Portfolio Submission

Applicants should submit a portfolio of 20 pieces to demonstrate independent thought and the diversity of their experience in the visual arts.

Digital Portfolio Guidelines

Applicants may also submit their portfolios in a digital format. Digital files should be organized as a slide show, Keynote or PowerPoint, so that the viewing order is clear. Folders that contain image files are not recommended, as the viewing is too haphazard. Applicants should print a checklist and include thumbnail images that represent their digital portfolio on a separate page along with the medium and scale of each work. Digital portfolio files must be both Macintosh and PC compatible, on CD-R or DVD-R with the following formats: PDF file, Photoshop, Keynote, or PowerPoint. Applicants should write their name and discipline(s) interest directly on the disk.

Web portfolios can also be reviewed; the applicant’s URL should be sent as a link. Video or time-based pieces (no longer than 10 minutes) may also be submitted if on a DVD-R with tested navigation.

The Department of Art is not responsible for reviewing materials that are not readily accessible. A CD-R or DVD-R should be tested and retested on multiple computers and playback devices, including consumer-quality DVD players using a remote control, before mailing.

Applicants should include a self-addressed mailer with sufficient postage if they wish the portfolio to be returned.

Overseas Exception
Other than using international coupons, applicants from outside the U.S. and its territories may provide a postal or bank money order or a cashier’s check (not a personal check) to cover the cost of returning their portfolios by U.S. mail only. The money order or bank check should be payable in U.S. dollars to: Department of Art, University of Massachusetts. It is the applicant’s responsibility to determine the weight of the portfolio and the cost of return postage. This option is available only to international or overseas applicants, including Canada.

Questions regarding format or submission of the portfolio should be directed to the Department’s Graduate Office, tel. (413) 545-6937.