Undergraduate Portfolio
Undergraduate applicants must follow Â鶹¹ÙÍø Dartmouth’s admissions procedures.
Applicants to any of the studio arts programs must also meet portfolio requirements as an element of the admission decision.
Submitting your portfolio
After you submit your Common App or Â鶹¹ÙÍøD application, you'll be able to submit your portfolio in our .
Fall 2026 requirements
- First-year portfolio: 12-15 original works of art/design
- Interior Architecture + Design: 8-12 works including a combination of creative work and technology
- Transfer portfolio: 15 original works of art/design
Requirements starting Spring 2027
- First-year portfolio: 8-10 original works of art/design
- Fashion Design: 1-10 separate examples of original pieces
- Transfer portfolio: 12 - 15 original works of art/design
- Interior Architecture + Design: portfolio is required for transfers only
Portfolio resources
No hard copy submissions will be accepted. Files we accept in the portfolio:
- Images (jpg, gif, png) up to 5 MB each
- Videos (fav, wmv, mov, mp4) up to 60 MB each
- Audio (mp3) up to 30 MB each
- Documents (pdf) up to 10 MB each
Transfer students
Transfer students are admitted into specific majors only. Art portfolios are used as an aid in the evaluation of students' previous work if submitted for transfer credit. Transfer students selecting a major with program options—such as Art + Design—will be required to select an option when accepted. Acceptance into advanced courses is not automatic.
First-year portfolio requirements by program - Starting Spring 2027
An incoming first year portfolio can showcase works in any media. Work may also be evaluated based on your level of curiosity, dedication, and imagination, rather than only your technical ability. Think less about skills and what you think we want to see, and more about what makes you unique! What makes you special? What can you offer creatively that others may not?
Submit a portfolio of 8 to 10 separate examples of original pieces for Animation + Game Arts. You may include a mix of visual exploration, art or design thinking, handmade or technology-based work. If you have limited Art and Design experience, we encourage personal projects, creative problem solving in any medium (handmade or digital), illustration or observational drawing (but not required), documentation of building, making, repairing, crafting, coding, or organizing, or submitting an essay instead of one of the visual pieces (see details below).
We are interested in how you observe, think, communicate, organize, and solve problems visually. You may include work from classes, independent projects, community work, or personal exploration. Your portfolio can include, but is not limited to, drawing, photography, collage, digital illustration, mixed media, sketchbook pages, 3D forms, models, prototypes, video, animation, motion graphics, storyboards, sequential design, or visual narratives.
You may choose to submit a 200-400 word essay as one of the pieces in the portfolio:
- Discuss one project in your portfolio, describing your process, the decisions you made, and any inspiration or research that informed it.
- What draws you to study Animation + Game Arts, and how might it shape our understanding of people, environments, or culture?
We evaluate portfolios based upon their demonstrated potential. Strong portfolios typically demonstrate:
- Evidence of curiosity, experimentation, and willingness to take creative risks. This may show in process, material play, trying unfamiliar tools, or rethinking assumptions.
- Exploration of options, ideas, materials, and decisions brought together to resolve a creative challenge.
- Effectiveness of communication and composition in use of visual elements such as contrast, alignment, hierarchy, scale, color, space, and movement to guide a viewer’s attention.
- Attention to detail, clarity in presentation and thoughtful execution.
- And finally, we look for work that reflects your own ideas, processes, interests, personality, cultural references, or experiences.
Submit a portfolio of 8 to 10 separate examples of original pieces of art/design. An incoming first year portfolio can showcase works in any media. The portfolio may consist of a combination of 2D and/or 3D work, such as sketches, drawings, paintings, ceramics, printmaking, illustration, digital work, photography, and/or other media. It does not need to be concentration specific. Embedded media from sites like YouTube and SoundCloud is also accepted.
Submit a portfolio of 1 to 10 separate examples of original pieces of art/design for Fashion Design. The portfolio may consist of a combination of 2D and/or 3D work, such as sketches, drawings, paintings, ceramics, sewn projects, constructed garments, cosplay creations, printmaking, illustration, digital work, photography, and/or other media.
If you do not have a body of work to include, you may instead submit an essay describing your interest and background in fashion design. In other words, what do you know and why do you think that you will be a good candidate for the program? Embedded media from sites like YouTube and SoundCloud is also accepted. It does not need to be concentration specific.
Submit a portfolio of 8 to 10 separate examples of original pieces of art/design for Graphic Design.
You may choose to submit a 200-400 word essay as one of the pieces:
- Discuss one project in your portfolio, describing your process, the decisions you made, and any inspiration or research that informed it.
- What draws you to graphic design and how might it shape our understanding of people, environments, or culture?
We are interested in how you observe, think, communicate, organize, and solve problems visually. You may include work from classes, independent projects, community work, or personal exploration. Your portfolio can include, but is not limited to, drawing, photography, collage, digital illustration, mixed media, sketchbook pages, 3D forms, models, prototypes, video, animation, motion graphics, storyboards, sequential design, or visual narratives. Embedded media from sites like YouTube and SoundCloud are also accepted. It does not need to be concentration specific.
Submit a portfolio of 8 to 10 separate examples of original pieces for Illustration. You may include a mix of visual exploration, art or design thinking, handmade or technology-based work. If you have limited Art and Design experience, we encourage personal projects, creative problem solving in any medium (handmade or digital), illustration or observational drawing (but not required), documentation of building, making, repairing, crafting, coding, or organizing, or submitting an essay instead of one of the visual pieces (see details below).
We are interested in how you observe, think, communicate, organize, and solve problems visually. You may include work from classes, independent projects, community work, or personal exploration. Your portfolio can include, but is not limited to, drawing, photography, collage, digital illustration, mixed media, sketchbook pages, 3D forms, models, prototypes, video, animation, motion graphics, storyboards, sequential design, or visual narratives.
Applicants may choose to submit a 200-400 word essay as one of the pieces in the portfolio. Please select one of the following prompts:
- A. Discuss one project in your portfolio, describing your process, the decisions you made, and any inspiration or research that informed it.
- B. What draws you to study Illustration and how might it shape our understanding of people, environments, or culture?
Submit a portfolio of 8 to 10 separate examples of original pieces for Photography. You may include a mix of visual exploration, art or design thinking, handmade or technology-based work. If you have limited Art and Design experience, we encourage personal projects, creative problem solving in any medium (handmade or digital), illustration or observational drawing (but not required), documentation of building, making, repairing, crafting, coding, or organizing, or submitting an essay instead of one of the visual pieces (see details below).
We are interested in how you observe, think, communicate, organize, and solve problems visually. You may include work from classes, independent projects, community work, or personal exploration. Your portfolio can include, but is not limited to, drawing, photography, collage, digital illustration, mixed media, sketchbook pages, 3D forms, models, prototypes, video, animation, motion graphics, storyboards, sequential design, or visual narratives.
Applicants may choose to submit a 200-400 word essay as one of the pieces in the portfolio. Please select one of the following prompts:
- A. Discuss one project in your portfolio, describing your process, the decisions you made, and any inspiration or research that informed it.
- B. What draws you to study Photography and how might it shape our understanding of people, environments, or culture?
Submit a portfolio of 8 to 10 separate examples of original pieces of art/design. An incoming first year portfolio can showcase works in any media. The portfolio may consist of a combination of 2D and/or 3D work, such as sketches, drawings, paintings, ceramics, printmaking, illustration, digital work, photography, and/or other media. It does not need to be concentration specific. Embedded media from sites like YouTube and SoundCloud is also accepted.