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Change of Major to Interdisciplinary Digital Studio Premajor

Penn State students will be considered for pre-major status leading to a major in the Penn State School of Visual Arts (SoVA) based on the following:

1. A portfolio of artwork in the form of slides, compact disc, videotape, or Web site
2. A written statement
3. A minimum Penn State cumulative grade point average of 2.0. 

Portfolio submissions must include all items listed in the checklist below; detailed instructions follow.  Your major preference(s) will determine how you prepare your portfolio.  You may prepare your portfolio for a single major, or for multiple majors within SoVA.  If you plan to identify more than one major preference, please indicate your priority order on the Portfolio Submission Form, include artworks that are relevant to all of your major choices, and submit a written statement that addresses each major/goal that is of interest to you. 

Special notes regarding the Interdisciplinary Digital Studio (IDS) major: 

• Enrollment limits are in effect for the Interdisciplinary Digital Studio (IDS) program.  If IDS is your first major preference it is recommended that you consider a second choice of major, in case you are not approved for IDS.  The major that is most similar to IDS is Art (ART BA and ART BFA) with a New Media concentration. 
• The IDS curriculum requires four years of design in studio courses.  It is not possible to accelerate that sequence, so students applying for a change of major to IDS must plan accordingly. 

For further information about SoVA majors please see the Web site:  www.sova.psu.edu

                            Submit All Portfolio Items to:            
                             Portfolio Review Committee
                             Penn State School of Visual Arts
                             210 Patterson Building
                             University Park, PA 16802-5401

Portfolio Checklist: 
1.  Portfolio of Artwork ?
2.  Written Statement ?
3.  Receipt Acknowledgement ?
4.  Return Envelope ?
5.  List of Artworks Submitted ?
6.  Portfolio Submission Form ?

1. Portfolio of Artwork

General Instructions
The Portfolio Review Committee is interested in seeing work that represents both the breadth and in-depth development of your art and/or design work.  Consider both conceptual and technical proficiency in selecting your best and most recent work.  Submit only original artworks that you have conceived and executed.  The committee will consider a maximum of ten to twelve works; additional works will not be reviewed.  All materials must be labeled with the applicant’s name and address. 

Electronic submissions are accepted in the following formats:  PDF, JPEG, GIF, WAV, MOV, SWF, PICT, and DOC.  Portfolios may also be viewed via Web site.  Applicants choosing the Web option should provide a single URL address for the portfolio and clearly identify the ten to twelve artworks for review.  Compact discs must be Mac format, and video must be Standard VHS or digital video (DV).  To facilitate the viewing of digital files, please ensure that your files do not exceed 5 MB. 

Major-specific Portfolio Instructions
ART BA and ART BFA:  If your preferred major is the Bachelor of Art in Art or the Bachelor of Fine Art in Art, the content of your portfolio may include drawings, paintings, prints, photographs, graphic designs, sculpture, jewelry/metalwork, ceramics, video art, and other media.  Videos should only be submitted to present performance art, other time-based artwork, or large-scale installation artworks.  Do not videotape two and three-dimensional artworks.   If slides are used, include one slide of each two-dimensional piece and one to two slides of each three-dimensional piece.  Submit slides in a plastic sheet, and clearly label the slide sheet with your name and address.  Number each slide, indicate the “TOP”, and write your name on each slide.  The School of Visual Arts does not accept glass-mounted slides.   

IDS:  If your preferred major is the Bachelor of Design in Interdisciplinary Digital Studio, the content of your portfolio may include traditional media as well as 3D models, animations, collaborative projects, digitally fabricated objects, gaming design, interactive media, interface design, multi-media authoring, sound-based projects, time-based projects, VR/immersive environments, and web-based projects. 

ART ED, Museums and Cultural Institutions option:  If your preferred major is the Bachelor of Science in Art Education, Museums and Cultural Institutions option, the content of your portfolio may include the following:

• You may submit the portfolio as described for the ART BA and ART BFA
• Or, you may submit a combination of slides of your artwork (maximum of ten) and examples of your writing (maximum of five pages) that reveal your ability to reflect upon, and interpret artworks and that demonstrate your interest in teaching.
• Or, you may submit a critical and reflective writing (maximum of ten pages) about cultural artifacts, events, and experiences that reveal your interest in teaching in schools, museums, or other cultural agencies.

