Transitioning from secondary school to art college – are guidelines for entrance portfolios an institutional barrier to visual arts higher education in Ireland?

This article draws on recent research that explored the role of extra-curricular portfolio preparation tuition in the context of Irish visual arts education. This mixed methods study comprised three distinct but interrelated components including a conventional content analysis of published portfolio guidelines for all 2013 entry to degree programmes in visual art institutions in the State. This article presents the results of this analysis, identifying Technical Ability, Desired Personal Attributes and Critical Enquiry as the three main criteria for success. It is further suggested that due to a lack of clarity and to ambiguities in design, portfolio guidelines are often hard for second level students to decipher unaided. This creates an Institutional Barrier to participation to visual arts higher education when combined with the differing objectives of the State Leaving Certificate examination in art; resulting in a requirement for extra-curricular portfolio preparation tuition.