Graphic Design Portfolio

The following prerequisite courses must be successfully completed OR currently enrolled in the semester when submitting portfolio. 

• ARH 2051 History of Western Art II
• ART 2201C Design Fundamentals 2D
• ART 2203C Design Fundamentals 3D
• ART 2300C Drawing Fundamentals I
• ART 2301C Drawing Fundamentals II
• GRA 2101C Introduction to Computer Art

Starting Spring 2024: The following prerequisite courses can be completed after submitting portfolio:

• ARH 2050 History of Western Art I

A grade of “C” or better is required for each course listed above. These courses must be completed or enrolled in by the semester applying for portfolio.

A GPA of 3.0 is required for major courses.

Courses at many institutions which are listed as Commercial Art or Advertising Art may not be applicable towards the Graphic Design degree at UCF. Students seeking to transfer courses taken at other institutions should check tes.collegesource.com to confirm equivalency.

As part of your application to the Emerging Media BFA: Graphic Design track, you are required to submit a professional portfolio as a single multi-page PDF document.

The portfolio should showcase your best creative achievements, demonstrating both technical skill and conceptual thinking. All work must be presented clearly, professionally, and in a way that reflects your ability to communicate visually as a designer.

Failure to follow the instructions below, or to present your work clearly and professionally, may result in your application being denied.

Format

• Title Page

Include your name, UCF ID, and contact information.

• Statement of Interest

Include a brief written statement indicating why you are interested in pursuing a degree in Graphic Design.

• No more than one page of text
• Professional tone, double-spaced, 12-point font

• Five Best Projects

Submit five individual projects you consider your strongest creative work. These may come from coursework, personal projects, or client-based work.

Your best work should demonstrate:

• Proficiency in
  • Typography — effective and expressive use of type
  • Color — purposeful choices to convey meaning and create contrast
  • Visual Hierarchy — clear organization of information to prioritize content
• Strong craft and attention to detail
• Originality, creativity, and clear communication
• Clear and professional presentation of all work
• Suggested areas include (but are not limited to):
  • Studio Class Work
  • Design Class Work
  • Client or personal-based work

You are not required to submit work from each category, but avoid submitting too many samples from a single category, pick works that demonstrate proficiency in the above categories.

• Design Prompt

Complete the restaurant campaign design prompt. This project demonstrates your ability to apply conceptual thinking and design a cohesive visual identity across multiple deliverables, presented clearly and professionally.

Choose one (1) of the five restaurant concepts below and develop a complete design campaign. Each name is intentionally evocative yet open to interpretation — your job is to bring the brand to life through creative design choices.

Restaurant Names (choose ONE from the following list)

1. Midnight Slice 
2. Slow Dawn Coffee
3. Daily Crumb & Co. 
4. Flip Side Burger Co. 
5. Sweet Soul Tacos

Your campaign must include the following deliverables: 

• Logo Design
• Business Card
• Single Page Menu Design
• Promotional poster or flyer
• One creative application of your choice (signage, merchandise)

Review Criteria

• Only digital portfolios are acceptable and must be submitted online.
• Digital work must be presented as a consolidated PDF (this means one PDF document containing multiple pages).
• Resolution should be set at 150 ppi.
• Submit portfolio by clicking on the button at the bottom of this page during the specified application period.

If submitted work does not meet this criteria, it will not be accepted for evaluation. All application materials and portfolios must be received by the deadline.

The Emerging Media BFA program, in alignment with UCF’s “Timely Academic Progress Toward a Degree Policy,” has established a policy to ensure students make consistent progress toward graduation.

Beginning Spring 2025, students are permitted to submit portfolios for multiple SVAD tracks within a single semester, but those who do not pass the portfolio review or decline acceptance into a track will not be eligible to reapply for that track or any other Emerging Media BFA tracks in a future semester. However, students may submit Studio Art portfolios in subsequent semesters.

UCF strongly encourages students affected by these policies to meet with an Academic Success Coach at cahsa@ucf.edu. Coaches can help students explore alternative academic pathways and identify opportunities that align with their interests and goals while maintaining a trajectory toward timely graduation. Students who are removed from the program will receive written notification, and those who believe extenuating circumstances impacted their performance may appeal to the SVAD administrative office within 10 business days of the notification. Appeals must include detailed documentation of circumstances, such as medical emergencies, to be considered.