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Change of Major or Addition of Simultaneous Major

Download Application: Application for Change of Major or Addition of Simultaneous Major for Fall 2010 (pdf)

Instructions for Online Undergraduate Portfolio Submission

Currently enrolled or former UT Austin students who are interested in changing major to or adding a simultaneous major in the Department of Art and Art History must become familiar with the University's rules on Transfer from One Division to Another within the University and must adhere to these rules and meet all other Departmental application requirements by the stated deadlines. Applicants must be approved for admission by the Department's Undergraduate Admissions Committee. Current majors in the Department must also apply to change majors from one major to another major internally (that is, from Art History to Studio Art or Visual Art Studies to Studio Art).

Meeting minimum academic requirements, submitting all application materials by the deadline, and completion of Art and Art History foundation courses does not guarantee eligibility or acceptance to a specific major of the Department. Application review and admission to all degree programs is competitive and selective.

Simultaneous (dual degree) major applicants must have completed 30 hours college credit at this university at time of application. These 30 hours cannot include AP , IB , credit-by-exam, dual or transfer credit. This is university policy and applies to all students in all majors in all colleges. Applicants without 30 UT hours of course credit completed at the end of the semester in the application deadline occurs will not be considered.

If you are a former UT Austin student, you will first need to complete an Application for Readmission as a Former Student with the UT Austin Office of Admissions. Readmission deadlines for former students are as follows: JULY 1 for Fall semester; DECEMBER 1 for Spring semester, MAY 1 for Summer Sessions. Even if you graduated with a degree from UT Austin, you will still apply as a former undergraduate student. As a former undergraduate student, you will be readmitted into the last major code you held at the time you left the university. As you are being readmitted to your former UT Austin undergraduate major, you will also need to simultaneously apply to our department as an internal change of major. Follow the change of major or addition of simultaneous major instructions and not the instructions for external transfer applicants. If you were a former major in the Department of Art and Art History you will be readmitted to that last major code – as such, no further action is required unless you want to change majors internally (for example, from Art History to Studio Art or Studio Art to Visual Art Studies, All-Level Art Teacher Certification).

In order to have your application materials considered for admission to the Department of Art and Art History, you must select one of the admission codes on the departmental application and be aware of minimum academic and application requirements:

• B.A. Art History (570700): Minimum UT GPA 3.00, evaluation of related course work (ARH 302 and ARH 303 completed or in progress, or any upper division art history course), résumé, statement of educational intent, essay, writing sample.

• B.F.A. Design (509904): Minimum UT GPA 3.00, evaluation of related course work, résumé, statement of educational intent, essay, art portfolio.

• B.A. Studio Art (570800): Minimum UT GPA 3.00, evaluation of related coursework, résumé, statement of educational intent, essay, art portfolio.

• B.F.A. Studio Art (509953): Minimum UT GPA 3.00, evaluation of related coursework, résumé, statement of educational intent, essay, art portfolio.

• B.F.A. Visual Art Studies (509956): Minimum UT GPA 3.00, evaluation of related course work, résumé, statement of educational intent, essay, art portfolio.

You must submit all the following items to the Undergraduate Office by the annual departmental application deadlines of DECEMBER 4, 2009 (Spring 2010 semestesr enrollment) and MAY 7, 2010 (for Fall 2010 semester enrollment):

1. Departmental Application
2. Résumé
3. Statement of Educational Intent
4. Essay Assignment*
5. Writing Sample** (for Art History applicants only)
6. Art Portfolio*** (for Design, Studio Art, and Visual Art Studies applicants only)
7. Analytical Essay Assignment (for B.F.A. Design applicants only)

*Essay Topic for Art History, Design, Studio Art, and Visual Art Studies Applicants: “Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study (art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space effected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?”

** The writing sample requirement is in addition to the above personal statement and essay topic. The writing sample must be a photocopy of a substantial paper (involving documented research and demonstrating critical analysis) produced in a college-level course, preferably at UT Austin. The writing sample must have a cover sheet that states: Your Name, Paper Title, Course Number and Course Name, Instructor Name, Semester and Date Written.

***All applicants applying for admission to Design, Studio Art, or Visual Art Studies must submit an art portfolio of their strongest and most recent art work to the Undergraduate Admissions Committee as part of the application process. The art portfolio must be received by Slideroom by the application deadlines stated above. Please do not send any art portfolio materials to the Office of Admissions or the Department of Art and Art History. Please refer to Instructions for Online Undergraduate Portfolio Submission or see pages two, three, and four of the actual application.

Additional information on admissions, programs, and curriculum is included in this downloadable PDF document: Undergraduate Admissions and Program Guide (pdf).

Evaluation Criteria
Admission to our department is based upon rankings, GPA , applicable test scores, academic performance in art-related Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, high school and college credit coursework (if any); quality of writing sample(s) on required essay(s); if applying to Predesign, Studio Art, or Visual Art Studies, quality of slide portfolio; and, if ultimately applying to the B.F.A. Design program, evaluation of analytical essays assignment.

Notification
Students will be notified in an email via Secure Academic Note (SAN) of their application results, generally four to six weeks after final spring semester hours and grades have been reported (a specific date will be given to you upon receipt of application). Students who are accepted into the program must participate in mandatory departmental academic advising. Should you be accepted into the department, you will be given specific information about the major changing process, academic advising and registration procedures in your acceptance SAN. Please do not contact the department about the status of your application; the department will contact you when decisions have been made.

Transfer Courses
Though not required, applicants may wish to transfer in course credit for the Art and Art History foundation courses that correspond to the degree program for which they are applying (see chart below). By doing so, applicants will have a fundamental preparation for applying to our programs and/or be able to develop their slide portfolio, and if admitted, will enter into the department ready to start entry level courses in their major. Completion of foundation courses does not guarantee admission to any of our programs. Because of the unique nature and structure of the department’s Design curriculum, Design courses from other institutions will not transfer to UT Austin as DES prefix courses. Design courses from other institutions will not apply towards any DES curriculum or the B.F.A. Design degree plan. To learn how courses taken at other Texas colleges will transfer to UT Austin, consult the Office of Admission’s Automated Transfer Equivalency System.

Contacts

Applicants seeking to change major to or add a simultaneous major in the department, should arrange an appointment in advance of visiting the department. Please see Visiting the Department for detailed information.

Ramey Guerra, Academic Advisor I
Art History, Design, Studio Art, and Visual Art Studies Advising

rameyguerra@mail.utexas.edu (Please allow 24 to 48 hour response time for email reply.)
512-475-7718
512-471-7801 FAX
ART 3.334

You may also contact the Undergraduate Office by writing to the following address:

Undergraduate Office
Department of Art and Art History
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station D1300
Austin, TX 78712-0337

Information Request Form

Self-Guided Tour Map (pdf)