Overview
The University of the Arts (UArts) is a creative melting pot – the nation’s only fully accredited university devoted exclusively to education and professional training in the fields of design, visual, media, and performing arts, and in emerging creative arts. Founded in 1876, UArts is a private, nonprofit institution offering both traditional and innovative programs in art and design, dance, theater, filmmaking, jazz, crafts, writing, multimedia, and much more.

Its location on the Avenue of the Arts in Philadelphia provides students with a vital urban experience at the crossroads of culture and business.

Current enrollment totals 1,900 undergraduate and 150 graduate students, representing 40 states and 30 countries. The student/faculty ratio is 12 to 1.

The Community
A powerful magnet for artists because of its hip, eclectic style and low cost of living, Philadelphia is one of the last urban places in America where modestly priced apartments and studio space are readily available, where you can still buy your groceries (and Philly cheese steaks!) fresh at the world-famous 9th Street Italian Market and Reading Terminal Market. The city features many world-class museums within a short walk of each other. And it's also ideally situated at the center of the action: By train, New York City is 90 minutes to the north and Washington, D.C. is 2 hours to the south.
But Philadelphia is more than that, too. It’s a city of opposites. As a major center of world commerce, the downtown streets buzz with action while its skyline has a contemporary edge. But as one of the oldest settlements in the New World, Philadelphia also features wood-and-brick-framed structures and classical architecture that lend it a distinctly historical flavor.
It's home of the palatial Philadelphia Art Museum, the Academy of Fine Arts, and the Academy of Music; but it also features Penn’s Landing, fabled Love Park, crazy South Street, the coolest jazz clubs in any city, and stunning new sports arenas. It offers the hustle of a city, but the "neighborly" feel of a town, with many parks, trees, bike lanes and hiking trails, all snuggled between two scenic rivers. It's a city ripped from the history books -- the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution as well as the gravesite of Benjamin Franklin -- but it's also a regular destination for Hollywood film crews.
All this adds up to creative inspiration, 24 x 7. Located on the thriving Avenue of the Arts, UArts is at the epicenter of one of the most stimulating quarters this side of the Left Bank of Paris.

For the visual arts student, Philadelphia offers unsurpassed opportunities to encounter firsthand great works of the past and present, both in its many world-class museums and its 75 busy galleries. UArts also sponsors an active program of exhibitions through the Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery that bring the work of internationally recognized designers, artists, filmmakers, photographers, and craftspeople to our major campus galleries throughout the year.

The University is one of the most vibrant scenes for professional performing artists in the country. Right down the street are the Pennsylvania Ballet and the Philadelphia Orchestra, the city’s leading jazz club, Zanzibar Blue, The Academy of Music, the Wilma Theater, and the new Regional Performing Arts Center, the Kimmel Center. Besides furnishing inspiration, these cultural institutions also provide students with internships, professional connections, and even jobs.

For the media and communication student, the city of Philadelphia is a source of inspiration, raw material, and professional opportunities in the arts, in media, and in business. Communication majors shoot video on city streets and report from its neighborhoods. Film and television writers take advantage of a strong internship program with organizations here, in nearby New York, and beyond. Multimedia students often gain experience and make connections with local interactive media developers and the region’s many other businesses that demand their talents.

Programs of Study and Degree Requirements

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Programs of Study
For graduate students, UArts provides intensive professional preparation with small classes, dedicated faculty who are active practitioners, and access to outstanding facilities and resources. Interdisciplinary exploration is encouraged. Current graduate enrollment, including American and foreign students, is 150.

The University of the Arts offers 12 graduate programs in the colleges of Art and Design and Performing Arts.

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Book Arts/Printmaking
Ceramics
Museum Exhibition Planning and Design
Painting
Sculpture

Master of Arts (MA)
Art Education
Museum Communication
Museum Education

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
Music Education
Visual Arts

Master of Industrial Design (MID)

Master of Music (MM)
Jazz Studies


Program Directors

Art Education
Barbara Suplee, Ph.D.
215-717-6053
bsuplee@uarts.edu

Book Arts/Printmaking
Patricia M. Smith
215-717-6165
psmith@uarts.edu

Ceramics, Painting and Sculpture
Carol Moore
215-717-6106
cmoore@uarts.edu

Industrial Design
Jamer Hunt, Ph.D.
215-717-6253
jhunt@uarts.edu

Jazz Studies
Don Glanden
215-717-6353
dglanden@uarts.edu

Museum Communication and Museum Exhibition Planning and Design
Jane Bedno
215-717-6327
jbedno@uarts.edu

Museum Education
Anne El-Omami
215-717-6051
aelomami@uarts.edu

Music Education
Patrick M. Jones, Ph.D.
215-717-6356
pjones@uarts.edu


Career Services
The Career Services Office assists graduate students by providing comprehensive services and individual counseling tailored to their specific needs. The office provides career counseling, assistance with resume writing, interview techniques and job search skills, a career resource library, and industry publications/periodicals, among other services.

Financial Aid for Graduate Students
The UArts Financial Aid Office will provide information to graduate students about financial aid. Graduate students may apply for a Federal Stafford Loan (up to $8,500 subsidized and $10,000 unsubsidized) if they complete a minimum of 4.5 credits each semester. Students may use a lender of their choice.

Additionally, graduate students may be eligible for assistantships and fellowships through the department in which they are enrolled. Information and applications for these grants are available from each department.

Graduate students may find the following website helpful: www.gradschools.com.

The Faculty
UArts faculty is an accomplished and active body of artists, performers, and scholars. Of the 101 faculty members, 48% have earned Ph.D.s.

