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

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 consideration for SADAH merit scholarships and is highly recommended for admission.  Registration will close one week prior.

*Dates to be posted soon and registration will begin in August.*

To be considered for any SADAH merit scholarships, students pursuing Art BFA, Architectural Design, Graphic Design, or Industrial Design programs must attend a Portfolio Feedback Day. SADAH Merit Scholarships vary in amount up to the full cost of tuition.

For scholarship consideration, students should

1. Apply Early Action to JMU
2. Attend a Portfolio Feedback Day prior to Jan. 25
3. Submit via Slideroom one letter of recommendation, an arts resume and a 300-word (max) essay describing the merits of one of your pieces

Students seeking scholarship consideration in the Art History, Art BA, or Art BS 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 and should sign up for an audition/interview below.

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

Bachelor of Music applicants: Sign up for your in-person audition. Registration will be available in August.

• Monday, Nov. 3 (priority consideration for those applying to JMU Early Action)
  – also Music Major Preview Day
• Saturday, Dec. 6 (priority consideration for those applying to JMU Early Action)
• Saturday, Jan. 24 (recommended for those applying to JMU Regular Decision)
• Saturday, Feb. 7 (recommended for those applying to JMU Regular Decision)

Virtual Submission: Students who are not attending an in-person audition can submit their application and audition files via SlideRoom and indicate Virtual Submission there.  Virtual submissions are not considered for scholarship consideration.

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 (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 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 will 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 and should sign up for an audition below.

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

Register for an audition 

Registration will be available in August.

• Nov. 8, 2025 (in-person) (recommended for those applying to JMU Early Action)
• Dec. 6, 2025 (in-person) (recommended for those applying to JMU Early Action)
• Feb. 7, 2026 (in-person) (recommended for those applying to JMU Regular Decision)

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. 

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).

Register for an in-person audition.  Students can still audition entirely by asynchronous video submission instead of an in-person audition. 

Students who are applying for Musical Theatre are also encouraged to audition for Theatre (separate registration required, but you can register for both on the same date for the JMU locations). 

Registration links will be available in August.

Musical Theatre

• Nov. 8, 2025 (in-person at JMU) (recommended for those applying to JMU Early Action)
• Jan.31, 2026 (in-person at JMU)
• Feb. 7, 2026 (in-person at JMU)

Theatre

• Nov.8, 2025 (in-person) (recommended for those applying to JMU Early Action)
• Jan. 31, 2026 (in-person)
• Feb. 7, 2026 (in-person)

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.