• Application Form
• Application Fee
• One official transcript from each college or university attended for credit
• Letters of Recommendation (three)
• Personal Statement (PDF Download)
• Résumé
• Graduate Record Examination Scores (GRE) required of all but MFA applicants
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), required of international students
• Portfolio (applicants to Architecture, Fine Arts, Landscape Architecture and Urban Design programs)
• Writing Sample (applicants to M.S. in Architecture, M.Arch. II, and Ph.D. programs)Prerequisite Work Sheet (applicants to Architecture Professional program only)

Applications and all supporting materials must be received by January 2 for the M.S. in Architecture and all Ph.D. programs, January 15 for the Master of Architecture programs, and February 1 for all other programs. Admissions decisions will be mailed to applicants
on April 1.

On-Line Application
The PennDesign application is now completely on-line. You have the option to pay the application fee of $75 by credit card OR by check or money order, send your personal statement electronically OR by regular mail, and have your recommenders send their letters to us electronically OR by regular mail. We encourage you to file your on-line application as early as possible then follow up later with supporting materials. To begin your on-line application, go to www.design.upenn.edu/new/admissions/forms.htm.

Application Fee
The application fee is non-refundable. Checks or money orders should be made payable to The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. There will be a $25 service charge for returned checks.

Official Transcripts
You must submit an official transcript from the Registrar of each college or university you have attended for credit. The transcript must be contained in a sealed envelope with the Registrar’s stamp across the back flap of the envelope. If we receive a transcript that is not in its sealed envelope, the transcript will not be considered valid. Institutions that will not release official transcripts to students may send the transcripts directly to the Office of Admissions.

Letters of Recommendation (Three)
It is recommended that at least two letters of recommendation be from college instructors. Applicants who have been out of school for several years may submit letters of recommendation from employers or others in a position to evaluate their professional abilities and academic potential. Recommenders who prefer to send their letters directly to the Office of Admissions rather than on-line may do so and the letters of recommendation forms can be downloaded from www.design.upenn.edu/new/admissions/forms.htm

Personal Statement
A personal statement, describing your interest in the field to which you are applying and your academic and career objectives, may be submitted on-line or downloaded as a PDF file and submitted through the mail.

GRE (Graduate Record Examination) scores
With the exception of MFA applicants, all applicants must take the general GRE test regardless of whether they are from the U.S. or abroad. To register for the GRE, go to Educational Testing Service at www.gre.org/. Official test scores must be sent by ETS to the School of Design. The correct institution code to use when requesting scores is 2674. You do not need a departmental code.

IELTS or TOEFL scores
All international applicants whose native language is not English and whose undergraduate training has not been conducted in the English language must submit satisfactory certification of adequate English proficiency sufficient to pursue graduate study prior to consideration for admission. This certification will encompass both comprehension and expression in the spoken and written word. Applicants must submit scores of either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Applicants may register for the IELTS at www.ets.org/toefl. Applicants may register for the TOEFL at www.ets.org/toefl. The correct institution code to use when requesting official TOEFL scores is 2984. You do not need a departmental code. Candidates admitted to the School of Design may be required to successfully complete an English Language Program prior to matriculation. They will be notified of this condition in their letter of admission.

To be admitted without conditions, the Department of Architecture requires applicants to obtain a TOEFL score of 600 or higher or an IELTS score of 8.0 or higher.

Portfolio
Applicants to Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Design programs must submit portfolios containing reproductions of their work in the visual arts and design, including examples of freehand drawings. Applicants seeking advanced standing or who hold professional degrees should include design projects. Applicants with professional experience who wish to include examples of their professional work may do so, but are advised to limit these to projects in which they had principal design roles. If examples of collaborative projects are submitted, the applicant’s contribution should be specifically described. Applicants to the Certificate in Urban Design may submit examples of a report or other professional work in lieu of a portfolio. All applicants to Fine Arts programs must submit portfolios in the form of either digital files or slides.