Facilities & Resources

COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN
Facilities consist of woodworking and metal shops, including a foundry; printmaking shops and digital pre-press and output labs; fine arts, crafts, design, and film/animation studios; and state-of-the-art digital imaging labs. UArts has four gas and several electric kilns for work in ceramics, and a forge for sculpture. A large weaving shop offers dozens of looms and a dyeing room. A converted nineteenth century carriage house is now a sky-lit figure-modeling studio. The Borowsky Center for Publication Arts provides a resource to explore creative potential in the offset lithographic printing medium. Nearly every program has its own gallery where exhibitions of work by faculty, students, and alumni are mounted.

COLLEGE OF PERFORMING ARTS
Venues include a studio theater; a recital hall; the Arts Bank, a state-of-the-art theater and rehearsal hall; the UArts Dance Theater; and our magnificent main stage, the 1600-seat Merriam Theater.

COLLEGE OF MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION
Facilities include state-of-the-art digital laboratories and studios in web, video, audio, and multimedia design.

RESOURCES
UArts boasts three libraries with extensive specialized collections; 22 computer laboratories; and numerous galleries showing works from students, faculty, alumni, and visiting artists.

ACTIVITIES
There are 20 groups on campus, including band, choir, chorale, chorus, dance, drama, ethnic, film, gay, international, jazz band, musical theater, opera, photography, professional, religious, and student government. Popular campus events include exhibitions and performances.

Requirements for Graduate Application
Application Checklist

• Completed graduate application form.
• Nonrefundable application fee by check or money order. The fee must be payable in U.S. currency and all checks must be drawn on U.S. banks. The University of the Arts graduates are exempt from the fee. The Application Fee schedule is as follows:
  • US citizen/permanent resident $50
    
  • International $75
    
  • Reapplication fee $10 (Students who have previously applied to UArts within the past calendar year.)
• Official transcripts from each undergraduate or graduate school attended. Transcripts should be submitted directly by the college(s) or school(s) involved.
• Three letters of recommendation; one from each of the three people listed on the application. Two of these recommendations must come from professors in your field or professionals in this major area who are familiar with your capabilities and credentials.
• A one to two–page statement of professional plans and goals.
• Proof of High School Graduation. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania requires that the University maintain an official copy of the Secondary School Transcript or Diploma on file for all undergraduate and graduate students.

Additional Requirements for International Candidates
International candidates for admission to a graduate program whose first language
is not English must present an official TOEFL score of 550 or above for paper-based testing, 213 for computer-based testing, or complete Level 112 in the English Language Program offered by any of the ELS Language Centers located throughout the US. Information about these programs may be obtained directly from ELS Language Centers.

ELS Language Centers
1357 Second Street, Suite 100
Santa Monica, CA 90401-1102 USA
Telephone: 310-458-7400
Fax: 310-458-7404
www.els.com

Transcripts/Mark/Grade Sheets
All applicants must provide a complete, notarized transcript from every school attended on the high school/secondary level and postsecondary level. Each transcript must be translated into English by a certified translator and the translation must be notarized.
International applicants to the graduate programs are also required to submit a Basic Report from ACEI. It is the applicant's responsibility to contract with ACEI directly for this service. Instructions and application for foreign credentials evaluation can be obtained directly from:

Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, Inc.
PO Box 6908
Beverly Hills, CA 90212 USA
Telephone: 310-275-3530
Fax: 310-275-3528
www.acei1.com

Certification of Finances
For International applicants only.
The University requires that you submit proof of sufficient available funds to cover all of your educational and personal expenses while studying at UArts. This will be referred to as your Certification of Finances. A Certification of Finances form will be sent to you upon receipt of your application.

This form must be completed in English and notarized by your bank official. This statement must declare the availability of funds of at least U.S. $32,380, to cover the costs of each year of education and personal expenses. The I-20 form cannot be issued without a valid Certification of Finances.


Interview
A personal interview is strongly recommended with the chairperson of the department to which you are applying. To schedule an appointment you should contact:

• MFA in Book Arts/Printmaking: 215-717-6490/6165
• MFA in Museum Exhibition Planning & Design: 215-717-6327/6489
• MAT in Visual Arts: 215-717-6053
• MA in Art Education: 215-717-6053
• MA in Museum Education: 215-717-6051/6489
• MA in Museum Communication: 215-717-6328/6489
• MAT in Music Education: 215-717-6356
• MFA Ceramics: 215-717-6106/6489
• MFA Sculpture: 215-717-6106/6489
• MFA Painting: 215-717-6106/6489
• Master of Industrial Design: 215-717-6250
• Master of Music in Jazz Studies: 215-717-6342
  

All supporting documents for the application should be submitted to the Admission Office prior to the interview.

Admissions Deadlines for Graduates
Applications for Fall admission and admission to the summer residence MFA programs may be submitted as follows:

Priority Decision
Applications received and completed prior to February 1 for Fall or Summer enrollment will be reviewed for priority consideration. Applicants will be notified of the Admission committee’s decision on or before March 15.

Rolling Admission
Applications received after February 1 for Fall and Summer enrollment will be considered on a space available basis and reviewed on a rolling basis.

Music, Museum Communications, Museum Education and Art Education accept applications for Spring enrollment.

Regular Decision
Applications received and completed by November 15 will be notified of the admission decision on or before December 1.

Rolling Admission
Applications received and completed after November 15 will be considered on a space-availablel basis and reviewed on a rolling basis. Candidates can generally expect to be notifiede of a decision within two weeks of completing all application requirements.

For More Information
Contact:
UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS
Philadelphia, PA 19102-1803
(215) 717-6030
Office of Admission
(800) 616-ARTS
www.uarts.edu

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