The School of Architecture is looking for students who are excited to participate in the interdisciplinary, global, and practice-engaged studies offered in our School. This portfolio is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your creative interests and experiences and what you’re aiming to advance through further studies. This is also your chance to show us the types of environments that you find inspiring and that you’re interested in studying and shaping through architecture.

Your portfolio should demonstrate your abilities in visual, spatial, or organizational representation, craft, and conceptual thinking. It may include drawing, photography, digital graphics, drafting, modeling, or artwork of any type.

Submit 5-10 items that may include separate images (up to 5 MB each), video (up to 60 MB each), and PDFs (up to 20 MB each). You may also link to media from YouTube and Vimeo. 

Art/Design/Media Arts

The Department of Art + Design is looking for the next generation of innovative visual problem solvers and creative makers who expressively engage with the broader world and exercise personal agency and vision through their chosen medium.  In your portfolio personal statement, please describe what qualities you feel you will bring to the department and your college-level educational experience and why.

Your portfolio should showcase your best original work in a variety of media that reveal your ability to choose fascinating subjects, master technical skills, and explore interesting ideas. No particular subject matter or style is required or expected. Portfolios are evaluated for evidence of a curious mind at work and your creative investigation of mediums, experimental manipulation of form, and diligent development of technique.
Transfer applicants are encouraged to submit work that reflects studio coursework taken since high school.

Submit 10-15 items that may include images (up to 10 MB each), video (up to 120 MB each), and PDFs (up to 20 MB each). You may also link to media from YouTube and Vimeo. 

Game Design

Your portfolio should include 1-5 pieces, which may consist of any number of the following:

• Demo, video game trailer, or screenshots of a game you created or worked on.
• Game concept, in the form of a written game design document or storyboard
• Drawings or illustrations of game ideas or characters
• Screenshots of 3D models or other assets you’ve created
• Audio recordings of sounds or music created for a game, if applicable
• List of activities/accomplishments, including game jams, camps, workshops, or pre-college programs you’ve attended, as well as any festivals or exhibitions where games you worked on were shown (optional)

Please specify your role in each sample. 

A portfolio for Communication Studies should include evidence of excellence in debate or forensics, participation in a political or organizational campaign, or creative work (such as a screenplay, an audio or video project, or a documentary), while a portfolio for Media Studies should include evidence of excellence in creative work (such as a screenplay, an audio or video project, or a documentary).

• Debate/Forensics: Provide a list of achievements and awards.
• Political or organizational campaign: Provide a narrative of your participation or letters of recommendation from members of the campaign.
• Creative work: Submit a narrative, non-fiction, or interactive work (audio or video) that is 5-10 minutes in length; a completed screenplay not more than 30 pages in length; or a documentary film that is 5-15 minutes in length.

Submit up to five items that may include video (up to 120 MB each), audio (up to 30 MB each), and PDFs (up to 10 MB each). You may also link to media from YouTube, Vimeo or SoundCloud. 

Media and Screen Studies

Your portfolio should demonstrate evidence of excellence in creative work (such as a screenplay, an audio or video project, or a documentary). To add context to achievements, applicants are encouraged to submit a resume.

• A narrative, non-fiction, or interactive work (audio or video) that demonstrates experience with media production and is 5-10 minutes in length. If the original work is longer than 10 minutes, provide a segment or re-edited version.
• A completed screenplay at least 30 pages in length.
• A documentary film that demonstrates experience with producing and directing documentaries and is 5-15 minutes in length. If the original work is longer than 15 minutes, provide a segment or re-edited version.

Submit up to five items that may include video (up to 120 MB each), audio (up to 30 MB each), and PDFs (up to 10 MB each). You may also link to media from YouTube, Vimeo or SoundCloud. 

It has never been a more exciting time to be involved in media, communications and journalism. In your Journalism portfolio, please discuss the possibilities you see in these fields and how you would pursue them.

Your portfolio should exhibit prior experience with editing and writing for traditional or online newspapers and publications, or experience with broadcast or multimedia journalism. Depending on your area of interest, please submit the requested number of samples from one of the following categories:

• Writing: 3-5 print articles (reviews, reportage, or opinion pieces)
• Audio: 2-3 stories recorded and/or reported by you
• Video: 2-3 stories shot and/or reported by you
• Photos: 5-6 photos and/or a published photo essay
• Layout/Design: 2-3 pages
• PR: If you have participated in communications activities either through your high school or externally, and have bodies of work, please feel free to submit them (3-5). You can also submit bodies of work if you have been involved in clubs that are journalism related.

Submit a Personal Statement and 2-6 items that may include images (up to 5 MB each), video (up to 60 MB each), audio (up to 60 MB each), and PDFs (up to 10 MB each). You may also link to media from YouTube and Vimeo.

The Department of Music seeks students whose talent, creativity and energy demonstrate a lively commitment to exploring and growing into a life in music. A strong portfolio may be focused on one skill—whether in performance, production, composition, songwriting, sound design or other skill set—or it may show a range of skills and enthusiasms in music. The best strategy for applicants is to put their best selves forward; we are open to any application that reflects an active imagination and an eagerness to explore and create. Students applying for combined majors in music are also encouraged to submit a portfolio.

B.A. in Music

Your portfolio may include one or more of the following:

• Research paper(s) on music or music-related topics
• Documentation of creative and successful entrepreneurship in music and the arts
• Work samples in music journalism
• Evidence of online acumen, including website design, web promotion, etc.
• Other evidence of collaborative pursuits across the arts and/or across media
• Original compositions, arrangements, charts, or songs, documented with audio files and/or scores, lead sheets, etc.
• Video or audio documentation of performance (vocal or instrumental), composition or studio work

Submit 3-5 items that may include images (up to 10 MB each), video (up to 120 MB each), audio (up to 60 MB each), and PDFs (up to 20 MB each). You may also link to media from YouTube, Vimeo, and SoundCloud.

