A portfolio is a showcase of your work that expresses your versatility, skills, and artistic voice. The portfolio review process is designed to assess your potential growth as a student and is required for both artistic admission to the school and your major.

Portfolios are reviewed for evidence of four criteria:

• Technical Skills
• Inventiveness
• Expressiveness
• Handling of Design or Composition

Show your versatility. Include work that displays your ability to apply your talent and vision across different types of media. Try to include both 2D and 3D pieces.

Show us your skills. Demonstrate your techniques, knowledge of composition and drawing ability. Try to include the pieces that show your highest level of craftsmanship and skill. 

Show us your artistic voice. How do you use materials to communicate your ideas? Include examples of how you see issues from multiple viewpoints, what makes your art unique to you, how you express your artistic identity

• First-year student portfolios should have 10-12 artworks created in the past two years. Transfer and change-of-major students should provide 12-16 artworks.
• You can include a broad range of mediums in your portfolio, including paintings, drawings, ceramics, sculpture, photography, digital art, design, and woodworking, among others. 
• Images (up to 5MB each), Video (up to 250MB each), PDFs (up to 10MB each), and Models (Sketchfab) are accepted. You may also link to media from YouTube and Vimeo.

Studio or design projects based on copying content from the internet, social media, magazines, etc. are discouraged.

All students are required to apply through the Office of Admissions.  Students pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Architectural Design, Art, Graphic Design or a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design must submit an additional application (including a portfolio) to be artistically admitted into the School of Art, Design & Art History. 

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art or Art History or Bachelor of Science degree in Art are not required to submit an additional application or portfolio for artistic admission. 

If you are pursuing a degree that requires the additional application, submit it through SlideRoom.  Your additional application and portfolio are due by the following deadlines:

First-year Portfolio Deadlines

• Early Action applicants – Friday, November 13, 2026
• Regular Decision applicants – Friday, February 5, 2027

Transfer/Change of Major Portfolio Deadlines

• Spring 2027 applicants - Friday, October 9, 2026
• Fall 2027 applicants – Friday, March 5, 2027

Portfolio Feedback Days are an opportunity to meet with faculty, learn about your chosen major, and take a tour of the school. SADAH faculty will look at your portfolio with you in a private session and give advice on which artworks to keep and what to work on. They also will talk with you about your artistic and professional goals and current art-related activities like exhibits, clubs, or awards. Admission decisions are not made during Portfolio Feedback Days.

Attending an on-campus or virtual Portfolio Feedback Day is required for SADAH merit scholarships consideration and highly recommended for admission. 

Registration will close one week prior.

Registration Links to go live in mid-August

Saturday, October 24, 2026 - for students applying Early Action to JMU
In-person | Virtual Session (for out-of-state)

Saturday, November 7, 2026 - for students applying Early Action to JMU
In-person | Virtual Session (for out-of-state)

Saturday, January 30, 2027 - for students applying Regular Decision to JMU
In-person | Virtual Session (for out-of-state)

Note: JMU will also attend National Portfolio Day events in Baltimore (September 12, 2026) and Richmond (October 3, 2026). However, only the in-person or virtual dates listed above qualify for scholarship consideration.

To be considered for any SADAH merit scholarships, students pursuing Art B.F.A., Architectural Design, Graphic Design or Industrial Design programs must attend a Portfolio Feedback Day (in-person or virtual).

For scholarship consideration, students must:

1. Apply to JMU through the Admissions process
2. Attend a Portfolio Feedback Day that fits your application timeline—either Early Action or Regular Decision.
3. Submit your application during the window that matches your Early Action or Regular Decision timeline.
   Within the SlideRoom application, you should complete the optional requirements of one letter of recommendation, an arts resume and the art & design essay describing the merits of one of your pieces. 

Students seeking scholarship consideration in the Art History, Art B.A., or Art B.S. programs should contact Records & Recruitment Specialist Michael Penney.

Please go to the Cost of Attendance Calculator to see the estimated cost of attendance for your program of study.

All students are required to apply through the Office of Admissions.  Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Music or Bachelor of Music degree must submit an additional application to be artistically admitted into the School of Music.  Students applying for the Bachelor of Music degree will need to sign up for an in-person audition or complete a video submission with a portfolio.  Students applying for the Bachelor of Arts in Music degree that are hoping to receive weekly lessons need to sign up for an in-person audition or complete a video submission with a portfolio.

Submit the additional application and portfolio through SlideRoom.  For those attending an in-person audition, the deadline for submission is nine days prior to your scheduled audition.

