University of Kansas

Johnson County Community College Transfer Program to the University of Kansas Anna Abernathy, Director of Recruitment and Enrollment
School of Architecture & Design

tel:+17858648974

Illustration, BFA

mailto:agabernathy@ku.edu

https://arcd.ku.edu/department-design

Program Description 

**The Illustration degree is a 4-year program from the start of the Foundation studios. Students that transfer with the Foundation studios completed should expect 3 more years to complete their degree at KU. Students that do not have the Foundations year completed at the time of transfer should expect 4 years to complete their degree at KU. All studios are on a Fall/Spring sequence and cannot be taken out of sequence.** 

The Associate of Arts, AA at JCCC is a general transfer degree and partners well with the first two years of most bachelor degree programs. Students pursuing the AA may select courses that satisfy both the AA degree requirements and lower division requirements for a bachelor’s degree at four-year institutions. The elective hours within the AA allow students to complete additional general education and lower division courses required for specific majors. The AA degree requires completion of 60 credit hours. Meeting with a JCCC counselor is strongly recommended for selection of appropriate courses.  

Admission Requirements

  • Admission for Transfer Students - Admission to the Department of Design is selective and competitive. Complete the online application, select the School of Architecture and Design, then select your major. This application will serve as your application to KU, University scholarships and the Department of Design. In addition, students must submit a portfolio.
  • Student should familiarize themselves with policies and resources prior to transferring to the Department of Design.
  • Requirements - Must have a 3.0+ cumulative GPA from previous institutions, including KU, omplete online application, Submit official transcripts to the KU Office of Admissions, and Submit portfolio for admission.
  • Application Deadlines - Spring: Oct. 1 and Fall: Feb. 1
  • Transferring credits to KU - Utilize KU's credit transfer tool to learn more about how your courses may transfer to KU. Please note transfer studio courses with a grade of “C+” or lower will not be accepted by the Department of Design for credit. Transfer general education courses with a grade of “D+” or lower will not be accepted by the Department of Design for credit.
  • Admission for International Students - Admission to the Department of Design is selective and competitive. International students should apply through the Office of International Recruitment and Undergraduate Admissions.
  • Requirements - Total TOEFL iBT score of 70+ or Total IELTS score of 6.0+, Must have at least a 3.0+ cumulative GPA on a 4.0-point scale, Complete Online Application, and Submit Portfolio
  • Portfolio Requirement - All applicants must submit a portfolio to be considered for admission to the Department of Design. Portfolios are submitted online through SlideRoom. Please select "Undergraduate Student - Portfolio Submission" from the directory. For technical support questions while submitting your online application, please contact SlideRoom for assistance.
  •  The online portfolio submission includes the following requirements:
    • Media: Please upload 10-15 images of your strongest creative works. Please title each piece. In the description, include the medium or software used, the size, date of completion, and a brief one to two sentence description. In the case of documented professional or group projects, applicants should indicate personal responsibilities. Your portfolio must include at least two mediums. Examples: sketches, drawings, paintings, ceramics, jewelry, 3-D pieces, logos, branding, publications/yearbook, posters or any art or design-related works. Displaying a variety of work is essential; use your strongest pieces and good judgment. 
    • Essay: Why are you interested in studying design, what have you done to prepare, and how do you hope to use your degree? To complete your application, you must provide a response to the prompt. Please limit your response to 200-250 words. 
  • Students must complete a total of at least 120 credit hours.  
  • A maximum of 75 hours may be transferred to KU from community colleges. Students should be aware that 45 junior/senior credit hours are required for completion of the bachelor’s degree; 30 of those hours must be at KU; and community college courses do not transfer as junior/senior hours. 
  • A minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA is required for graduation. 

It is the STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY to check for updates to all transfer information. This transfer guide is provided as a service and is updated as needed. Degree requirements at the four-year colleges are subject to change by those institutions. To ensure you have the most accurate information about the program, you must meet with an advisor at the transfer institution. 

Program Requirements

KU Core 34 Requirements  

Visit the KU Core 34 General Education guide for JCCC equivalents.

JCCC
KU
Course CodeCourse TitleCourse HoursTransfer CodeTransfer TitleTransfer Hours
KU Core 34 English (two courses)6
KU Core 34 Communications3
KU Core 34 Math and Statistics3
Select one of the following:
Contemporary Mathematics * 3MATH 105Intro Quantitative Reasoning3
OR
Elementary Statistics * 3MATH 107Introductory Statistics3
OR
College Algebra *3MATH 101College Algebra Support1
KU Core 34 Natural and Physical Sciences (lab required)4-5
KU Core 34 Social and Behavioral Sciences (Select two courses in two different disciplines)6
KU Core 34 Arts and Humanities (Select two courses in two different disciplines)6
Select one of the following:
Art History: Ancient to Medieval (recommended)^3HA 150Hist Western Art: Ancient-Medi3
OR
Art History: Renaissance to Modern (recommended)^3HA 151Hist Western Art: Ren-Contemp3
KU Core 34 US Culture (Institutionally Designated)3
KU Core 34 Global Culture (Institutionally Designated)3

Program Requirements 

JCCC
KU
Course CodeCourse TitleCourse HoursTransfer CodeTransfer TitleTransfer Hours
ANI 122Digital Rendering for Animation 3ANIM 200Introduction to Animation4
ANI 125Introduction to 2D Animation 3ANIM 121Drawing for Animation4
ART 124Design 2D 3BDS 101Design Thinking and Making3
ART 130Drawing I 3BDS 103Drawing for Design3
ART 135Painting I 3PNTG 263Painting I3
ART 199Fine Arts Symposium (3)1ADS 320KU Design Professional Series1
ART 231Life Drawing I * (E)3DRWG 213Life Drawing I3
GDES 130Drawing and Media Methods I * 3ILLU 200Introduction to Image Making4

Major Studio Electives (8 hours): Any courses offered in Visual Art, including Visual Art (ART), Life Drawing (DRWG), Painting (PNTG), Printmaking (PRNT), Ceramics (CER), Expanded Media (EXM), Sculpture (SCUL), Metalsmithing/Jewelry (METL), Textile Design (TD). Visit KU CredTran for JCCC equivalent courses. 


*

JCCC course has a prerequisite or corequisite. 

^

Required course of the major. Students are strongly advised to satisfy 3 credits of their Core 34 Arts and Humanities by taking this course.

E

KU Major Studio Elective.

3

Must be successfully taken 3 times.

Last Approved 5/27/2026, 2:02:34 PM