• Undergraduate Information
• Graduate Information
• Rankings
• Visit the Department
• Advising Aids
• Course Descriptions
• College of Fine Arts
• Blanton Museum of Art
• Department of Theatre & Dance
• Fine Arts Career Services
• Performing Arts Center
• Butler School of Music
• University of Texas
• Office of Accounting
• Office of Admissions
• Office of the Dean of Students
• Office of Graduate Studies
• Office of the President
• Office of the Provost and Vice President
• Office of the Registrar
• Office of Student Financial Services

Prospective Transfer Applicant Information

Admission and Program Information Sessions and Portfolio Review Events

Instructions for Online Undergraduate Portfolio Submission

You should apply to The University of Texas at Austin as a Transfer if you:

• Have graduated from high school or received a GED and
• Have enrolled in another college or university after graduating from high school or receiving a GED.

U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents should contact the UT Austin Office of Admissions at 412/475-7399 to request an admission packet or may visit the comprehensive Be A Longhorn web portal for all things related to transferring to the University of Texas at Austin: Admissions, Financial Aid, Housing, Tuition and more. The annual Transfer application deadline is MARCH 1.

Applicants who do not hold U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Resident status should contact the Graduate and International Admissions Center at 512/475-7336 to request an international admission packet. International applicants must submit a TOEFL test score. The annual International application priority deadline is FEBRUARY 1.

Our department only enrolls new students into programs during Fall semesters. The Department strongly discourages prospective students from applying to other UT Austin majors for the spring or summer semesters in the hopes of changing major to the department upon admission and arrival on campus. You will not have access to this Department’s curriculum and you will be required to complete the internal change of major application process for the following fall semester. The internal change of major application process is extremely competitive and selective.

In order to have your application materials considered for admission to the Department of Art and Art History, you must select one of our admission codes on the application. Our department offers the following admissions codes:

• B.A. Art History (570700)
• B.F.A. Design (509904)
• B.A. Studio Art (570800)
• B.F.A. Studio Art (509953)
• B.F.A. Visual Art Studies (509956)

You must submit the following to the UT Austin Office of Admissions by the annual application deadline of MARCH 1:

1. Texas Common Application
2. Application Fee
3. Office of Admission Essay Requirement: Essay Topic E**
4. Department of Art and Art History Essay Requirement: Essay Topic D***
5. Official high school transcripts and college transcripts
6. Official test scores Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate scores (if applicable)
7. Official test scores for ACT, SAT, and SAT Subject Tests (if applicable)
8. Required Art Portfolio. In addition to the materials required to apply for admission to UT Austin, all Transfer applicants applying to the B.F.A. Design, B.A. or B.F.A. Studio Art, and the B.F.A. Visual Art Studies admission codes must submit an art portfolio as part of the transfer application review. The art portfolio must be received by SlideRoom by the MARCH 1 application deadline. Please do not send any art portfolio materials to the Office of Admissions or the Department of Art and Art History. Please refer to Instructions for Online Undergraduate Portfolio Submission.

**In addition to the two required essays, some applicants choose to submit a response to Essay C. Essay C is optional and cannot be submitted in place of a required essay. Students submitting Essay C do so in order to submit additional information to the university about special circumstances, such as socio-economic standing; educational goals; cultural background; employment, internships, etc.; race or ethnicity; personal experiences and hardships; personal responsibilities; and any additional information submitted by the applicant. Please see on-line application for additional information.

***Essay Topic D for Art History, Studio Art, Visual Art Studies, and Predesign Applicants: “Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study (architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space effected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?”

UT Austin's Office of Admission has set no specific Transfer GPA requirement that guarantees admission to the university. However, the Department of Art and Art History requires a Transfer GPA of 3.00 or higher on 30 hours of completed college coursework. Admission to our department is based upon rankings, GPA, applicable test scores, academic performance in art-related Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, high school and college credit coursework (if any); quality of writing sample(s) on required essay(s); if applying to Predesign, Studio Art, or Visual Art Studies, quality of art portfolio; and, if ultimately applying to the B.F.A. Design program, evaluation of additional analytical essays and portfolio assignments.

Meeting minimum academic requirements, submitting all application materials by the deadline, and completion of Art and Art History foundation courses does not guarantee eligibility or acceptance as an external transfer student. Application review and admission to all degree programs is competitive and selective.

Though not required, external transfer applicants are strongly encouraged to transfer in course credit for the Art and Art History foundation courses that correspond to the degree program for which they are applying (see chart below). By doing so, applicants will have a fundamental preparation for applying to our programs and/or be able to develop their art portfolio, and if admitted, will enter into the department ready to start entry level courses in their major. Completion of foundation courses does not guarantee admission to any of our programs. To learn how courses taken at other Texas colleges will transfer to UT Austin, consult the Office of Admission’s Automated Transfer Equivalency System.

Additional information on admissions, programs, and curriculum is included in this downloadable PDF document:
Undergraduate Admissions and Program Guide (pdf).

Contacts

Prospective transfer applicants should arrange an appointment in advance of visiting the department. Please see Visiting the Department for detailed information.

Shane Sullivan, Senior Program Coordinator
Undergraduate Programs, Recruitment, and Admissions

comebackshane@mail.utexas.edu (Please allow 24 to 48 hour response time.)
512-475-8757
512-471-7801 FAX
ART 3.340

You may also contact the Undergraduate Office by writing to the following address:

Undergraduate Office
Department of Art and Art History
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station D1300
Austin, TX 78712-0337

Information Request Form

Self-Guided Tour Map (pdf)