University of the Arts Pre-College: Find Top Courses & Training Locations

With their Saturday School, University of the Arts offers high school students the opportunity to get an arts education on the weekend. Industry professionals and university intructors lead courses for young animators, filmmakers, photographers, graphic designers, and other youth creators.

For over 140 years, the University of the Arts has been a premier art school located in the heart of downtown Philadelphia. It offers innovative instruction beyond traditional boundaries with 20 minor programs that can be paired with any major. Illustrators can study guitar, musicians can study photography, and creative writers can study dance.

University of the Arts was founded in 1876 as a merger between Philadelphia College of Art and Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts. In 1987, it became the largest art institution of its kind in the United States, with programs in fine art, design, media arts, crafts, music, dance, acting, and writing. The school is home to over 1500 students: 62% women and 33% men. The University of Arts prizes diversity with a 45% POC enrollment. It also boasts small class sizes, with an average course enrolling 15 students.

The University of the Arts offers pre-college courses to high school students through its Saturday School, which offers in-person and online writing, visual art, and performing classes for grades 9-12.

School Locations

University of the Arts is located in downtown Philadelphia's cultural and artistic center. The Saturday School is offered in-person on its Philadelphia campus or online.

Subjects Taught at University of the Arts Pre-College

University of the Arts Saturday School currently teaches courses in writing, illustration, animation, drawing, acting, graphic design, the music industry, sculpture, photography, and art school admission portfolio preparation.

If you’re interested in learning more about Graphic Design courses in your area, Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me tool lists live online classes for high schoolers.

Age Requirements

Saturday School is intended for high school students in grades 9-12. Students in those grades can register for any of their courses online. Saturday School requires a signed parental consent form submitted with registration.

What Classes Are Available?

Saturday School offers courses in writing, illustration, animation, drawing, acting, graphic design, the music industry, sculpture, photography, and art school admissions portfolios.

Students interested in writing can take Creative Writing: Fiction which teaches students the basics of plot creation, building characters, developing fictional worlds, and exercises in form. Aspiring writers might also consider the Writing a TV Pilot course, which teaches television writing mechanics.

Students interested in a more visual approach can consider taking the Graphic Design course, which teaches how to use advertising, digital design, and graphic design to communicate messages. This course also includes hands-on training in Adobe Creative Cloud. Students can also learn the basics of motion studies from a professional in the Animation course or learn visual storytelling elements through film in Digital Filmmaking: Cinematography.

Class Formats

The University of Arts’ Saturday School offers both in-person and online courses. Most courses are offered in person at the University of Arts’ Philadelphia campus. In-person courses last for eight Saturdays for three hours.

The University of Arts does offer some courses online, such as Introduction to the Music Business and Portfolio Preparation.

Admissions Process

Saturday School has open enrollment, so any student in grades 9-12 can enroll with signed parental consent.

All of the University of the Arts’ in-person courses require COVID-19 vaccination and boosters for anyone eligible before the start of class. Once registered, students will be asked to upload their proof of vaccination. There are no vaccination requirements for online Saturday School courses.

Pricing & Payment Options

The typical cost for an in-person course at Saturday School is $415 with additional registration and materials fees. Payment is required in full at the time of registration.

University of the Arts is pleased to offer a limited number of Saturday School scholarships each semester. There are two kinds of scholarships: merit scholarships based on demonstration of creative potential and need-based scholarships based on financial need.

Applicants for merit scholarships must submit an essay and creative work: an artwork, a recorded audition performance, or a written piece. Scholarships are first-come-first-serve, so interested students should apply as early as possible. All merit scholarship recipients are given $100 credit toward any Saturday School course.

Need-based scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate creative potential and financial need. The amount of money awarded in need-based scholarships will vary from partial to full tuition coverage. In addition to an essay and a portfolio project, applicants must submit high school transcripts, a letter of recommendation, parents’ income tax information, and a letter of special circumstances.

Students must apply for scholarships before registration. Students already registered for Saturday School courses are not eligible for scholarships.

Benefits of Attending University of the Arts Pre-College

University of the Arts Saturday School is an opportunity for high school students to study at one of America’s premier art colleges. In-person courses will give students a taste of learning on an urban arts campus and feedback on their aspirations and career options from an industry professional. Saturday School is comparatively cheaper than many schools and camps geared toward creative high school students.

What Do Students & Parents Say?

The University of Arts has mixed reviews online, with an average rating of 2.5 on Yelp. The Saturday School receives higher reviews. In particular, former students praise the course instructors as “pretty awesome” and “young, laid-back.”

Saturday School hires professional instructors, and students frequently cite that the feedback they receive from these industry professionals is one of the program’s highlights. One student who remembered their Saturday School course as the genesis of their art career wrote, “it was worth it.”

While the instructors received rave reviews, some former students didn’t like their classmates as much, calling them “awkward and intense.”

Key Takeaways

One of the oldest art schools in America offers courses for high school students online and at its downtown Philadelphia campus. In-person courses last for a series of eight weeks.
Saturday School offers courses in writing, illustration, animation, drawing, acting, graphic design, the music industry, sculpture, photography, and art school admission portfolio preparation.
All courses are $415, with both merit and need-based scholarships available.

Top Courses at University of the Arts Pre-College

Here are courses that were historically offered at University of the Arts Pre-College. See subjects taught at University of the Arts Pre-College to find similar courses offered at other schools.

Graphic Design Saturday School
Designed for young artists, this weekly course introduces students to the field of graphic design. Students develop skills in Adobe Creative Cloud products as they learn about the industry and the theories that inform graphic design work.
Locations:
- Philadelphia
- $415
- 8 Weeks, 3 hr/wk
- Weekends
- Beginner

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Subjects Taught at University of the Arts Pre-College

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University of the Arts Pre-College

School Locations

Subjects Taught at University of the Arts Pre-College

Age Requirements

What Classes Are Available?

Class Formats

Admissions Process

Pricing & Payment Options

Benefits of Attending University of the Arts Pre-College

What Do Students & Parents Say?

Key Takeaways

Top Courses at University of the Arts Pre-College

Graphic Design Saturday School

Subjects Taught at University of the Arts Pre-College

Graphic Design

Map of University of the Arts Pre-College Locations