Department of Architecture Portfolio Guidelines
Every applicant to the Master of Architecture, Master of Science in Architecture, or PhD in Architecture is required to submit a portfolio. The portfolio is a synopsis of one's creative work. As a visual essay, it tells a story of a person's interests, skills, and development over time. It should include projects that best express one's visual, spatial, and constructional abilities. These projects might include drawings, paintings, sculpture, or photography; graphic, industrial, or interior design; architectural, landscape, or urban design. The faculty who evaluate the portfolios look less for competence in architectural or landscape architectural design and more for a coherent demonstration of visual and spatial abilities expressed through a basic understanding of material and construction. All work should be identified as academic, professional, or personal. If professional or team projects are included in the portfolio, the specific role and responsibility of the applicant in the production of the project must be clearly identified. Labels and writing should be kept to a minimum and clearly explain the work. Applicants to the M.Arch. II should include at least five fully developed projects done solely by the person submitting the portfolio; other group work can be added.

We will accept digital portfolios from applicants to the Architecture programs; in fact, we strongly recommend this format to M.Arch. II applicants. A PDF document of no more than twenty 10 x 12” pages and screen resolution [72 dpi] ONLYshould be submitted on a CD that has been tested on both Mac OSX and Windows. No fewer than four projects should be included and the maximum size of the PDF should be 25 MB. The document should be saved as Program_LastnameFirstname_Portfolio (eg: MArchII_GrayTom_Portfolio). The CD should have your name written on it with a Sharpie marker and be enclosed in a paper sleeve. M.Arch. II, MS and PhD Architecture applicants who submit digital portfolios are encouraged to include their resumes, list of computer proficiencies (MArch II only), and writing samples on the CD. Each file should be clearly labeled as “Resume”, “Writing Sample I”, “Writing Sample II”, or “ComputerProf” (eg: PhDArch_GrayTom_Resume).

If you choose to submit a photographic or photostatic portfolio, it should be a maximum of ten by twelve inches and contain no more than ten double-sided pages or twenty single-sided pages, excluding the cover pages. These are typically prepared using desktop publishing tools like Adobe InDesign or Quark Express and printed on color inkjet or color laser printers. These may be bound using any of the readily available binding techniques, GBC, spiral, etc., or inserted into a sleeve binder. Special attention should be given to the use of high-quality images for the portfolio. Flat work should be carefully scanned at a size and resolution commensurate with the output device to be used, while sculpture, models, furniture, and other three-dimensional constructions should be photographed with a high-resolution digital camera, or with film and then scanned.

The portfolio will be returned to the applicant after April 1 only if a self-addressed stamped return envelope is provided. Overseas applicants may enclose postal coupons or money orders along with envelopes for their portfolio return.

Department of Landscape Architecture Portfolio Guidelines
Every applicant is required to submit a portfolio. See Department of Architecture portfolio guidelines, above, for recommendations on preparing a photographic or photostatic portfolio. Digital portfolios are not accepted. Portfolios of matriculating MLA students will remain with the Department until classes start in September, after which point they will be returned.


Department of Fine Arts Portfolio Guidelines
MFA Portfolios
All applicants to the Master of Fine Arts program must submit portfolios. We strongly recommend that the portfolio be digital although we will accept slides.

Digital Portfolios
All digital image submissions must be on a single CD that has been tested on both Mac OSX and Windows. A total of twenty (20) still images should be placed in a folder entitled LastnameFirstname (example: BrownElizabeth). All still images must be RGB color in JPEG format and can be no larger than 1024x768 pixels. Do not put images in any presentation format such as PowerPoint or PDF. Name and number all files LastnameFirstname00.jpg (example: BrownElizabeth03.jpg).

Please submit a printed hard-copy list of your images with your CD. The list should be headed with your name and area of study (painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography or mixed media), listing the image number, title, date, medium, and dimensions. Please indicate if an image illustrates a detail of a previously listed work. The CD should have your name written on it with a Sharpie marker and should be enclosed in a paper sleeve. This may be shipped in a bubble pack envelope (no fiber filled envelopes).

