Drexel takes into consideration a number of criteria when determining admission, including your college performance in relation to your desired major and essay.
Drexel assumes that you've completed coursework similar to Drexel's curriculum. A reminder that if you have fewer than 24 semester college credits, you will also need to submit your high school transcript and SAT or ACT scores.
Complete an application for Undergraduate Admission. We accept the following applications:
- Full-Time Transfer Programs
- Nursing Accelerated Career Entry
Note: To be considered for our accelerated BSN program, you must already have a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing major. To apply for this program, select "Accelerated Career Entry Nursing" as your application. You should not use the Common Application, but instead use the link below. If you do not already have a bachelor's degree or are seeking our traditional BSN program, select "Undergraduate Transfer Full-Time" as your application using the link below.
If you are interested in part-time studies, visit the part-time application instructions page.
To expedite the application process, please write your full legal name (no nicknames, please) on all items submitted. U.S. citizens and permanent residents are required to provide their Social Security number to be considered for financial aid. If you need to change your major or co-op selection after submitting your application, please email enroll@drexel.edu or call 215.895.2400.
As part of our ongoing effort to support students as they navigate circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently waiving the application fee for applicants applying for the following terms: fall 2020 (September), winter 2021 (January), and spring 2021 (late March/early April).
All full-time applicants (except Nursing ACE) must submit a 250- to 650-word essay on a topic of their choice with their application. We do not accept essays submitted on paper.
Westphal College of Media Arts and Design applicants should submit a writing supplement instead of the application essay. More information regarding the writing supplement can be found below.
Official transcripts must be sent directly from your college or university to Drexel. The transcript should include all courses in progress. You are required to submit transcripts from each college attended.
If you have fewer than 24 semester college credits, you will also need to submit official transcripts from each high school attended as well as your official standardized testing scores.
Your admission decision may be delayed if you do not send transcripts from all of the colleges and universities where you have completed coursework.
International applicants are required to submit an official academic record (with notarized English translation) from every postsecondary school attended. Applicants may also be required to submit official secondary academic records unless they have completed one year of full-time coursework from an accredited institution. Syllabus/course descriptions must accompany transcripts for evaluation of transfer credits.
Important notes for international applicants:
- A transcript is official only when it is sent directly from an institution to the Admissions Office, or when it is officially signed, stamped in color, and sealed.
- Please use your full name on all documents (should match the name listed on your passport).
All nursing ACE and nursing BSN applicants who have coursework from an institution outside of the United States — except Study Abroad — must have their transcripts evaluated by one of the following agencies:
• World Education Services (WES)
• International Consultants of Delaware
• Educational Credential Evaluators
If you have fewer than 24 semester college credits and would like the admissions committee to consider your standardized test scores along with your high school transcript, please have them submitted at the time you apply. Refer to our Standardized Testing Requirements for specific requirements.
International Applicants whose first or native language is not English must take an approved English proficiency exam and request the results be forwarded to the Admissions Office. These scores are only valid for up to two years from the test date. Drexel's TOEFL school code is 2194.
Approved English Proficiency Exams:
- TOEFL
- IELTS
- Pearson PTE
- Duolingo English Test (DET)
Exemptions may occur for the following reasons:
- You have completed English Composition I and II (and III if attending a quarter institution) earning a grade of C or better from a regionally accredited institution in the United States.
- You have studied at, and subsequently graduated from, a high school or university where English is the primary language of instruction for a minimum of three years.
- You have received a minimum score of 600 on the SAT Critical Reasoning section or a minimum score of 27 on the ACT English section within the last two years.
Applicants who wish to request a waiver of the English proficiency exam based on their high school or university credentials must submit a copy of their official transcript(s) reflecting years of attendance and graduation date. Transcripts may be sent via email to enroll@drexel.edu, fax to 215.895.1285, or mail to the address below.
For applicants from Mainland China: The TOEFL ITP Plus for China is accepted in all cases where the TOEFL iBT is accepted.
U.S. Citizens and permanent residents who are interested in Drexel's institutional need-based financial aid are required to submit both the CSS Profile and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Applicants should submit the CSS Profile as soon as possible. Applicants who do not submit the CSS Profile will not be eligible for institutional need-based financial aid.
You can submit the CSS Profile on the College Board website; be sure to list Drexel so that we can receive this information. You can submit the FAFSA online at fafsa.ed.gov using Drexel's FAFSA school code: 003256. You should not wait to be accepted to submit the CSS Profile and FAFSA. The CSS Profile and FAFSA can be started as early as October for the next school year.
U.S. Citizens and permanent residents who are only interested in need-based aid from the federal or state government only need to file the FAFSA.
International applicants who are interested in Drexel's institutional need-based financial aid are required to submit the CSS Profile. Applicants should submit the CSS Profile as soon as possible. Applicants who do not submit this information will not be eligible for institutional need-based financial aid. You can submit the CSS Profile on the College Board website; be sure to list Drexel as a recipient so that we can receive this information.
Learn more about How to Apply for Aid.
It is Drexel's expectation that every family fulfill and understand the financial responsibility for educational costs at Drexel. Since you and your family or sponsors must assume responsibility for your student expenses, Drexel requires proof of financial responsibility showing sufficient financial support for education in the United States in order to obtain a student visa for students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Proof of financial responsibility is not needed to receive an admissions decision, but will need to be submitted for the I-20/DS-2019 application process. Review the information for New International Students on the International Students and Scholars Services (ISSS) website to learn about the I-20/DS-2019 application process.
Applicants are encouraged to follow these portfolio guidelines carefully and submit materials that strengthen their application. Please be sure to select the transfer application when submitting your portfolio in SlideRoom.
