall Semester submissions are generally NOT an option—to be announced if/when the option is available for a particular semester Student Name: ______________________________________ Student ID Number: ___________________________ Permanent Contact Address: __________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone: _____________________________ eMail: ______________________________________________________
(eMail provided will be used to notify the applicant of application status)
R E T U R N T H I S C O M P L E T E D F O R M W I T H Y O U R A P P L I C A T I O N
A P P L I C AT I O N C H E C K L I S T
(Include the following with your application):
o Letter of Intent (including all required information)
o Transcript (Including highlighted, required courses completed and/or in progress during current application semester) o If you are on a catalog year earlier than 2013-2014, include a completed Graphic Design BFA Academic Advisor
Verification Form (The previous form with your application)
