Studio Art Portfolio Review Requirements
This page is for all first-year applicants applying to the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Art or the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Design who are pursuing a scholarship from the art department. Current Pepperdine students who wish to apply for art scholarships should contact the Fine Arts Recruitment Office.
A portfolio submission or portfolio review is NOT required to be admitted to the art program. They are only required for those who would like to be considered for a scholarship from the art department.
A portfolio submission is not required for any applicant pursuing a Minor from the Art department.
For more information, please contact the Fine Arts Recruitment Office at 310.506.4111, or via email at fineartsrecruit@pepperdine.edu.
Application Requirements for Art and Design Scholarships
All students applying for the B.A. in Art or the B.A. in Design that would like to be considered for art scholarships must complete the following:
- The application for Seaver College
- The Art Scholarship SlideRoom application
A live portfolio review, either in-person or virtual, is not required for those pursuing art scholarships, but is strongly encouraged.
Transfer applicants are strongly encouraged to review Pepperdine’s transfer policies and to contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@pepperdine.edu with further questions.
Scholarship Application Requirements for Art and Design
You will receive access to the Pepperdine Application Portal after submitting your CommonApp. If you selected a Fine Arts major in your CommonApp, your Portal will include the Fine Arts Application Form. Once you have submitted the Fine Arts Application Form, you will receive access to the SlideRoom portal, where you will be able to submit your portfolio for scholarship consideration.
All students applying for the B.A. in Art or the B.A. in Design that would like to be considered for art scholarships must submit the following as part of their SlideRoom application:
- Art/Design Portfolio
- Art/Design Resume
- Artist/Designer Statement
Art and Design Portfolio Requirements
We look for students who are thoughtful, bold artists and designers and deeply curious learners. Submit up to 15 images of artworks or designs you have created within the last two years that reflect your personal interests or line of inquiry and demonstrate your unique perspective as a creative maker. The portfolio may include images/videos of work in any medium. Works created independent of a classroom assignment are especially encouraged.
Work created partially or entirely using artificial intelligence must cite the AI tool name, the prompt used, and the percentage of the work generated by AI.
You may submit your portfolio as a single file, or as multiple files. Acceptable formats include, but are not limited to, PDFs, PowerPoints, and websites.
Each piece should be accompanied by a description of the work, including the piece’s title, media, and size.
Be sure to review your entire portfolio for quality and completion before submitting! Applications that are incomplete will not be processed.
Application Deadlines
All required materials must be submitted by the listed deadline. Any application not completed by the listed deadline may be removed from consideration. For all current application deadlines, please visit this page.
Applicants experiencing hardship or extenuating circumstances due to natural disaster or public health concerns in their local area that may affect their ability to satisfy application requirements may contact the Fine Arts Recruitment Office at fineartsrecruitment@pepperdine.edu to explore possible accommodations. Though we cannot guarantee that accommodations/exceptions will be possible, applicants are encouraged to contact the Recruitment Office as soon as possible to allow the maximum amount of time to consider alternative options.
Portfolio Review Days
All students applying for the B.A. in Art or the B.A. in Design that would like to be considered for art scholarships are strongly encouraged to participate in a live portfolio review. Portfolio reviews are offered once per semester, on the following dates.
- November 5th: This Portfolio Review Day is only for applicants wishing to be considered under the early action/early decision deadline. Portfolio Reviews are offered in-person. Registration for the event can be found here.
- January 21st: This Portfolio Review Day is only for applicants wishing to be considered under the regular decision deadline. Portfolio Reviews are offered in-person. Registration for the event can be found here.
The Portfolio Review Day will include a tour of Pepperdine Malibu campus and art studio spaces, as well as a complimentary lunch with the art faculty. Applicants will have the opportunity to sit in on a class of their choice as part of their visit.
Those participating in a live portfolio review should prepare to present their artistic portfolios. You may present physical pieces or a digital portfolio of your work. For those presenting physical pieces, please only bring pieces that can be easily transported with you to and from the portfolio review space.