Academic Policies

Enrollment Status

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Full-Time Status

Undergraduates must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 units or a maximum of 19 units each term. Undergraduate students taking more than 19 units a term will be assessed a prorated tuition charge.

Graduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 units or a maximum of 24 units each term. Graduate students taking more than 24 units in a term will be assessed a prorated tuition charge.

Overload enrollment in any term is by the Registrar’s approval.

Academic Schedule

Student course schedules can be viewed at Inside ArtCenter. Once registered, students may modify their schedules by completing the add/drop process online no later than Friday of Week 1. Students cannot make changes to their schedules using the online process after Friday of Week 1. Students should check official bulletin boards and their email for additional information related to registration.

Students are expected to attend every class on their schedules, and only the classes on their schedules. Not attending a class on their schedule will result in a grade of N being assigned for non-attendance. Students attending classes not on their schedules will not receive credit or grades for those classes.

ArtCenter Lite

An ArtCenter Lite (ACL) term provides students with the opportunity to take less than the 12-unit minimum in a given term. A maximum of two ACL terms is permitted during the student’s degree program. Students who have exhausted their two ACL terms may be eligible for an additional ACL term for the term in which they are graduating. Students are charged tuition on a prorated basis per unit.

International students are not permitted to take an ACL term without prior permission from the International Student Advisor. International students approved for an ACL term may be considered term off for visa status purposes. Term off eligibility requirements will apply.

To be enrolled for an ACL term, students must complete and submit a Request for ArtCenter Lite form to Enrollment Services by the Add/Drop deadline, Friday of Week 1. Students enrolled in an ACL term for credit will be covered by the student health insurance plan.

International students are allowed to take ACL ONLY when they have attended two consecutive full-time terms prior to the ACL term and must obtain a signature from the International Student Advisor on the ACL form before submitting it to Enrollment Services. Exceptions may apply; however, prior exception authorization on the I-20 form by the International Student Advisor in the Center for the Student Experience is required before submitting the ACL form to Enrollment Services.

Internship Term

An Internship Term allows a student to be enrolled at ArtCenter while completing an off-campus internship experience that has been approved by Creative Careers and taking no other classes. Internship Terms allow students to earn three (3) or six (6) units per semester. Students may earn a maximum of 12 units of credit applied toward their graduation requirements from internships during their course of study at ArtCenter, including Internship Terms. Internship credit, including Internship Terms, is available to undergraduate students with a minimum of 70 completed units and to graduate students with a minimum of 30 completed units. Students who are approved for a three-unit or six-unit internship are charged tuition on a prorated basis per unit. Students may not register for an Internship Term in their final/graduation semester.

To enroll in an Internship Term, students must submit an approved Internship Registration form via Creative Careers to Enrollment Services by Friday of Week 1 of the Internship Term. During an Internship Term, students may not enroll in additional courses, and can only be enrolled for a three-unit or six-unit internship officially approved through Creative Careers. Students who wish to enroll in additional courses and earn credit through an internship should be enrolled full-time (12 or more units) or in an approved ArtCenter Lite term (if enrolled in less than 12 units). All internships registered through Creative Careers will be noted on the academic transcript.

This policy does not apply to students who are employed off-campus for no course credit.

International students studying on F-1 visas must verify their eligibility to register for any internship with the International Student Advisor ISA) in the Center for the Student Experience (CSE). If the internship is located in the United States, international students must be enrolled either full-time or in an Internship Term to engage in any internship experience off-campus. They must also get Curricular Practical Training (CPT) employment authorization from the ISA in the CSE before starting an internship in order to comply with U.S. immigration laws. Failure to follow these steps may have serious consequences for international students, including the possible cancelation of the F-L visa.

Graduate Thesis Research or Project Term

Master of Fine Art and Master of Science students must complete all course work, including a thesis, to graduate from the College. Effective Fall 2025, masters degree students who have completed all coursework but have not completed all thesis components required for graduation may register for one additional semester in a zero-credit thesis continuation course. Thesis continuation can only be taken once. Thereafter, if a student still has not completed all thesis requirements, they will need to register in a tuition-based 3-credit course. Students enrolled in a Graduate Thesis Research Term are not enrolled in the College’s student health insurance program.

F-1 international students must verify their eligibility to take a Graduate Thesis Research or Project Term with the International Student Advisor in the Center for the Student Experience.

ArtCenter Honors Term

ArtCenter Honors Term is a program in which an undergraduate student may enroll for an additional term after graduation at no tuition cost to pursue an area of study of special interest. To apply, the student must complete and sign an ArtCenter Honors Term application and submit two Faculty Recommendation forms, a Department Chair Recommendation form and a portfolio. The portfolio can consist of graduating portfolio pieces and any work the student feels will represent his or her interests and abilities in the area of study chosen for the ArtCenter Honors Term.

If accepted into the ArtCenter Honors Term program, the student must make a $1,000 deposit prior to graduating from ArtCenter. The deposit will be refunded at the end of the ArtCenter Honors Term if the student satisfactorily completes the term. If the student withdraws, is suspended or is expelled, the deposit will be forfeited. All grades received in an ArtCenter Honors Term are calculated separately from the student’s undergraduate GPA.

Financial aid beyond tuition remission is not available for the ArtCenter Honors Term program.

International students should consult with the International Student Advisor in the Center for the Student Experience regarding eligibility for an ArtCenter Honors Term.

Graduate Fellows Program

The Graduate Fellows Program allows exceptional graduate students who have graduated an opportunity to pursue additional research within an approved area of study for one term at no tuition cost. This program allows a select number of students to explore areas not covered in their graduate course of study.

Graduate Fellows terms are not granted to those who wish to use the College’s facilities to generally improve their portfolios. Graduate Fellows terms are granted to students pursuing specific research activities that are considered to be of merit.

To apply, students must complete and sign a Graduate Fellows application and submit two Faculty Recommendation forms, a Department Chair Recommendation form and a portfolio. The portfolio can consist of graduating portfolio pieces and any work the student feels will represent his or her interests and abilities in the area of study chosen for the Graduate Fellows Program.

If accepted into the Graduate Fellows Program, the student must make a $1,000 deposit prior to graduating from ArtCenter. The deposit will be refunded at the end of the Graduate Fellows term if the student satisfactorily completes the term. If the student withdraws, is suspended or is expelled, the deposit will be forfeited. All grades received for Graduate Fellows are calculated separately from the student’s graduate GPA.

Financial aid beyond tuition remission is not available for the Graduate Fellows Program.

International students should consult with the International Student Advisor in the Center for the Student Experience regarding eligibility for the Graduate Fellows Program.

Cross-Enrollment Programs

ArtCenter has an approved Cross-Enrollment Program with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Occidental College. Full-time ArtCenter students may enroll in non-studio courses at one of these two campuses for no additional tuition charge. ArtCenter students must be enrolled in a full- time course load, 12 units or more, to be eligible for cross-enrollment at Caltech or Occidental College.

Courses taken at Caltech or Occidental must be approved and apply directly to the student’s ArtCenter degree requirements. For more information about this program, contact Enrollment Services.