UNDERGRADUATE APPLICATION

How to Apply

Thank you for your interest in the UW-Madison Art Department Undergraduate Program. We are excited to offer classes in various disciplines that support the campus with our BS, BFA, and Certificate programs. Applicants interested must complete the UW-Madison general application using Common Application, indicating ART (for Studio Art and Graphic Design) or PRE-ART EDUCATION (for Art Education) as an intended major. Transfer students must apply via the UW System Application. New freshmen and off-campus transfers are admitted directly to the Art–BS degree program and receive an ART classification. Students interested to focus in Graphic Design will need to speak with their Art Academic Advisor once enrolled to discuss Graphic Design studio elective options. Students interested in the Art–BFA degree, or Art-BFA with the Graphic Design named option, initially enroll in the Art–BS degree or Art-BS with the Graphic Design named option while completing prerequisite coursework and establishing other criteria for BFA eligibility. A BFA mentoring meeting to review a portfolio of work is part of the BFA selection process. Students will typically declare the BFA in their junior year with their Art Academic Advisor and must have attained a minimum of junior standing. For Art Education, students begin as Pre-Art Education students (PAED), spend the first two years completing liberal studies, general education, and foundational studio requirements, and declare Art Education during their sophomore year for their final two years on campus. To declare, students will meet with their Art Academic Advisor or Art Education Advisor, Dr. Mary Hoefferle (hoefferle@wisc.edu).

Students interested in Music, Theatre, Dance, Interior Architecture, Textile and Fashion Design, Communication Arts, or Landscape Architecture should contact those departments directly as they are not a part of the Art Department at UW-Madison.

While the Art Department does not require a portfolio submission for admission to the program, applicants can share their portfolios with the Office of Admissions and Recruitment for consideration in the holistic application review process. Please be aware that the portfolio will not be evaluated for quality. If you’d like to submit your portfolio, email a pdf or link to onwisconsin@admissions.wisc.edu.

If you have any questions about the Art Department programs, degree options, etc., please reach out to Annmarie Suglio at suglio@wisc.edu.

Art Department Admission Events

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Art Department hosts various information sessions and tours for prospective art students on select days throughout the semester and summer months.

We provide an overview of undergraduate Art Department programs and discuss degree options, course offerings, and various opportunities available for Art students at UW-Madison. These information sessions are offered in-person and virtual lasting from one to two hours.

To register please use the Visit Bucky portal and search Art Department Information Sessions. Visitors are also encouraged to register for a general UW-Madison campus tour, a housing tour, or an admissions information session on the Office of Admissions’.