For professional portfolio presentation tips, review the information on how to document your artwork available on the Penn State School of Visual Arts Web site (http://www.sova.psu.edu/artdoc.html).

 

 

2.  Written Statement

Submit a short personal statement (maximum 400-500 words) that will help us get to know you as an artist.  The statement should show your ability to organize thoughts and to express yourself.  Label your statement with the topic you have selected and your name.   Please select from the following topics:

• Select one artwork from your portfolio that you think is most successful.  Describe how the meaning is conveyed through metaphors, symbols, references, media, and processes.
• Describe your goals in pursuing a degree in Visual Arts.  Are you aiming to become a professional artist, a designer, a photographer, an art teacher, a museum educator?  Although you may not have decided precisely what you would like to do in the Visual Arts, please share your thoughts about some possibilities you would like to consider.
• Evaluate a significant experience you have had with digital arts, design, or fine art.  Reflect on the impact it has had on you as an artist or designer.
• Discuss the experiences that led you to pursue an education in digital art, design, or fine art.  Speculate about becoming a professional artist, and the ways that professional role will affect your life after college.
• Describe a work of digital art, design, or fine art that has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you the most, and in what way.
• Describe how you have been involved with digital art and design, and how that involvement has influenced your perspective about the influence of digital technologies on everyday life.  (For IDS major only)
• In his book, Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today’s Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter, Steven Johnson argues that video games (among many other cultural artifacts) may in fact be making us smarter than previous generations.  Write a short personal narrative to prove him right or wrong.  (For IDS major only)
• What would you change about your favorite digital environment (for example, video game, Internet Web site, or film animation)?  Why? (For IDS major only)

 

3.  Receipt Acknowledgement

Include a self-addressed, stamped postcard, so we can send confirmation that your portfolio has arrived in our office.

4.  Return Envelope

Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope in which we can return your portfolio to you.

5.  List of Artworks

Enclose a list that identifies each artwork by number, title of work, dimensions, media, and date completed. 

6.  Portfolio Submission Form

Portfolio Selection Process
Portfolios are evaluated by committees composed of faculty from the Penn State School of Visual Arts.  Committee recommendations are sent to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies in the College of Arts and Architecture.  Penn State School of Visual Arts will notify you of the results.  Successful portfolio review decisions are valid for a period of one year.  Students who receive unsuccessful reviews may resubmit their portfolios at another time.

Portfolio Review Calendar
Portfolios must be postmarked according to the following deadlines:

Change of Major Semester	Postmark Deadlines
Spring	Between September 15 and November 1
Summer/Fall	Between January 1 and March 30

To inquire about special reviews after these dates, or with any other questions, please contact the School of Visual Arts at 814.865.0725

Additional Notes
For prospective students with limited or no background in art, who are interested in a major within SoVA, we suggest taking at least one of the following studio art courses to help create a portfolio:

ART 002 (GA) Interactive Learning and Web-Design
ART 003 (GA) Visual Images on the Web
ART 010 (GA) Introduction to Visual Studies
ART 020 (GA) Introduction to Drawing
ART 030 (GA) Introduction to Sculpture
ART 040 (GA) Introduction to Printmaking
ART 050 (GA) Introduction to Painting
ART 080 (GA) Introduction to Ceramics
ART 100 (GA) Concepts and Creation in the Visual Arts
PHOTO 100 (GA) Introduction to Photography

Those who are interested in Art Education may take:
A ED 101S Introduction to Art Education
A ED 201W History and Philosophy of Art Education in Schools and Cultural Institutions
A ED 225 (GA;US) Diversity, Pedagogy, and Visual Culture

These courses do not replace the portfolio process, but can help students develop their portfolios.

Applicants experiencing financial difficulties that would affect their ability to submit portfolio materials should contact the School of Visual Arts.