The University of Cincinnati offers students a balance of educational excellence and real-world experience. UC is a public research university with an enrollment of more than 44,000 students.

The College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning at the University of Cincinnati has as its primary mission the creation of a better visual and design environment. Through excellence in educational programs, research, creative works, and service to the community, the faculty, the students, and administrative officers of DAAP are dedicated to achieve this mission.

What makes your school’s design, architecture, art, and planning program different & unique from other schools’ programs?

The University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) is part of a comprehensive, public, state university and consistently ranked among the top design schools in the world. One reason for this ranking is DAAP’s cooperative education program (co-op), which is unmatched in its scope of disciplines and opportunities. DAAP’s co-op program puts students in each of the college’s four schools to work, alternating semesters of coursework with real-world experiences that prepare them for careers, build impressive resumes, and grow their professional networks. By the time they graduate, DAAP students have one and a half years of work experience in their chosen fields.

What are the top 3 program features that make your program stand out?

1. At DAAP, design, architecture, art, and planning are all housed under one roof, providing students with many opportunities for cross-disciplinary study.

2. DAAP is a component of one of America’s premier urban research universities where students are encouraged to study and collaborate across departments and colleges.

3. Cooperative education and experiential learning are a part of the curriculum structure.

Can students take courses in other schools?

Yes, not only are students encouraged to complete certificate programs and minors in other disciplines at the university, DAAP students must take a certain number of university-required courses to graduate with a bachelor’s degree.

What steps do you take to evaluate a student’s candidacy, apart from reviewing their creative portfolio?

DAAP is always looking for academic excellence from its students. There is no portfolio review for undergraduate admission. Students submit the University of Cincinnati’s Common Application and related materials, and a holistic review is completed. Items reviewed include: academics (e.g., GPA, test scores, rigor of courses taken, grade trends); co-curricular activities (e.g., school groups, community service, leadership roles, and other activities); writing samples (e.g., essay and personal statement); and letters of recommendation.

How are new technologies affecting students’ curriculums and/or ways of learning/collaborating at your school? 


DAAP has taken a leadership role in the University of Cincinnati’s Digital Media Collaborative, a network of the university’s faculty members, colleges, departments, research centers, libraries, labs and interested industry and alumni partners to promote excellence in digital media education, research and creative work at UC. The Digital Media Collaborative emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration and explores aspects of digital media production and its role in society, while creating experiential and professional learning opportunities in the field.DAAP has taken a leadership role in the University of Cincinnati’s Digital Media Collaborative, a network of the university’s faculty members, colleges, departments, research centers, libraries, labs and interested industry and alumni partners to promote excellence in digital media education, research and creative work at UC. The Digital Media Collaborative emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration and explores aspects of digital media production and its role in society, while creating experiential and professional learning opportunities in the field.

What does your program look for most in the creative portfolio during admissions? What do you think makes an A+ portfolio? 


DAAP is always looking for excellence in concept, execution and presentation. DAAP does not conduct portfolio reviews for undergraduate admissions. For graduate admission, a portfolio is required.

How does your program help graduating students with internships or jobs? Can students expect job placement more at your program than in others? If so, how or why? What kinds of job opportunities have you seen students take once they completed their degrees?

Because of the strong network of colleagues, mentors and friends that DAAP students build during their cooperative learning semesters, many of them have job offers at graduation. About 75% of DAAP graduates have secured a position by the time they graduate. DAAP graduates go on to work at leading global agencies, Fortune 500 companies, cities of all sizes, boutique design firms, institutions, and universities.

Are there any exciting developments for your programs that students should know about?

In addition to DAAP’s involvement in the growth of the University of Cincinnati’s Digital Media Collaborative, which will impact all DAAP students, DAAP’s fine arts program has implemented cooperative education into its curriculum. Beginning in 2015, students joining DAAP’s fine arts program will complete three co-op placements during their five-year degree program. This will be the only fine arts cooperative education program at a public university in the United States.

What is the best advice you have for students entering the art, design & architecture field? What role does the artist play today?

Have an open mind and think creatively and expansively about how to create a better tomorrow. Do what you love and remember there are multiple ways to pursue your passion.  In a world that is dominated largely by science and technology, the role of the artist and designer is becoming increasingly important. Being able to qualitatively evaluate aspects and alternative perspectives of life and culture is critical to how we live now and in the future.

Interviewed by Robert Probst, Dean

APPLICATION MATERIALS

Common Application

PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS

Portfolio is not considered 

WRITING SAMPLE

Personal Statement

TRANSCRIPTS

Required

RECOMMENDATION LETTERS

1 Teacher or counselor  

INTERVIEW

Not required

APPLICATIONS DEADLINES

Early Action: Dec 1
Regular Decision(Rolling): Mar 1

FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

TOEFL: 79 (iBT-min. 15 on each section)
IELTS: 6.5 (min. 5.5 on each section)
PTE: 53

TIPS

To apply for more than one area of concentration, separate applications, fees, and supporting documentation must be submitted. The work submitted should be representative of the applicant’s experience in that particular field. 

ALUMNI

Michael Bierut, Designer
Jim Dine, Artist
Mike Gasaway, Animator 
Michael Graves, Architect
Sean Gresens, Art Director
Stan Herman, Designer
Cathy Davenport Lee, Creative Director
Joseph Marioni, Painter
David Opdyke, Artist
Michael Reynolds, Architect
Kevin Roche, Interior Designer
Joe Stitzlein, Creative Director
Shane Wolf, Artist
Luke Woods, Product Designer

DID YOU KNOW?

DAAP offers students industry experience through co-ops and access to general education opportunities that’d be hard to gain in smaller settings. Most of the students that have a job before graduation give credit to the co-op.

Two of “The New York Five” architects attended the University of Cincinnati: Michael Graves and John Hejduk (though Hejduk did not ultimately graduate from the program)

Students for Ecological Design: SED was created to bring together and transmit knowledge between a collective of people interested in the education, promotion, and implementation of environmentally focused design.

ADMISSIONS OFFICE

University Of Cincinnati Undergraduate Admissions
University Pavilion, PO Box 210091
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0091
+1 (513)-556-1100