Undergraduate Studies Admissions
Prospective freshman student: You must complete the online application through Admissions and Scholarships. Make sure you select the School of Architecture, Design and Planning.
Requirements
For online application and other information, visit KU Admissions.
All Design applicants must meet or exceed academic requirements as well as professional requirements of having a successful essay/portfolio review.
Academic Admission requirements for Design
*Please note that University wide deadelines are earlier than Designs. See Admissions deadlines below for further details.
Kansas Residents
To qualify for admission, new freshmen must submit a completed application with the $30 fee before the December 1 deadline and meet one of the following requirements:
- Achieve an ACT score of 23 or above, or
- SAT score of 1590 or above, or
- Earn at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0-point scale
Out-of-State Residents
To qualify for admission, new freshmen must submit a completed application with the $30 fee by the December 1 priority deadline and meet one of the following requirements:
- Achieve an ACT score of 25 or above or an
- SAT score of 1710
- Earn at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0-point scale
Portfolio and essay requirements
The department of Design also requires a 10-20 image portfolio, and 3 brief essay questions. Deadline for the portfolio is February 1. Click here for essay and portfolio requirements. Click here for a portfolio formatting example. Click here for a contact/inventory sheet example.
Freshman Design Scholarship
The Freshman Scholarship provides incoming high school graduates with a onetime non-renewable monetary award applied towards tuition and fees incurred as a freshman. Your 10 to 20-piece portfolio submission, essays and high school transcripts will serve as the basis for consideration of a scholarship. After completing the online application, essays and submitting a 10 to 20-piece portfolio (CD or thumb drive), you will be considered for the scholarship provided you meet both of the following criteria:
- Cumulative GPA: 3.0 on 4 pt. scale
- ACT composite: 25+
Deadlines
- February 1st: Final deadline for application and portfolio submission for both admittance and scholarship consideration.
- March: Notification of acceptance or denial will be mailed out.
- April: In the first part of April, all students will be notified of the results of the scholarship awards. Faculty from the Department of Design will serve as jurors.
*Admission Deadlines
Priority deadlines for Admissions & Scholarships are November 1st & December 1st for early admission to KU and university wide scholarships. Click here for University wide time-line for admissions, housing, etc.
Deadline for the Design portfolio is February 1st.
Arranging a Campus Visit
Campus visits can be arranged through our office of Admissions and Scholarships. They can be contacted at 785-864-3911 or adm@ku.edu. Admissions and Scholarships will provide you with a tour of campus and with useful information about KU, but it will also coordinate your visit with your prospective area of study for a tour of their facilities and to meet with someone on behalf of the area.
How long after I submit my application should I expect to wait until I know if I am admitted?
Typically the Design portfolio review committee will review applications every other week during the Fall semester, and then acceptance/deny letters are sent out from the Coordinator of Undergraduate Admissions once a decision has been reached. Please note that over the Winter Break the committee does not meet and therefore decisions for fall admission can take longer than usual due to the intermission.
