Application Deadlines
Fall Semester Deadlines
August 1: completed applications due
August 15: student deposits/commitment fees due
Winter Semester Deadlines
December 1: completed applications due (Submission of all transcripts, test scores and portfolio)
December 15: student deposits/commitment fees due
These deadlines have been established for our incoming students to ensure sufficient time for scheduling classes, transferring credits and participating in orientation.
Admission Requirements
Applying to an art college doesn't have to be an intimidating process. At CCS, we're proud of our accessible, supportive admissions staff. We offer feedback and advice through information sessions and personal admissions appointments. We'll do everything we can to help students obtain financial aid. For more information, or to schedule a campus tour, call 313.664.7425 or 800.952.ARTS.
Application and Admission Requirements
- Prospective students must demonstrate commitment, maturity and a readiness to work and grow in an educationally creative environment.
- Completed application with $35 application fee or free online application.
- Official high school transcript with a minimum 2.5 grade point average. Applicants having earned a GED must submit official results of the test scores. (A minimum of a 401 composite is required.)
- ACT or SAT scores indicating potential to succeed at the college level. (If GED is submitted, the SAT or ACT is not required.)
- Minimum 10-piece portfolio. Students submitting actual portfolios may mail them or drop them off at the Office of Admissions between 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. (See next section.)
- Letters of recommendation are optional.
- Personal interviews are available.
- The application, transcripts, test scores and portfolio may be submitted separately.
Applicants who are unable to meet these requirements are encouraged to complete one full-time semester or quarter (minimum of 12 semester credit hours) in a general liberal arts program at an accredited college and maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average prior to seeking admission. A minimum of six of the 12 credits must be in academic subjects. Occasionally, students are considered for admission on a conditional basis after an interview and careful review of the portfolio and academic information.
Portfolio Guidelines
An acceptable portfolio is one that exhibits technical and conceptual preparation for college-level work at CCS. All portfolios must include a minimum of 10 pieces representing the student's selected major or areas of strength. (Portfolio guidelines specific to each major are listed below.)
- Edit work.
- Quality is more important than quantity – 10 great pieces are better than 20 that are inconsistent. Work completed within the last two years is usually the strongest.
- Presentation of the work is important regardless of the format for submission. Photographs on a CD should be clear, not blurry, and should be oriented with the top facing up. Actual work on paper (drawings, graphic design, photography, etc.) should be matted or mounted, but is not required.
- If drawings are included in the portfolio, please review the following suggestions:
– Draw from observation of objects, scenes and people. Include good descriptive or representational drawing.
– Include accurate line drawings and good examples of fully-rendered compositions using a complete range of light, middle and dark values.
– If possible, include figure drawing or partial figure drawing (hands, feet, etc.) or portraiture.
– Be original. We would like to see work that expresses the student's ideas and feelings about a subject.
– Consider the entire picture surface; try not to isolate one object in the center of the page. - If original artwork is brought to the Office of Admissions, all work done in charcoal or pastel must be sprayed with fixative and all paintings must be dry.
For large or 3D pieces, submit high quality photographs (prints, digital images on a CD). - Work may be submitted on a CD in JPEG format at 300 DPI, DVD, email attachment, on video or original work in a portfolio case. Please label CDs and DVDs with format (Mac or PC) and software application used. Individual CD, video, or original work in a case must be labeled with the students name, address and telephone number. The work may be accompanied by an image key, including the image title, medium, dimensions, and work produced.
Work must be submitted in a portfolio case or other protective covering. If the work is delivered personally, please make arrangements for its retrieval as soon as possible after the final admission decision is made. Digital portfolios will not be returned. CCS cannot be responsible for lost or damaged work and/or portfolios that have not been picked up within 21 days after review. Any work submitted may be published in future CCS brochures or presentations. CCS reserves the right to print submitted works.
Portfolios should be mailed or brought to:
College for Creative Studies
Office of Admissions
201 East Kirby
Detroit, MI 48202
CCS cannot be responsible for lost or damaged work and/or portfolios that have not been picked up within 21 days after review. CCS holds a two-week summer program, Camp Portfolio, for high school students to begin preparation for art and design school. More information on this program is available from the College's Continuing Education office.
Advertising Design
The portfolio should include a combination of work from the following list: conceptual or observational drawing, 2D design (traditional or digital), short films or videos, software exploration (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.), photography, lettering samples, creative writing and any other conceptual thinking.
Crafts
The portfolio should include a combination of work from the following list: ceramics, glass, metals, fiber, painting, sculpture, prints, photography, video or digital, or drawings.
Entertainment Arts
The portfolio must include five drawings from direct observation. The remainder should include a combination of work from the following list: photographs, 2D design in either traditional or digital forms, live-action short films or animations, drawing, creative writing, or any 3D work.
Fine Arts
The portfolio should contain five drawings from direct observation. The remainder should represent solid examples of your best creative efforts in any medium; they may include, but are not limited to, painting, sculpture, prints, photography, crafts, video or digital.
Graphic Design
The portfolio should include a combination of work from the following list: photographs, collages, software exploration (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.), printmaking, lettering samples, drawing, creative writing, or any 3D work.
Illustration
The portfolio must include at least five drawings from direct observation. The remainder can represent your selected major or areas of interest.
Interior Design
The portfolio must include at least five drawings from direct observation. The remainder can represent your selected major or areas of interest.
Photography
The portfolio should include a combination of work from the following list: photographs and other forms of 2D or 3D design that expresses your creative potential.
Product Design
The portfolio must include at least five drawings from direct observation. The remainder can represent your selected major or areas of interest.
Transportation Design
The portfolio must include at least five drawings from direct observation. The remainder can represent your selected major or areas of interest.
Undeclared
The portfolio must include at least five drawings from direct observation. The remainder can represent your areas of interest.
Reserving Space
Commitment forms and housing applications are included with acceptance letters. Prospective students who wish to live on campus must submit the completed commitment form and housing application, commitment fee of $100 and housing security deposit of $200. Students who do not intend to live on campus must complete the commitment form and return it with a $100 commitment fee to guarantee space in the next semester's class. The commitment fee is applied directly to the first semester's tuition and is nonrefundable. The College follows a "rolling admission" policy and will continue to accept commitments until August 15. Space is available until the enrollment limit of a department is reached. Departmental wait lists are then established.
