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Penn State Portfolio Review for Admission to Interdisciplinary Digital Studio (AAIDS) Premajor
Professor Charles Garoian
School of Visual Arts
The Pennsylvania State University
210 Patterson Building
University Park, PA 16802
814.865.0444
Admission Requirements
Submission Forms
Change of Major Requirements
Admission Requirements
In addition to filing an application for undergraduate admission, applicants must submit a portfolio for review.
The Interdisciplinary Digital Studio degree program is a highly selective professional degree program. Admission to the pre-major leading to the Interdisciplinary Digital Studio degree program in the College of Arts & Architecture is based upon a review of (1) the application for admission with complete academic credentials, (2) a portfolio of art and design works in the form of a compact disc, videotape, or Web site and (3) a written statement.
(A) Submit an application for admission consideration to Penn State Undergraduate Admissions Office along with required academic records. You can file the application by going to the Admissions Web site (http://admissions.psu.edu) or by mailing an application to:
Penn State Undergraduate Admissions
201 Shields Building
University Park, PA 16802-1294
(B) Submit the following five items to:
IDS Portfolio Review Committee
Penn State School of Visual Arts
Penn State University
210 Patterson Building
University Park, PA 16802
1. Portfolio
The portfolio is an integral part of the application to the Interdisciplinary Digital Studio degree program. The portfolio review committee is interested in seeing work that represents both the breadth and in-depth development of art and design works. The content of the 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.
Consider both conceptual depth and technical proficiency in selecting the best and most recent work. Submit original art and design works that you have conceived and executed. The committee will only consider between 10 and 12 works.
You may submit work on compact disc, video, or Web site for review. Label all materials with your name and address. Compact discs must be Mac platform format, and video must be Standard VHS or digital video (DV). Applicants using a Web site should provide a single URL address to the portfolio.
Electronic submissions are accepted in the following formats: PDF, JPEG, GIF, WAV, AIFF, MOV, SWF, DCR, PICT, DOC and EXE for use with Macintosh data projectors. Enclose a written list that identifies each art and design work in your CD, video, or URL portfolio by number and indicate title, dimension, media, and date completed.
2. Written Statement
Your personal statement allows us to become acquainted with you beyond what we can learn from your courses, grades, test scores, and other data. Help us to know you as an artist or designer who is involved with and interested in digital arts and design. The statement should show your ability to organize thoughts and to express yourself. Please write an essay of 400 to 500 words on one of the six topics listed below. Label your statement with the topic on which you are writing, and your name.
1. Evaluate a significant experience you have had with digital arts and design and reflect on its impact on you as an artist or designer.
2. Discuss the experiences that led you to your choosing an education in digital art and design, and speculate about the role that being a digital artist or designer will play in your life after college.
3. Describe how you have been involved with digital art and design and how that involvement has influenced your perspectives and viewpoints about the influence of digital technologies on everyday life.
4. 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.
5. What work of digital art or design has surprised or unsettled or challenged you the most, and in what way?
6. What would you change about your favorite digital environment (for example, video game, Internet Web site, or film animation)? Why?
3. Receipt Acknowledgement
Include a self-addressed, stamped postcard, which we can mail back informing you 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.
Calendar:
The Interdisciplinary Digital Studio degree program has a rolling entry process. Portfolios must be postmarked according to the following deadlines:
Summer and Fall Admissions: between October 10 and January 10
Spring Admissions: between September 1 and November 1
Portfolios will be evaluated by a committee composed of members of the faculty of the College of Arts & Architecture. Recommendations from the committee will be sent to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and then to Penn State Undergraduate Admissions. The Undergraduate Admissions Office will make the final decision and notify you.
Successful portfolio review decisions are valid for a period of one year. Prospective students who receive unsuccessful reviews can resubmit their portfolios at any time.
NOTE: Any applicant whose IDS portfolio review is unsuccessful will be considered for the ARTBA/ARBFA with a concentration in New Media.
Submission Forms:
Please print and include the following form with your materials.
PDF Version
Change of Major Requirements
A minimum grade point average of 2.0 and a successful portfolio review are required.
For
Change of Major Information: click here