Students who have not been admitted to the program through the portfolio review process, or who do not have a complete portfolio for review may build a portfolio to submit for entry into the department by registering for three of the required six first year Foundations courses. The review of a portfolio developed through this method will occur towards the end of the semester in which the three foundation courses are completed. 

Apply online or obtain a copy of the Internal Student Application for Admission during the semester in which you are building your portfolio, and follow the specific instructions for scheduling a portfolio review. Apply on the application date listed for the end of the first semester in which you take the three foundation courses. Submit work from your three foundations classes at this time. If you are admitted to the program after the review, you will want to register for the remaining three first year Foundations courses for the next semester. 

This is a list of Visual and Media Arts classes required for the first year of study as a BFA or BA/BS Studio Art major or a BA/BS major in the Art Education Degree. You must have completed a portfolio review and been admitted to Department of Visual and Media Arts to follow this guide. During the semester in which all six (or all five if you are earning a BA/BS in Studio Art) of the foundation art courses will be completed, foundation coursework will be reviewed during a process called The Foundation Review. This review occurs during the last week of classes in the second semester. 

During their first year, students take WRT 150, a prerequisite for the two Supplemental Writing Skills (SWS) courses required by GVSU. One of the two SWS classes may be in a student's major department. Sections of Art and Design required courses ART 221 and ART 222 (Survey of Art History I and II) are taught with the SWS designation. Early completion of WRT 150 offers greater flexibility scheduling courses for the second semester of the first year, and in the second (sophomore) year of the program.