Music Industry

Your portfolio may include one or more of the following:

• Original compositions, arrangements, charts, or songs, documented with audio files and/or scores, lead sheets, etc.
• Video or audio documentation of performance (vocal or instrumental) or studio work
• Evidence of potential in the business of music, including materials related to organizing and promoting concerts or other performances
• Documentation of experience in touring or tour management
• Documentation of experience in artist management
• Documentation of creative and successful entrepreneurship
• Work samples in music journalism
• Evidence of online acumen, including website design, web promotion, etc.
• Digital audio workstation products such as sound tracks, songs of one’s own creation, or other compositional work recorded or produced by oneself or others, or one’s recording and production of songs or audio work products of others.

Submit 3-5 items that may include images (up to 10 MB each), video (up to 120 MB each), audio (up to 60 MB each), and PDFs (up to 20 MB each). You may also link to media from YouTube, Vimeo, and SoundCloud. 

Music Technology

Your portfolio may include one or more of the following:

• 3-5 representative examples of your creative work in a form that best represents the project, including lead sheets of original songs or printed scores of original compositions or arrangements.
• Digital formats may include MIDI or digital audio files of URLs for websites that include original music or sounds.
• Audio recordings of compositions are highly recommended. Video recordings of live music performances are also acceptable.
• A short statement explaining your involvement in the creation of the work.
• The statement should note whether you are the sole creator or a collaborator; the composer, arranger, or remixer; and whether you are performing the work on the recording(s).
• A separate one-page statement describing your musical background, influences, and goals as well as why you think the Music Technology program is right for you.
• Digital audio workstation products such as sound tracks, songs of one’s own creation, or other compositional work recorded or produced by oneself or others, or one’s recording and production of songs or audio work products of others.

Music & Psychology

Your portfolio may include one or more of the following:

• A written report of any original research in music and/or psychology, or an allied field
• Original compositions, arrangements, charts, or songs, documented with audio files and/or scores, lead sheets, etc.
• Video or audio documentation of performances (vocal or instrumental) or studio work

The Department of Theatre is a vibrant community of students, staff, and faculty, guided by values of generosity, integrity, respect, and rigor. As a hub for Creative Practice Research, we are dedicated to theatre and performance both as a living art and as an interdisciplinary system of inquiry.

A Northeastern Theatre education aligns collaborative theatre-making (production, design, and performance) with academic study and practice-based research. Our students develop a rich foundation for meaningful and prosperous careers through experiential learning.

Portfolios

We encourage all prospective students to submit a portfolio no matter what area of theatre-making you are interested in. In addition to examples of your work, your work offstage and in the classroom is important, and it can make the case that your work is comparable in scope and effort to an AP course. You can share a broad range of academic and creative accomplishments. Examples are referenced below.

Performance:

• Include two contrasting monologues or one monologue from a contemporary play. Selections should be no longer than a total of three minutes in length combined.
• Include a resume and a personal statement.

Production (Design/Technology/Stage & Production Management/Dramaturgy/Theatre Studies/Choreography):

• Designers/technicians should provide a broad range of examples of their creative and artistic work, which may include actual theatre designs and renderings, working drawings, props, puppets and costumes. You could also submit other artistic work such as photography, graphic design, video and audio design, sketches, and fashion design or construction.
• Stage managers should include a few sample pages from a prompt script.

Playwriting:

• Submit a writing sample of a short, one-act play and/or character monologue.
• Include your name and the titles of your submissions.

Directing:

• Submit a director’s note and/or production photos of a play you directed.

Submit resume and 1-5 items that may include images (up to 10 MB each), video (up to 120 MB each), audio (up to 60 MB each), and PDFs (up to 20 MB each). You may also link to media from YouTube, Vimeo, and SoundCloud. 

Auditions

Auditions for the Theatre major are not required – they are encouraged. You may audition in-person on campus or virtually over Zoom. Because we are not a conservatory, your admission to Northeastern is not exclusively talent-based. However, auditioning can help to enhance your admissions profile and increase your merit-based financial aid if accepted.

If you are a director, designer, stage manager, or choreographer, then we would love to use the audition time to have a conversation about your work.

If you are unable to attend in-person or virtual auditions, you may submit a portfolio using Slideroom as part of your application. A portfolio submission counts the same as an in-person/virtual audition.

In-Person Auditions
Saturday, October 4, 2025
10am-12pm ET
Northeastern’s Boston Campus – 448 Ryder Hall
Q+A at the end of the session.

Virtual Auditions
Sunday, October 12, 2025
6-8pm ET, on Zoom [link will be sent to your email]
Q+A at the end of the session

Please sign up for a time, In Person (Oct 4) or Virtual (Oct 12) HERE. All audition spaces are 12 minutes in length.

For more information, please contact Jesse Hinson at [email protected] and review our Prospective Student Brochure HERE.

If you are undecided, applying to an existing combined major or may be interested in eventually pursuing one during your time at Northeastern, you might consider submitting a portfolio to the Interdisciplinary category. The College of Arts, Media and Design is a vibrant community of scholars, makers, and practitioners dedicated to exploration and innovation in communication, design, and the arts. Please submit a portfolio that demonstrates your creative ability in one of these areas. If you are applying to a combined major, please choose one academic program and refer to the recommendations for this area (ie. Media and Screen Studies or Theatre).

Submit 3-5 items that may include images (up to 5MB each), video (up to 250MB each), audio (up to 30MB each), PDFs (up to 10MB each), 3D Models.