If you have completed significant coursework in architecture or other visual courses, you must submit a transfer credit portfolio to determine the appropriate studio placement for you at Illinois Tech.
The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will review transcripts from your previous school(s). Undergraduate Academic Affairs will review transcripts from institutions outside the US. After you receive notification that your transfer credits are posted in Degree Works, email your portfolio for review to: coaadvising@iit.edu.
Note:
- Students who fail to submit an architecture portfolio will not get any ARCH credits and will be mandated to take first-year architecture classes.
- ARCH related courses will not be posted to DegreeWorks until your portfolio review is complete.
Your portfolios must include work from all relevant art and architecture courses, including recently completed courses. Portfolio reviews will NOT be completed until you have submitted your deposit and ALL official transcripts have been submitted to Illinois Tech and we receive notification from UGA that they’ve posted your transfer credit in Degree Works. The College reserves the right to postpone portfolio reviews if the university has not received all required, up-to-date transcripts.
Portfolio Guidelines
General
In your portfolio submission, we are looking for evidence of your curiosity, originality and problem solving skills. The quality of the portfolio’s composition is as important as the quality of any single project. You should carefully curate and assemble your portfolio to tell a compelling story about yourself, your interests, and your motivation to study architecture.
- The College of Architecture accepts electronic portfolios only (PDF format; Maximum file size: 20 MB).
- Arrange your portfolio by course and label your work with the course number and course title.
- Each course requires a syllabus which includes a course description and a weekly outline of what content was covered, a list of assignments, and textbook used plus other readings required.
- The evaluation of transfer credit includes the review of content and quality of work. It is possible that two courses equate to one of ours and that a lecture course covers material that is included in one of our studios; these would be combined for credit. In all cases you must submit course credit that is at least equal to the credit hours of our courses.
- Credit is not awarded for work experience.
Studio Courses
- A compilation of visual work, images, drawings, and photos showing the entire course content, coordinated with the course content in the syllabus.
- Midterm and final submittals should be included.
- One or two examples of work is not sufficient.
- We encourage including process work such as sketches and study models, in addition to the final work.
Lecture Courses
- A compilation of assignments showing the entire course content, coordinated with the course content of the syllabus. Graded quizzes, midterm and final submittals or exams should be included.
Current Courses
- Please add a listing of any courses that you are currently enrolled in that could be eligible for transfer credit.
Minimal Requirements for Studio Placements
- For second year studio placement: at least 12 credit hours of studio, introduction to architecture, some design communications/digital courses and 6 credit hours of mathematics.
- For third year studio placement: above requirements plus an additional 12 credit hours of studio, physics, and a statics and strength of materials course.
- Transfer students cannot be placed into fourth year studio; additional studio credit beyond 24 will be considered for architectural elective credit.
Portfolio Review Results
Email your electronic portfolio to coaadvising@iit.edu.
College faculty will review portfolios and assign transfer credits to courses that meet the College’s course standards and degree requirements. The results of your portfolio review will be forwarded to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions (domestic) or Undergraduate Academic Affairs (international) so they can update your Degree Works. You will receive an email from the College of Architecture outlining the courses you should register for, based on your portfolio review, along with your Registration PIN. Transfer credits will count toward the completion of your Illinois Tech degree.
Deadline
To ensure students are registered for their Spring 2025 classes, the College strongly recommends that all domestic portfolio reviews be completed no later than December 1.
Questions?
Please contact coaadvising@iit.edu.