The portfolio will be returned to the applicant after April 1 only if a self-addressed stamped return envelope is provided. Overseas applicants may enclose postal coupons or money orders along with envelopes for their portfolio return. Portfolios of matriculating students will remain with the Department of Fine Arts for archival purposes.

Slide Portfolios
Although we strongly recommend digital portfolios, we will accept slides. Approximately twenty 35MM slides of work should be submitted in a round 80-capacity carousel slide tray. Please do not use glass mounts. Mark the front of each slide with your name and the date in the upper left corner, and with its number and a dot in the lower left corner. Slides should be submitted in chronological order, beginning with the earliest work.

Enclose the carousel in its box along with a slide inventory, headed with your name and area of study (painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography or mixed media), listing the slide number, title, date, medium, and dimensions. The numbers on the slides should correspond to the numbers on the list. Please indicate if a slide illustrates a detail of a previously listed work.

Cover only the top of the carousel box in plain brown paper and glue uncancelled stamps (not a dated postage meter strip) necessary for its return postage in the upper right corner. Slides will be considered disposable if postage is not received. International applicants who are not able to obtain U.S. postage may send international postal coupons or a money order to cover the cost of return postage. Center on the top of the carousel box a typed (or clearly printed) mailing label with the name and address to which you would like it returned. Wrap the box (which is now ready for return mail) in plain brown paper or use a large padded mailer. Place your name and return address in the top left corner, necessary postage in the top right corner, and in the center, print the following mailing address: Office of Admissions, School of Design, University of Pennsylvania, 110 Meyerson Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6311. During the review process, slides will be the property of the School of Design. While taking all reasonable care, the school cannot be held responsible for damage. Slides of matriculating students will remain with the Department of Fine Arts for archival purposes.

Video Portfolios
All video submissions must be on a single NTSC DVD that plays on a standard DVD player. The disc should not have a menu. Each work should be recorded as a separate sequential track with sound limited to stereo. The DVD should be tested on multiple players to insure that it will play properly. Print your name on the DVD, enclose it in a paper sleeve, and submit it with a printed hard-copy list of works, headed with your name and area of study, and referenced with DVD track numbers. This may be shipped in a bubble pack envelope (no fiber filled envelopes).

The portfolio will be returned to the applicant after April 1 only if a self-addressed stamped return envelope is provided. Overseas applicants may enclose postal coupons or money orders along with envelopes for their portfolio return. Portfolios of matriculating students will remain with the Department of Fine Arts for archival purposes.

Graphic Design Certificate Portfolios
Applicants to the Graphic Design Certificate are required to submit portfolios along with their applications. The portfolio may include no more than 15 slides, digital images, printed samples, or web screens. Digital portfolios should follow the guidelines for the MFA portfolios (above). Any submitted media should be clearly labeled and include a brief synopsis of the content.

Time-based and Interactive Media Certificate Portfolios
Applicants to the Time-based and Interactive Media Certificate must submit portfolios containing slides, digital images, printed images, books, video, or interactive projects. Digital and video portfolios should follow the guidelines for the MFA portfolios (above). Video should be limited to excerpts which total less than 10 minutes. All interactive and time-based projects should include synopses or guides for interaction. Web sites and interactive projects must include a list of technical requirements.

Prerequisite Work Sheet
A prerequisite work sheet should be submitted by all applicants to the Master of Architecture Professional Degree Program indicating the courses they have taken/plan to take to fulfill our prerequisites. This worksheet can be downloaded from our web site at www.design.upenn.edu/new/admissions/forms.htm.

Writing Sample
M.S. in Architecture and Ph.D. applicants must submit a sample (e.g. essay, research report) of their written work in English on the subject of their field of specialization in addition to their statement describing their plan of study. Applicants to the Master of Architecture II must submit two samples of writing and a description of their computing skills and software proficiency.