Special Admissions Requirements
Entrance Requirements for the BFA and Certificate in Visual Arts
Welcome to Visual Arts! When you are first admitted, you are automatically enrolled in the BA Visual Arts degree. If you want to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts (or a Certificate in Visual Arts), you will need to complete a portfolio review. There is a portfolio review in November and another in March Read More about which degree program is right for you.
Find out more by setting up your Portfolio Review date and time by contacting: MAP.AdminHub@uregina.ca or calling 306-585-5572
Portfolio Reviews
A portfolio, in this case, is a collection of 10 to 20 artworks you’ve created in any medium you choose. A portfolio review is when you show your portfolioto two or three Visual Arts professors who will determine whether you are ready to be in the BFA, Certificate programor if you your work would benefit from taking more studio courses and re-applying in the following semester.
The Portfolio Review takes 15 minutes.
For in-person reviews, arrive in the Visual Arts Department Office (Riddell Centre Room 247) 15 minutes ahead of your scheduled time. You will be directed to a nearby room where you can set up your work on tables or mount them on the wall. If you have digital work, please bring your laptop or tablet.
For online reviews, arrive at the Zoom link five minutes before your review. Be prepared to share your screen and talk with us about your work.
The Visual Arts professors will have read your Letter of Introduction and, if online, will have already reviewed your work. We will greet you. If in person, we will take a few minutes to look at your work. We will ask you questions about your art and your Letter of Introduction. We want to get to know you, your art, and what you would like to achieve in our program. We will tell you more about our course offerings and how you might make the most of the facilities and your time with us.
Some applicants may not have had access to quality art instruction and materials before coming to the University of Regina and may worry about measuring up. Bring what you have and let us tell you what we think. For example, if you only have pencil drawings and collages, but you have a lot of them, we might see work ethic, invention, ambition, and resourcefulness. We are not looking for fully formed artists; we are looking for potential. Your Letter of Introduction is an opportunity to address any concerns or life challenges that you feel are relevant to your artistic development.
When the professors have finished asking questions, you will be invited to leave the room for a few minutes, while they discuss your review. You will then be invited back into the room. The professors may tell you right away that you are accepted into the program and that a formal email will follow, or they may need a little more time and will let know the outcome via email within two days of your Portfolio Review.
Once you have scheduled your review time and date with the MAP Admin Hub team, please bring the following:
- Between ten and twenty of your recent art works: drawings, paintings (including digital), photo-based media, video, sculptures, ceramics, prints, comics, cos-play designs, or whatever creative things you have made and are proud of. The wider the range the better. We want to get to know you, what you can do, and what you want to do in our program. For in-person reviews, bring the actual artworks—though additional images on a USB stick is fine. If you want to show us work via website URL or file hosting service, or on a thumb drive let us know ahead of time [MAP.AdminHub@uregina.ca].
- Image List: Include the filename, title, date, size, and medium. This is required for online portfolio reviews only.
- Sketchbook(s): If you have one.
- Short letter of introduction: This is a 250-word statement telling us why you are interested in studying with us. Introduce yourself, share your passion for art, and describe some of the work you have created.. If you have a career plan in mind, tell us about it. Please email the Letter of Introduction to the Visual Arts office (MAP.AdminHub@uregina.ca) three days before your review. Title the letter of introduction: lastname_firstname_letter.pdf or docx.
Be sure to include your name on both your letter of introduction and image list.
We would prefer to meet you and view your artworks in person. However, if you live out of town or are unable to attend for any other reason, online reviews are acceptable.. The portfolio requirements remain the same, though there are some additional specifics for online submissions.
- Send up to 20 clear, well-lighted images of work in jpg format, max 1MB per file. Label them jpg, 02_lastname_firstname_title.jpg, etc. For videos, please keep files to 2 minutes or less.
- Submit your portfolio to the Visual Arts office via Dropbox or Google Drive link three days before your appointment. If using a file sharing service, include a password or ensure the files are accessible to anyone with the link. Please do not submit images formatted in PowerPoint presentation files. Send the image list and Letter of Introduction as PDF or Microsoft Word documents.
A note on the Bachelor of Arts – Visual Arts Major
Applicants who do not gain admission after their portfolio review are encouraged to continue with or enter the BA-Visual Arts program and to reapply for admission into the Visual Arts at a later date. The advantages of being a BA Visual Arts major include:
- Early course selection: You get to choose your courses before non-majors. This is important when trying to get into very popular first- and second-year
- Entrance Scholarship: If you are coming to the University of Regina for the first time, majors are eligible for an entrance scholarship.
The first year and a half of the BFA and BA Visual Arts programs are the same. Studying in the BA-Visual Arts program enables students to build their portfolios as they take foundational studio courses and courses in Art History.
Compared to the BFA, the BA program has more electives and requires fewer studio courses. It is well-suited for students interested in pursuing double majors or minors such, as the Arts Administration minor. This program is an excellent choice for students preparing for after-degrees in Education or other professional programs post degree.
The BA or the BFA – which is right for you?
The first year and a half of the BFA and BA-Visual Arts programs are the same. Studying in the BA-Visual Arts program enables students to build their portfolios as they take foundational studio courses and courses in Art History.
The BA program has more electives and requires fewer studio courses than the BFA. It works well if you are interested in doing double majors and minors such as the Arts Administration minor. This program is an excellent choice for students who want to study visual arts but are preparing for after-degrees in Education or other professional programs post degree.
The BFA requires fewer electives than the BA degree. It also allows students to take more studio courses at the Introductory and Senior levels, and requires more Art History Courses than the BA. The BFA provides courses in professional issues and culminates with a graduating group exhibition.
Applicants who do not gain admission after a portfolio review are encouraged to continue with the BA-Visual Arts program and to reapply at a later date. The advantages of being a Visual Arts major, whether BA or BFA: You get to choose your courses before non-majors. This is important when trying to get into very popular first and second year courses. If you are coming to the University of Regina for the first time, majors are eligible for an entrance scholarship.