The short version
- ART 298 Portfolio Review runs every fall. Take it in the fall of your sophomore year.
- Zero credit hours, pass or fail. Passing gets you into the BFA program, and you need it before any 400-level studio.
Portfolio Review is where the Art and Design faculty review your work. Every Art major takes it. For BFA students, passing it is how you get into the BFA program.
The basics
- Zero credit hours, graded pass or fail.
- Offered every fall.
- Take it in the fall of your sophomore year. The catalog requires it by the end of sophomore year.
- Enroll in Portfolio Review the same semester you go through the review.
What you need first
Finish these before the review:
- ART 134 Drawing I
- ART 233 Design I
- ART 234 Drawing II
- ART 240 Design II
- ART 111 Survey of Art I or ART 112 Survey of Art II
BFA candidates must also be taking, or have finished, the first course in their concentration:
| Concentration | First course |
|---|---|
| Ceramics | ART 309 Ceramics I: Handbuilding |
| Graphic Design | ART 342 Graphic Design I |
| Illustration | ART 325 Introduction to Illustration |
| Painting and Drawing | ART 303 Beginning Painting |
| Photography | ART 368 Introduction to Photography |
| Printmaking | ART 362 Printmaking: Intaglio |
Missing one requirement? Talk to your advisor and the department head before registration. Exceptions are sometimes possible.
Getting into the BFA program
- Complete ART 111 or ART 112, ART 134, ART 233, ART 234, ART 240, and Portfolio Review.
- Take at least one course in your concentration and twelve hours of general studies.
- Hold at least a 2.50 GPA overall and a 3.00 GPA in the major.
- Present a portfolio and pass review by the Art and Design faculty.
BFA students are reviewed again later for retention in the program. You need a C or better in every major course, and you need to pass Portfolio Review before any 400-level studio.
Source: JSU Catalog 2026-2027, Department of Art and Design. Back to Advising.