Bachelor of Music applicants: Sign up for your in-person audition. 

Registration Links to go live in mid-August

Monday, November 2, 2026 - (priority consideration for those applying to JMU Early Action) – also Music Major Preview Day

Saturday, December 5, 2026 - (priority consideration for those applying to JMU Early Action)

Saturday, January 23, 2027 - (recommended for those applying to JMU Regular Decision)

Saturday, February 6, 2027 - (recommended for those applying to JMU Regular Decision)

Video Submission: Students who are not attending an in-person audition can submit their application and audition files via SlideRoom and indicate Video Submission there.  

Bachelor of Arts in Music applicants: You will submit your interview answers with your SlideRoom application. Any Bachelor of Arts in Music applicants interested in taking lessons in voice or on their instrument must also register for an in-person audition (see above).

In order to qualify for a merit scholarship from the School of Music, you must attend an audition (video submission or in-person) and submit your application through SlideRoom.  

For priority scholarship consideration, please apply to JMU Early Action and complete an audition or submit your digital audition materials prior to Jan. 25.

The School of Music offers a number of scholarship opportunities for incoming students, including the "Excellence in the Arts" and "Madison Recognition" awards. Additional awards include merit scholarships from the School of Music and guaranteed admission to the Wayland Living-Learning Arts Community. Scholarship recipients are selected on the strength of their audition and submitted supplementary materials.

All students are required to apply through the Office of Admissions.  Students must submit an additional application to be artistically admitted into the School of Theatre and Dance. Students can either attend an in-person audition or submit their application as a video submission.

Submit the additional application and portfolio through SlideRoom (due nine days before your audition/interview).

Register for an audition. 

(Registration links to go live in mid-August)

• Saturday, November 7 (in-person) (recommended for those applying to JMU Early Action)
• Saturday, December 5 (in-person) (recommended for those applying to JMU Early Action)
• Saturday, February 6 (in-person) (recommended for those applying to JMU Regular Decision)

All students are considered for scholarships through your Slideroom application.  

For priority scholarship consideration, please apply to JMU Early Action and submit your SlideRoom application prior to the middle of January.

Criteria for determining scholarship recipients include: 

1. Talent and ability
2. Academic promise
3. Interview
4. Application essay

The School of Theatre and Dance offers a number of scholarship opportunities for incoming students, including the "Excellence in the Arts" and "Madison Recognition" awards. Additional awards include merit scholarships from the School of Theatre and Dance and guaranteed admission to the Wayland Living-Learning Arts Community. 

All students are required to apply through the Office of Admissions. Students must submit an additional application to be artistically admitted into the School of Theatre and Dance and should sign up for an audition below.

Submit the additional application and portfolio through SlideRoom (due nine days before your audition/interview).

You can audition via video submission or in person.  

We encourage Musical Theatre applicants to also audition for Theatre; you must register for each separately, but you can schedule both for the same day on campus.

 Registration links to go live in mid-August

 Musical Theatre

• Saturday, November 7, 2026 (in-person at JMU) (recommended for those applying to JMU Early Action)
• Saturday, December 5, 2026 (in-person at JMU) (recommended for those applying to JMU Early Action)
• Saturday, January 23, 2027 (in-person at NYC Unifieds)
• Sunday, January 24, 2027 (in-person at NYC Unifieds)
• Saturday, January 30, 2027 (in-person at JMU)
• Saturday, February 6, 2027 (in-person at JMU)

Theatre

• Saturday, November 7, 2026 (in-person at JMU) (recommended for those applying to JMU Early Action)
• Saturday, December 5, 2026 (in-person at JMU) (recommended for those applying to JMU Early Action)
• Saturday, January 23, 2027 (in-person at NYC Unifieds)
• Sunday, January 24, 2027 (in-person at NYC Unifieds)
• Saturday, January 30, 2027 (in-person at JMU)
• Saturday, February 6, 2027 (in-person at JMU)

In order to qualify for a merit scholarship from the School of Theatre and Dance, you must attend an audition (virtual or in-person) and submit your application through Slideroom.  

For priority scholarship consideration, please apply to JMU Early Action and complete an audition or submit your audition materials prior to Jan. 25.

Criteria for determining scholarship recipients include: 

1. Talent and ability
2. Academic promise
3. Interview
4. Application essay

The School of Theatre and Dance offers a number of scholarship opportunities for incoming students, including the "Excellence in the Arts" and "Madison Recognition" awards. Additional awards include merit scholarships from the School of Theatre and Dance and guaranteed admission to the Wayland Living-Learning Arts Community.