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Academic Policies

Institute Degree and Certificate Requirements: Certificate of Fine Arts

CalArts has developed the following minimum standards for receiving a degree or certificate from the Institute. Schools may develop additional requirements on approval of the President and Provost.

Definition

The Institute offers a four year (eight full-time semesters), minimum 120 unit Certificate of Fine Arts program which is representative of achievement in a school for students who do not wish to pursue the BFA degree. Following are the standards:

  1. Admission requirements, residency, units completion and other Institute standards relating to advancement, review and graduation are the same as for BFA candidates.

  2. The student must satisfactorily complete all metier work required for the BFA degree in the school in which the student is enrolled, plus additional metier studies as determined by the mentor and dean.

  3. Critical Studies course work is not required and is replaced by additional work in the metier. 

  4. Tuition and related fees are the same as those for the BFA degree. 

  5. Financial aid may be available for a period up to six years (12 semesters).

Transfer from Certificate Program to BFA Degree:

Certificate students may transfer to BFA study under the following conditions:

  1. After one or more semesters in residence; 

  2. Upon a favorable recommendation from the school review committee;

Process: The student must complete a Change of Status form. This form requires approval of the mentor, the dean, the Dean of Critical Studies, the Director of Financial Aid and the Registrar. A student who has graduated from CalArts with a Certificate and who later wishes to apply that Certificate to the BFA degree from the same school must go through the admission process and be formally accepted for BFA study and must complete all requirements remaining, both in the metier and Critical Studies. If the time away from CalArts exceeds five years, the student will be subject to the academic requirements of their program and the Institute in effect at the time of return.

Transfer (Voluntary) from BFA to Certificate Program: 

A BFA student may transfer to the Certificate program provided the student has been in residence one or more semesters and has the written approval of the dean and mentor.

Process: The student must complete a Change of Status form. This form requires the signature of the mentor, the dean, the Dean of the School of Critical Studies, the Director of Financial Aid and the Registrar.