Dodd Undergraduate Admissions

You do not need a portfolio to start classes as an Art student at the University of Georgia. However, certain majors offered at the Lamar Dodd School of Art are “high demand,” meaning students must complete admission requirements (a portfolio review, progression preview, or other application process) and applicants are not guaranteed acceptance to these majors.

Students can add the following Art degrees with no admission requirements:

Art History

Art BFA: Animation (program starting Fall 2025)

Art BFA: Ceramics

Art BFA: Drawing & Painting

Art BFA: Fabric Design

Art BFA: Jewelry & Metals

Art BFA: Photography & Expanded Media

Art BFA: Printmaking

Art BFA: Sculpture

Art: Interdisciplinary Art AB

Art Intended BFA

Students should add Art Intended BFA if interested in one of the high-demand Art majors: Graphic Design, Interior Design, Scientific Illustration, and Art Education.

Please note that most Art classes are reserved for Art majors only, though there are a few seats reserved for Design & Media and Studio Art minors in many of the classes.

Applying to a High-Demand Art Major:

Applying to the Art Education Major

Area Admission Requirements

•   Completion of Area F/VI with a GPA of 3.00 or above in these courses,
•   Completion of or enrollment in ARED 2110 Critical and Contemporary Issues in Education with a grade of 3.0 (B) or higher. Review of application will also take into account attendance, professionalism, and initiative as assessed by your ARED 2110 instructor.
•   An overall 2.5 G.P.A. is required for admission and must be maintained to remain in the major.
•   35 hours of early field experiences in schools or community settings to be recorded on Art Ed Early Experience Form. NOTE: Observational and instructional experience that is gained as a part of UGA credited coursework may not be counted towards Early Experiences
•   IMPORTANT: In order to be enrolled in courses reserved for Art Education majors, such as ARED 4350S, ARED 4360S, and ARED 4060S, your Pre-Service Certificate through the College of Education and GaPSC must be processed. Without your Pre-Service Certificate, you may not take these courses.

When To Apply

Applications to the major are due on the following dates:

• September 15
• February 15

How to Apply

In order to apply, you will need digital files (pdf format) of the following documents:

Your typed and signed Art Ed Early Experience Form
Your most current degree audit (printable from Degree Works). When printing, choose the “What If” option on the left side of the screen and choose Art Education as your major. This will result in an audit that reflects your progress toward Art Education degree completion, including completion of Area F/VI.
Your 500 word statement outlining your reasons for majoring in art education
Five digital images of artwork created in university studio courses. Please label each file with course name (e.g. last name.studiowork.ARST2110.pdf).

Files must be pdf format and the file names should be as follows: lastname.itemdescription.pdf
For example: smith.artedearlyexperienceform.pdf

Please send an email to the Program Coordinator for Art Education, Dr. Lynn Sanders-Bustle (bustle@uga.edu), indicating your intent to submit application materials and including the following information:

Name
UGA My ID
Student ID number (9 digit number starting with 810 or 811)
Once your email is received, you will be added to an eLC site which will provide instructions for submitting your digital files.

Applying to the Graphic Design Major

The Graphic Design Portfolio Review is held in early May every year at the end of Spring semester, usually during a student’s freshman year. Those who are accepted into this highly competitive program will need 3 more years to finish the degree. Students must be currently enrolled or have completed the Graphics Survey course, ARGD 2010, before applying to Graphic Design. More information about the Graphic Design Portfolio Review process will be available in mid-April here: https://art.uga.edu/portfolio-review

If you have further questions, please contact your academic advisor or email Graphic Design Area Chair Prof. Julie Spivey (jspivey@uga.edu).

Applying to the Interior Design Major

The Interior Design Progression Review is held in early December every year at the end of Fall semester, usually during a student’s sophomore year. Those who are accepted into this highly professional program will need 2 1/2 more years to finish the degree. Students must be currently enrolled or have completed the Interior Design Studio I course, ARID 2110, before applying to Interior Design. More information about the Interior Design Progression Review process will be shared with students in ARID 2110.

If you have further questions, please contact your academic advisor or email Interior Design Area Chairs Tad Gloeckler (tgloeckl@uga.edu) & Saral Surakul (ssurakul@uga.edu).

Applying to the Scientific Illustration Major

The Scientific Illustration Portfolio Review is held in mid-March, usually during a student’s sophomore Spring semester. Only 9 applicants are admitted each year. Those who are accepted will need 2 more years to finish the degree. Students should have completed the following classes before applying to Scientific Illustration with a grade of C or better: ARST 1050 (or ARST 1050H), ARST 1060, and ARST 1080 and ARST 2800.

More information about the Scientific Illustration Portfolio Review process is available at the beginning of March here: https://art.uga.edu/portfolio-review

Students will need:

a portfolio of 5-7 pieces of their best observational drawings
a copy of their transcript (unofficial is okay)
a one-page statement of intent

*Please make sure all files are labeled with your name.

We are looking for the following visual qualities in applicant portfolios:
- Technical execution
- Light on form
- Structural accuracy
- Composition

If you have further questions, please contact your academic advisor or email Scientific Illustration Area Chair Prof. Amanda Manowski (manowski@uga.edu).