The John C. Hench Animation & Digital Arts Admission Committee reviews applications for originality, clarity, personal insight and artistic excellence. Considerable importance is placed on the Cinematic Arts personal statement, portfolio and letters of recommendation. There are no admission interviews. By limiting the evaluation to the items listed, the committee ensures that all applicants are judged by the same criteria.

Application Overview

The following items must be submitted to be considered for admission to the Animation & Digital Arts program.

  • The Common Application
  • USC Supplement to the Common Application
  • Cinematic Arts Supplemental Materials
    • Cinematic Arts Personal Statement
    • Portfolio
    • Letters of Recommendation (3)
  • Official High School & College Transcripts
  • Official TOEFL Test Scores (International Students Only)

All matters relating to admission are the applicant's responsibility. When submitting an application, make sure you have completed all screens of the online process. The application system allows you to check your application to verify your application materials have been uploaded and submitted. Incomplete applications, or applications not submitted, cannot be considered.

Application Deadlines

  • External Transfer Applicants: February 1 (Fall)
  • Minor: February 1 (Fall)
  • Current USC Transfer Students: February 1 (Fall)

    • *Current USC students must bring complete applications to the SCA Office of Student Services, SCB 105

Note to Transfer/Current USC students: Admission is granted on a space-available basis. There is no spring admission to this program.

View all Application Deadlines.

USC Application Process

In an effort to streamline our application process, USC now uses the Common Application exclusively. Students wishing to apply for admission to the 2012-2013 academic year should submit the Common Application and the USC Supplement, both of which can be accessed at The Common Application website.

To better prepare for all Cinematic Arts majors, it is recommended that students complete General Education courses, including USC's General Education Categories I, II, III and V, Diversity, Writing and Foreign Language requirements. For additional information, please visit USC's Undergraduate Admission website.

Cinematic Arts Supplemental Materials (Clearly title all documents)

As part of the application process, all students looking to be considered for admission to the Animation & Digital Arts program are required to submit supplemental materials to support their application. These supplemental materials must be submitted via USC's Supplement to the Common Application. Current USC students may bring their supplemental materials to the SCA Office of Student Services located in SCB 105.

The following supplemental materials are required for admission consideration to the Animation & Digital Arts program:

  1. Cinematic Arts Personal Statement

    2. The Cinematic Arts personal statement should reflect the applicant's individuality and explain why he or she would like to study animation and digital arts at USC. The Animation Admission Committee will review this statement as a measure of the applicant's creativity, intelligence, self-awareness, determination and vision. The statement should be a page and a half, and it should give the committee a sense of the applicant's long-term goals and artistic ambitions.

  2. Portfolio (please submit a URL)

    3. All portfolio materials must be uploaded directly to the University's Application. The portfolio may consist of life drawing or painting examples, 2D organic and digital art work as well as traditional and/or 2D/3D digital animation, integrated live action or motion graphics work or any other samples that represent the applicant's aesthetic sense and capabilities. Please ensure that portfolio is no longer than 15 minutes in length. It is strongly encouraged that a student submit his/her portfolio online, by creating a personal website or uploading materials to a third party site, such as Vimeo.

  3. Letters of Recommendation (One letter must be an academic reference)

    4. Three letters of recommendation (no particular format) are required. Any letters submitted as part of your University application can be used towards the three letters of recommendation required for the Cinematic Arts application. Please submit any letters of to USC's Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Applicants are responsible for verifying that letters of recommendation have been received by USC.

TOEFL (International Students Only)

All international applicants (first-year and transfer) whose native language is not English must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam.

The minimum recommended TOEFL score is:

  • Computer Based Test (CBT): 250
  • Internet Based Test (IBT): 100
  • Paper Based Test (PBT): 600-603

Note: These scores may not be more than two years old at the time of application.

USC's institution code for TOEFL Registration is 4852. There is no Department Code. It is recommended that applicants take the TOEFL exam at least one month prior to the application deadline.

Transfer applicants who are from countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada (except Quebec) where English is both the first language of the country and the language of instruction, are presumed to be proficient in English.

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Many financial aid and scholarship processes run concurrently with the admissions process. Be sure to research and apply for financial aid and scholarships as you are applying for admission. There are many grants and scholarships that are available through the University of Southern California. Please feel free to email us at studentservices@cinema.usc.edu for specific information or if you have any questions.