Transfer Students

Transfer Orientation

Once you have been accepted to The University of Iowa, you will be given a date for Transfer Orientation. Transfer Orientation is an important step in registering for courses at Iowa. The Orientation will take the better part of the day, and you should be prepared for that. During the morning, you will be walked through different presentations that help orient you to the University of Iowa. An Orientation advisor will help you make up a tentative schedule of courses for registration. Later in the morning you will meet with the undergraduate advisor in the School of Art and Art History. The adviser will give a general orientation to the School, and will sit with each individual transfer student to advise them on their tentative schedule for registration. After the advising session, students return to the IMU or the Main Library to get their registration codes and register for classes.

Transfer Credit Policy

When you transfer to The University of Iowa, your studio art and art history credits will come into your general elective hours. Some of your art history classes may be transferred to your major, or not, depending upon which classes are recognized by Admissions as being equivalent to UI classes. Transfer students will get more information on transfer reviews at Transfer Orientation.

Studio Majors Transfer Portfolio Review

Studio Art coursework taken at other colleges or universities will not be used to satisfy requirements for the Studio Art or Art History major, until the course material from a studio art course has been approved for substitution during a Transfer Portfolio Review done by the University of Iowa School of Art and Art History faculty.

The Transfer Portfolio Review is held on the Friday before classes start for the fall and spring semester at the Studio Art Building, 1375 Hwy 1 West, Iowa City, Iowa. Transfer students must sign up for a 15 minute portfolio review time slot, prior to the date of the review, in each discipline that they wish to have coursework reviewed. The disciplines are: ceramics, sculpture, intermedia, three dimensional design, jewelry and metal arts, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, and graphic design.

TIME: To set up a time for a Transfer Portfolio Review, please contact sarah-cavanaugh@uiowa.edu. Students who do not sign up for a time slot or who miss their scheduled time are not guaranteed to have their material reviewed.

WHAT TO BRING: Your portfolios must contain works from a collegiate level course(s) that you completed. Your portfolios should contain from between 8-10 of your best works in the discipline. For example, if you took two drawing classes, you can select material from both classes to show at your review. If you wish to show work from more than one discipline, you should create a separate portfolio for each discipline. The purpose of the review is to determine if your training and work meets the requirements of a University of Iowa course and if so, to determine what level to place you into. Original work is preferred and will review best. If you are bringing digital images, please make sure you have something to show them on or make arrangements with Sarah ahead of time.

REMEMBER: You must complete the requirements for both Basic Drawing and Design Fundamentals prior to signing up for studio art courses. If you passed a review for Basic Drawing but have not taken Design Fundamentals you cannot sign up for any studio courses until Design Fundamentals is completed.

Also, please speak with an academic advisor before you go through a Portfolio Review for a course where you received a C grade or lower. A review may not be in your best interest.

Art History Course Review

You will meet with the undergraduate academic advisor during the Orientation program for preliminary advising. After Orientation and prior to the beginning of classes, you should make an appointment with the Head of the Art History Division to review previous art history coursework to see if it will satisfy a requirement of the University of Iowa Art History BA degree. You should bring a copy of your course syllabus that includes subject matter covered, reading requirements and information about how your course was graded. Bring this information for every course that you wish reviewed. Following the review, the Head of Art History will determine which, if any, of the requirements for the Art History major you will be granted substitution course credit.