Required Portfolios
Applicants to the following programs are required to submit a portfolio for admission.
- Animation & Visual Effects
- Fashion Design
- Game Design & Production
- Graphic Design
- Photography
- Virtual Reality & Immersive Media
Optional Portfolios
Applicants to the following programs are not required to submit a portfolio for admission. It is optional, though we strongly encourage all students with collegiate art or design coursework to submit a portfolio in order to facilitate the transfer credit evaluation process. Please note, optional portfolios cannot be considered after an applicant has been reviewed for admission and provided their admission decision.
- Art History
- Design & Merchandising
- Entertainment & Arts Management
- Film & Television
- Interactive Digital Media
- Interior Design
- Product Design
- Screenwriting & Playwriting
Portfolio Guidelines
The Admission Committee is examining your work for originality, creative problem solving, and systematic thinking. Applicants should submit eight to 25 pieces of your strongest and most recent work in a variety of media that demonstrate a balance of technique and concept. Thematic work or a series of pieces is received favorably.
Portfolio contents may include any combination of drawings, paintings, printmaking, photography, graphic design, architectural design, interior design, ceramics, sculpture, fiber art, fashion design, jewelry and metals, furniture, designed objects, animation, computer-generated images, film, video, performance art, audio recordings, websites, video games, sketchbooks, scripts, storyboards, or screenplays.
If the portfolio includes audio, film, video, animation, game design, and interactive work, it may not exceed five minutes of total running time. For collaborative works, it is important to provide credits and describe your role(s) within the creative process. Writers, please submit a minimum of eight to 12 pages of written work of either a single piece or numerous smaller pieces.
The portfolio must be completed in SlideRoom only. Upload the highest possible quality of documentation of your creative work. Media requirements are outlined in SlideRoom for files consisting of images, audio, videos, PDF, or embedded media. If the file is an example of a recording, composition, or mix done in Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton, or GarageBand, please include an in-progress screenshot and a detailed description of your process.
Projects for Students with an Art or Design Background
Transfer applicants who have taken art courses, classes related to your major of interest at Westphal, or classes within the realm of media arts and design should try to include three to five examples of work from any class or classes at their previous institution in order to be reviewed for credit. Transfer applicants can also include syllabi and/or course descriptions as PDFs in support of their work.
Transfer credits and level placement will be determined based on a comprehensive review of all aspects of the application during the time of admission; therefore, supportive documentation of previous art, design, or major-specific coursework is required. It is important for applicants to show examples of prior work from all of their art, design, media, and major-related classes. Failure to do so may result in not being awarded credit for those prior courses.
Please submit samples of work, syllabi, and/or course descriptions from those courses in SlideRoom. If applying for a program that requires a portfolio for admission, please be sure to add examples of your work from your major-specific courses to that portfolio. If your program does not require a portfolio for admission, you should still submit creative work from any relative course you would like to be evaluated for credit.
Projects for Students with a Limited or No Art Background or Portfolio
If you do not have any background in art or design, you can still apply. For example, you may want to start your portfolio by drawing from life: sneakers, bedrooms, friends, and landscapes are all excellent subjects, or you may photograph and document your day, your life, or an ordinary event in an extraordinary way.
Other examples of creative work may include a mixed-media collage inspired by your dreams, a research-based paper or project, video blogging, online curation, a video game proposal that modifies a children’s board game so that it requires the skill of an adult, a résumé for performing arts or technical theater, business or marketing plans, social media/promotion plans, examining and redesigning an existing product or interior, a narrative outline for a short script or interactive design, or an observational essay of curatorial practice in a museum gallery or public space. When you have eight to 12 projects you want us to see — you have a portfolio! Upload your projects to SlideRoom.
Questions
Should you have questions about the portfolio, please contact the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design at westphal.admissions@drexel.edu.
Portfolio Review Days
Meet a representative of Drexel's Westphal College for a portfolio review and receive helpful feedback prior to submitting your application. We participate in portfolio review days with the National Portfolio Day Association and Preview: The International Portfolio Review Forum.
Applicants to the following programs must submit a writing supplement with their application.
Custom-Designed: Please write a 500- to 800-word vision statement/essay describing in detail what you want to study, what you hope to accomplish during your time in the program, and why your educational goals cannot be met by pursuing a traditional Drexel major, a double major, or a major combined with minors. Your vision statement/essay should also include how you expect this program to prepare you for life after college, detailing what career or pursuits the custom-designed major will facilitate and how you plan to impact the world. Finally, the vision statement/essay should contain a plausible plan of study for achieving your goals by drawing upon two or more existing Drexel programs. A sample vision statement can be found on the Custom-Designed Major Prospective Students page. Information about existing programs and courses at Drexel can be found in the University Catalog.
Westphal College - All Majors (listed below): Please write a short essay describing why you are interested in pursuing your major of choice at Drexel University's Westphal College. What have you done that prepares you to study in your major of choice? (Maximum 500 words)
- Animation & Visual Effects
- Architecture
- Art History
- Dance
- Design & Merchandising
- Entertainment & Arts Management
- Fashion Design
- Film & Television
- Game Design & Production
- Graphic Design
- Interactive Digital Media
- Interior Design
- Photography
- Product Design
- Screenwriting & Playwriting
- Virtual Reality & Immersive Media
If you have questions about the guidelines, please contact the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design by email at westphal.admissions@drexel.edu.
You may be invited to participate in an interview with custom-designed major staff via telephone or in person. The interview will be an opportunity for you to discuss the appropriateness of the custom-designed major, given your interests, as well as to answer any questions you may have.
Applications for transfer applicants are reviewed on a rolling basis for all terms. Please check your program of interest to determine which terms the program enrolls.