Portfolio Requirements

Your portfolio is an important part of your application. It will be evaluated on artistic and conceptual content, design and composition, technical skill, and creative potential. Submit 12–20 examples of your best and most recent work. Please note that we recommend several of these works to be observational drawings as part of your portfolio—even if you plan on majoring in Photography or Communication Design. If you have questions regarding the observational drawing component, please contact the Admissions Office. Your portfolio in general may include classroom work, studio assignments, personal projects and/or sketchbook work.

How to submit: Portfolios may be submitted in person during a campus visit or to a PNCA representative at a National Portfolio Day or by sending a digital CD of your portfolio to the Admissions Office. In order to be considered for acceptance, we must have received a digital copy of your portfolio. All 12-20 digital images must be saved as JPEGs and file size must be kept under 1 MB. Do not send PowerPoint presentations, please keep it simple. Your digital portfolio can be e-mailed as attachments to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).  In the body of the e-mail, please include your full name and address. You may have to send multiple e-mails,  depending on file size. Please call or e-mail to confirm that we have received your e-mail. Digital portfolios submitted via mail must be on a CD-ROM sent to:

The Admissions Office
PNCA, 1241 NW Johnson St.
Portland OR 97209

Please include your full name and address clearly labeled on the front of the CD and/or case. Do not submit still images on a DVD. Moving images should be submitted in DVD format. IMPORTANT: PLEASE DO NOT MAIL ACTUAL, ORIGINAL ARTWORKS TO THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE.

All admissions materials, including portfolios, become the property of PNCA and will not be returned to you or released to another party.


Transfer applicants: In addition to the twelve to twenty pieces required for general admissions, transfer students are required to submit additional examples of their artwork if they have completed and received credit for studio art classes at another college. The additional pieces must reflect work completed in the art classes and must be submitted in digital format. An index identifying the size, medium, assignment, and the college course in which the work was executed must be included.All admissions materials, become the property of PNCA and will not be returned to you or released to another party.

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