Two individuals looking at color palettes .

Visual Communication Portfolio Application

You have what it takes!

East Texas A&M University Department of Art's upper-level Visual Communication courses in Art Direction, Design, and New Media are reserved for students who have participated in the portfolio entry process. The entry process is a tool for the VisCom faculty to evaluate a student's mastery of their foundations. The portfolio pieces requested are varied to give each student an opportunity to show their strengths, whether visual, conceptual, writing, etc. The goal of the portfolio is for a student to convey potential and passion.

Eligibility

The application process for the portfolio entry review is open to any undergraduate student who meets the following criteria:

  • Students should have completed at least 18 hours of art foundation courses* as described in the undergraduate catalog and the University studies** requirements of East Texas A&M. Students transferring from other institutions may refer to the course equivalencies chart on the art department website for these requirements.
  • The student must have an overall GPA of at least 2.5 and an art foundations GPA of at least 3.0.

*Other visual foundation courses may be substituted for the art foundation courses on an individual basis, with the completion of 18 hours being preferred.

**Minor extensions may be granted to complete University requirements, but exceptions must be granted by the Director of VisCom.

Application Checklist

The Spring 2025 Entry Review portfolio consists of the following items in the order listed below. All portfolio elements should be contained in a single, multi-page pdf. The ability to follow and execute instructions is an element of the review.

Cover Page

The cover page should contain your name, CWID and area of emphasis. If you haven't decided, please choose your top choice. Choices: art direction, design, and new media. 

Application Form

The completed Application form for Portfolio Entry Review

Transcript

A current copy of your unofficial university transcript with art foundation courses highlighted should be scanned or incorporated from a digital file and entered after your application.

This information can be found in MyLeo—DegreeWorks

  • ART 1311 Two-Dimensional Design and Color Theory
  • PHO 209 Intro to Video
  • ART 2323 Figure Drawing
  • ART 1316 Drawing I
  • ART 2313 Introduction to Visual Communication
  • PHO 2357 Basic Photography I

Creative Pieces

1. Visual Narrative

Write a narrative describing one of the three choices: A. Motion, B. Poster or C. Ad. The narrative should be at least 250 words and no more than 300 words. Students answer the narrative by writing a descriptive perspective, who the piece was addressing and what their chosen piece is trying to convey to the audience with the purpose of incorporating visual vocabulary into their writing. Artificial Intelligence may not be used to write this response. All narratives will be checked with AI detection software. Detection will affect the entry outcome.
The page should be titled with your name and student id centered at the top of the page with your Visual Narrative of A, B or C, (depending on your selection) directly underneath it. Using spell-check is not only encouraged but required.

A.

B.

C.

2. Perspective Drawing

Choose or produce a drawing that exhibits an understanding of one or two point perspective. This drawing can be from a course or created for the portfolio.

3. Photograph

This black and white or color photo should show an understanding of composition.

4. Self-Portrait with Container

Produce a self-portrait with container. The definition of container is visually defined by you. You may use the medium of your choice. This piece is an opportunity to exhibit conceptual thinking, craft and originality.

5. Field Trip

Go to a paint or hardware store and pick out five paint color chips. You may use individual colors from different strips, but you must use five colors. Scan your chips. Apply one color chip to represent the purpose of a room in your college home; you must use five rooms. Rename the colors to describe your room choices. A room can be defined as anything with a door, for example, a closet or a porch. Write two complete sentences about why you applied that color to the room. You can only use a color once. On one page, lay out all color scans, including their original and new names, with a two-sentence rationale.

6. Software Application

Provide a piece showing your understanding and application of computer software. For example, a poster design, a character, your final project in Visual Communication 1 or an illustration produced on the computer.

7a. and 7b. Free Choices

Submission Instructions

  • All items listed should be organized in the order shown above and included in a single, multi-page PDF.
  • Each of the six creative pieces should have the number it's fulfilling and at least one sentence about the piece in the lower right-hand corner of each page .5” from the bottom and .5” from the right side of the pdf in a readable font, no larger than 10 pt.
  • Make a folder on the drive titled with your name and 2025, for example: Janie Doe 2025
  • The folder should contain two PDF files
  • Application
  • Portfolio
  • Email the program director, Lee Hackett, upon completion of your upload.

Evaluation

The Visual Communication faculty will use your eight creative pieces to evaluate:

  • Ability to communicate through writing
  • Drawing ability
  • Understanding of positive and negative space
  • Design
  • Concept
  • Composition/Layout
  • Understanding of color
  • Basic software skills
  • Ability to follow instructions
  • Craftsmanship
  • Basic photographic skills
  • Unique Individual skill set

Faculty Recommendations

Each student is required to have two faculty recommendations. The faculty members can be current or former University or Community College instructors you have had a course with. If you are from East Texas A&M, one recommendation has to come from your 2313 Intro to VisCom class instructor. If you are a transfer student, choose one teacher who taught your 2313 Intro to VisCom class. If you are a transfer student, choose one teacher that taught your software application course. The second recommendation can come from the instructor of your choice but must be from the art/design department.

The VisCom Recommendation PDF should be emailed to faculty for their response. Their file should be named with your first and last name, followed by VisCom Rec as the title. Example: JohnDoeVisComRec.pdf

Ask your instructors to email their recommendations directly to Lee Hackett.

Instructor Recommendations sent from students will not be accepted.

The recommendation email must be received by Sunday, November 10 at noon for the student portfolio to be considered complete.

Portfolio Due Date

Sunday, November 10 at midnight.

Notification of Outcome

Notification and acceptance is a two-part process.

  • All students will be notified of the review outcome via the applicant's e-mail address. Notification will happen as soon as possible after the review.
  • Students invited into the program must reply by e-mail with an acceptance/decline for their seat in the VisCom program for the Spring of 2025 within three days of the notification.

Notes:

  • No faculty member may help a student build their portfolio through critique or piece selection. The choices made by the student are part of the portfolio evaluation.
  • All portfolio elements should be contained in a single, multi-page pdf.
  • The ability to follow and execute instructions is an element of the review.

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